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Elizabeth Smith stood on the field in the final moments of the 2023 Section III Class A Championship with a heavy heart. Cicero-North Syracuse just fell 18-11 to Baldwinsville. She felt the sting of falling short of her dream. But instead of dwelling on disappointment, Smith channeled the loss into fuel.

“I think Elizabeth and everybody on the team took that loss to heart,” CNS head coach Stephanie Prentice said. “We changed up some of our training. Elizabeth does a lot of stuff (that) helps prepare her and get to her where she needs to be.”

Smith returned a year later with better form, booking a trip to the title game again. With two goals and two assists in the NYSPHSAA Championship, Smith helped the Northstars become state champions.

Smith registered 96 goals and 22 assists in her first two high-school seasons, propelling her to become a five-star recruit in the class of 2026, per Inside Lacrosse. This culminated in her commitment to North Carolina, where she’s one of five five-stars in its 2026 class. Before joining the Tar Heels, Smith will look to build on her already storied career at CNS.

“I want to work more on getting myself in the mentality of what it’s like to play at a top D-I school, top D-I lacrosse,” Smith said.

Smith began playing lacrosse as a 3-year-old with “a little fiddle stick.” She instantly grabbed lacrosse’s rhythm with her four older siblings.

As Smith grew up, her father, Aaron, who played high school lacrosse, enhanced her development. He started as a volunteer coach when she was a second grader in CNS’ youth program. Additionally, Aaron brought Smith to gymnasiums every Wednesday, where he and other volunteers helped hone her stick skills.

While playing with the youth program, Smith’s lacrosse skills quickly stood out, energizing runs to local championships. In 2020, she was invited to train with Aces Elite, a nationally ranked lacrosse program in Rochester, New York. Seizing the opportunity to elevate her game, Smith showed out during the practice session, seamlessly fitting into the competitive environment.

“I had a couple other people that had seen her play mention how talented she was. So, we invited her to our practice,” Brent Rothfuss, Smith’s coach at Aces Elite, said. “It was pretty obvious that she had the work ethic, the drive, the skill and pretty much all the attributes that you would want in a player.”

Rothfuss was impressed by Smith’s “quick and unbelievable” agility during the training session, which allowed her to pounce on loose balls. Her stick skills also stood out as she confidently controlled the ball in traffic, passing and catching with precision. Meanwhile, Smith’s aggressiveness and impeccable positioning kept constant pressure on opponents defensively.

Smith then smoothly transitioned to Aces Lacrosse. Surrounded by many future Division I commits, Smith advanced her stick skills with her non-dominant left hand, while progressing her dodging and shooting.

“I just really had the environment in order to grow as a player and become who I am today as a player,” Smith said.

Entering her first season with CNS in 2023, Smith immediately earned Prentice’s trust. Previously, Prentice coached Smith in CNS’ youth program. After slotting in as a starter, Smith had a spectacular season, registering 49 goals and 10 assists in 18 games.

“She’s probably the most well-rounded, complete player that I’ve ever coached,” Prentice said.

Elizabeth Smith weaves across the field in a game against Suffern High School. Smith tallied 96 goals and 22 assists in her first two high school seasons. Courtesy of Eizabeth Smith

Despite her individual success, Smith couldn’t finish her first season strong, falling to Baldwinsville in the final.

The defeat in the finals motivated her to invest extra time in training. As a sophomore, she racked up 47 goals, 12 assists and 12 forced turnovers. In sectionals, the Northstars cruised by Rome Free Academy and Liverpool, clinching a state championship berth.

“At the beginning of the (2023-24) season, we wrote on the board, winning a state championship was our goal,” Smith said. “We worked for it for so long, we believed we never gave up when we were playing, and no matter what, even if we were losing, we still kept our head up high, and we worked even harder the next day so that that wouldn’t happen again.”

CNS went unrivaled until facing the defending champion Fairport in the NYSPHSAA Championship. It was a nail-biter, with the game tied 7-7 entering the fourth quarter. But Smith’s four points helped the Northstars prevail, winning 12-8. This marked CNS’ first state championship since 1996.

Witnessing the championship banner being hung in her school’s gymnasium, Smith felt relieved to become a part of its history.

“It’s just relieving, because it’s something that I’ve worked for so long,” Smith said. “I’ve wanted to be a good lacrosse player for so long. It’s what I’ve worked for my whole life.”

Published on January 13, 2025 at 11:21 pm