How Moorestown ‘shaped’ pro women’s lacrosse star Marie McCool
The 29-year-old midfielder, who once starred at North Carolina, is continuing her trailblazing career in the Women’s Lacrosse League, and she's been a pivotal part of the sport's growth.
Marie McCool’s buzzer-beater led to her being named MVP of the inaugural Women’s Lacrosse League All-Star Game, but it’s about more than the accolades for the Moorestown High School alumna.
“Being an MVP is a great honor,” McCool said after the 16-15 win for Team Scane on July 5, “but I personally feel like there were so many people on the field that deserved it. I happened to be the last one with the ball in my stick, and I glanced at the shot clock and saw that there was only 10 seconds left, so I was like, ‘All right, gotta try and make a play here.’”
McCool is one of 20 players and coaches in the WLL who are from the Philadelphia area, and she’s continuing her trailblazing career in the nascent league as a midfielder for the California Palms. The team, which is in its second season in the four-team league, currently is 2-1 and is atop the standings by virtue of goal differential (plus-8).
“She was something very special and left a lasting legacy at Moorestown,” said her high school coach, Deanna Knobloch. “She had been the first at the time to be a three-time All-American at Moorestown. She was a two-time high school player of the year in the state of New Jersey, back to back, junior and senior years.”
After winning three state titles in high school, she had a historic run at North Carolina. While still a student, she tried out for the national team, and, at just 19, she became the youngest player on Team USA in the 2017 World Championship. McCool, who has been a Tar Heels assistant coach since 2021, also is preparing for the 2026 World Championship in Tokyo and hopes to secure her third title on Aug. 2.
But amid the accolades, including MVP at the 2025 World Games, it all goes back to her local roots.
“I wouldn’t be where I am today without Moorestown,” McCool said. “Just the program that the Knoblochs built, and the legacy, and the dynasty, just to be a part of that has really shaped me into who I am today.”
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Her best advice for continuing to grow is shaped by leaning on her teammates, from Moorestown to Team USA.
“We always say at UNC, ‘Iron sharpens iron,’” she said. “Just being surrounded by the best of the best every day challenged me to continue to get better.”
Now, McCool has a chance to return to the area for the WLL championship game on Aug. 15 at the Union’s Subaru Park, a stadium that is no stranger to McCool’s talents.
“It’s a pretty full-circle moment because the championship is actually on the same field that I won a championship on as a player in Carolina [in 2016], and hopefully [we will] win the first-ever WLL championship,” she said.
The establishment of the WLL in late 2024 is a sign of the sport’s growing popularity. It expanded quickly at the college level, growing from 600 to more than 900 men’s and women’s NCAA lacrosse teams in the past decade — paving the way for lacrosse to appear at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles for the first time in a century.
This boom added motivation for McCool within the WLL, despite the short season.
“This being a four-game season, some are like, ‘Oh, only four games,’ but for me, I’m like, ‘It’s a great opportunity,’” she said. “I really do believe that we’re moving in the right direction to continue to get the women’s game on the biggest stage and continue to help grow it.”
McCool has played no small part in the growth. Knobloch, who coached at Moorestown for 27 years before retiring in 2018, says it takes players like McCool to keep the sport in the spotlight.
“I watch her now, and I still watch in awe of the player that she has become,” Knobloch said. “I absolutely loved coaching Marie and watching her grow, not only as a player, but, more importantly, as a leader, like the captain that she became, and how she continued representing the sport, and having all these next generations want to be just like her. I’m just grateful to have been a small part of that.”
Meanwhile, the 29-year-old McCool says she is approaching the end of her playing career, but isn’t quite done yet.
“I know I still have some gas left in the tank,” McCool said. “I’m excited to just continue to play and have the opportunity to do so, and hopefully leave the game better than I found it.”