A Decade Later, McCool Embraces Another New U.S. National Team Role

Marie McCool stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Chase Boyle and Madison Taylor, eyes fixed on the circle that formed around her on the grass field at IMG Academy.

As the sun set on the Florida horizon, a new day was rising for the U.S. Women’s National Team, which began the tryout process for the 2026 World Lacrosse Championship with a 43-player training weekend. McCool, the former North Carolina legend turned Athletes Unlimited professional and two-time gold medalist, made the trip as a national team hopeful for the third time.

The circle formed at midfield, with players dressed in white pinnies locking arms and looking forward. Then came a momentary silence — one that said more than words could.

“You could feel the void,” McCool said.

Taylor Cummings and Kayla Treanor, two of the best lacrosse players and leaders of their generation, retired after the U.S. National Team’s run to gold in Towson in 2022. Kristen Carr, a leader on multiple gold medal-winning U.S. teams (including the 2024 Women’s Box National Team), was not part of the tryout pool.

McCool waited a moment before realizing that it was her turn to speak.

“Every single person is here for a reason,” she told the group. “You all have a superpower, always remember that. Let’s focus on each other, make new friends and lift each other up today.”

The former Tewaaraton Award finalist started her national team career at 18 years old when she was a freshman at North Carolina. Back then, her strengths were her electric speed and finishing ability, making her an instant transition threat.

A decade later, McCool has added leadership to the list of qualities that make her a national team veteran. McCool watched her contemporaries ride off with a gold medal and then witnessed others who idolized herself become teammates.

McCool has plenty of experience from which to draw, and she’s using it to help the rest of the tryout pool.

“I want to use my experiences to help my teammates and those around me,” she said. “I remember how it felt when I was 18, getting that first opportunity. Reflecting back on how my role has changed throughout every cycle, and fully embracing and accepting it, is something I’m excited to do.”

“It’s a clean slate. It’s a new team,” U.S. head coach Acacia Walker-Weinstein said. “It’s fun to watch new people step up — rookies get into the spotlight and some of the veterans like Marie get into the spotlight.”

McCool’s role in the national team program continues to evolve, especially as she now plays for a third head coach.

In 2017, Ricky Fried led the United States to gold while McCool scored 12 goals in a complimentary role. She also took home a gold medal in The World Games in Wrocław, Poland, in 2017 as part of lacrosse’s first appearance in the event. She finished her Tar Heels career in 2018 as a two-time Tewaaraton Award finalist and National Midfielder of the Year.

She began the next U.S. tryout process later that same year, this time under North Carolina head coach Jenny Levy. She was the leader of a U.S. transition unit that included Ally Kennedy, finishing with 20 goals in 2022 (fifth all-time in a single world championship).

She remembered the role the veterans played as she grew into her own position as a savvy vet.

“Devon Wills was an amazing teammate, and she’s my coach now,” McCool said. “Kayla Treanor was my first roommate that I had at a training weekend. I was like, ‘Oh my God, that’s Kayla Treanor.’ Knowing what these alums did for me, I want to do that for this next group.”

McCool has spent the years since winning gold in 2022 growing both personally and professionally. She returned to Chapel Hill ahead of the 2023 season as assistant with North Carolina, a role she holds entering next spring. The experience on the college lacrosse scene has helped her understand and watch some of the players with which she took the field in Bradenton for U.S. training camp. She’s also competed in Athletes Unlimited each summer since its inception in 2021.

She married former Syracuse star and Premier Lacrosse League professional Kevin Rice in August 2023. She became an aunt when her sister, Erika (who played for Oregon from 2011-14), gave birth to a baby boy last year.

Life has changed for McCool since she stepped foot on the field for her first U.S. National Team tryout, but she’s embracing the road she’s taken and gaining plenty of perspective. She’s hoping that road leads to Japan in 2026, and she won’t hesitate to speak up in the meantime.

“This process means the world to me,” she said. “Every time I put on this jersey, I get goosebumps, whether it’s the 50th time I’ve done this or the first. These are memories and relationships that last a lifetime.”