By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 8/11/14
Moorestown senior midfielder Marie McCool has been named a Phillylacrosse.com Co-Player of the Year for 2014.
McCool led the Quakers to a third consecutive undefeated season (26-0) and New Jersey Tournament of Champions title this year, collecting 85 goals and 44 assists.
She saved her best for the end in helping the Quakers end the year with a 77-game win streak and finish as the No. 1 team in the region by Phillylacrosse.com and No. 2 squad in the nation by Brine/TopLaxRecruits.com.
Moorestown’s winning streak was in doubt several times during the state tournament, but McCool sparked a 6-5 comeback win over Mendham in the Group 3 final and then against Summit in the TOC finals. In that game. she scored four goals in a span of 4:32 to key an 8-6 victory.
“Simply put, Marie McCool (272 career goals) was the most fluid, dynamic athlete who just happened to be a great lacrosse player,” said Moorestown coach Deanna Knobloch and assistant coach K.C. Knobloch. “She is considered by many ‘experts’ to be the best midfielder in the country.
“She made her teammates around her better. She could dominate a game from everywhere on the field, be it draw control, dodging and finishing or stripping girls in the midfield on checks after chasing opponents down. She has great seperation speed with or without the ball and her lax vision and stick handling are as good as any we have ever had here in Moorestown. She and her senior teammates left here with three straight Tournament of Championship titles and she is our all time leader in goals.”
McCool credited the close-knit family camaraderie of her teammates and the veteran coaching staff for her success.
“My coaches and teammates are both major reasons for my success,” she said. “Mr. and Mrs. Knobloch have taught me so much on and off the field, including how to be a true leader. My teammates push me everyday to make me the best I can be. It’s an honor to be able to play for such a great program with such great players.
“We found ourselves losing at halftime multiple times (this year),” she said. “I believe that the reason we came out on top in these close games was our coaches and the heart each girl plays with. It’s an amazing feeling to be able to say that I have not lost a lacrosse game since my freshman year of high school.”
McCool is proud to have been a part of the success story at Moorestown, which has won 13 of the last 15 NJ state titles.
“There are honestly so many special things about this program,” she said. “No one knows what MGLAX is like unless you are a part of it – the countless traditions, the psych parties, the team bonding, and idea of having not only the best teammates, but the best sisters are what make this program so special and so successful!”
Also named Co-Player of the Year:
Haley Warden, Garnet Valley
Katie O’Donnell, Henderson
High Honorable Mention
Brittany Edwards, Great Valley
Emily Santana, Springfield-Delco
Wednesday: Boy’s Co-Players of the Year, Coaches of the Year
