On Sept. 28, junior Patrick Smith announced his commitment to play lacrosse at Cornell University via Instagram.
Smith started playing lacrosse in kindergarten for Transition Lacrosse and has never put down the stick. Since then, he moved club teams to Leading Edge and made the WHS varsity boys lacrosse team his sophomore year.
Smith has been a key player for WHS boys lacrosse, contributing 32 goals in his first season as an attacker. During this time he also made an appearance in the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 championship, which Smith called one his biggest accomplishments. “I hit the game winner and it was a very cool experience,” he said. Last season WHS boys lacrosse went 13-8.
During Smith’s commitment journey he had many people around him helping through the process. “Chris Roy (Leading Edge coach), helped me the most along the whole recruiting process, along with my teammates. But he definitely guided me and drafted things for me to say, which helped a lot,” said Smith. When deciding what college Smith wanted to attend he wanted good academics but most importantly a place with a positive team environment.
Cornell University is located in Ithaca, NY overlooking the Cayuga Lake. It is 4 hours outside New York City and has around 26,500 students attending the university. Last season the Cornells men’s lacrosse team, a member of the Ivy League, went 11-5 overall and 5-1 in the conference.
Looking back at his sophomore year, Smith’s impact did not go unnoticed as he contributed more than what was on the stat sheets. Among many of Smith’s standout moments, the Seton Hall Prep 11-10 victory highlighted his ability to deliver under pressure. As Smith enters his season for junior year, he is focused on continuing to grow his leadership and pushing Westfield toward victory.
“He has a very high lacrosse IQ and is a student of the game which makes it easy to play with him. He is also a leader on the field calling out plays and helping rally the team when needed,” said senior captain Koby Waldman.
With two more years ahead, Smith is eager to get back to work with his team and help the Blue Devils get a championship for the 2026-2027 season.
