Egoless Kent Goode Waited for His Shot and Capitalized

North Carolina goalie Kent Goode’s message to the defense in front of him last weekend was appropriately upbeat and modest.

The Tar Heels were about to start what they hope will become a three-weekend run in the NCAA tournament, starting with what would become the first postseason victory Goode has been a part of in his four seasons in Chapel Hill.

“I told them before the game, ‘I’m just here for backup,’” Goode said. “’You guys just do your jobs. You guys are fantastic. I’m just here in case we need some more support.’”

The only thing unusual about it was that Goode (rhymes with food) was about to embark on a relative rarity: A goalie making his first career start in the NCAA tournament. (One recent example that springs to mind is Virginia’s Kyle Morris getting his first career nod in the 2024 semifinals after entering in a quarterfinal victory the week before.)

Goode had a somewhat similar runway, coming in for freshman Josh Marcus late in the first half of a loss to Virginia in the ACC final. By the middle of last week, coach Joe Breschi decided to stick with Goode.

He made eight saves in 45 minutes as the third-seeded Tar Heels ripped UAlbany 24-6 and is expected to start again Saturday in the quarterfinals when North Carolina (13-4) meets sixth-seeded Syracuse (12-5) in Hempstead, N.Y.

The big difference between the netminders making their starting debuts? Morris still had multiple years of eligibility left. Goode was a senior whose final game will come in the next few weeks.

“I had zero reservations about him playing. I mean, zero,” Breschi said. “I think what it has done is it has allowed the goalie room to see the confidence there is in everyone in that room. Who knows what will happen this weekend and beyond, but knowing any one of those guys can step in the cage between the pipes and do what we’re asking them to do and play within the scheme and make the saves necessary, it just goes to show you what kind of goalie room it is but also what kind of team and culture we have.”

Goode, who grew up outside of Richmond, Va., found North Carolina an easy sell when he was recruited. But the maxim in the lobby of the school’s lacrosse offices — “family, academics, lacrosse” — was particularly resonant.

He was an understudy to Collin Krieg for his first two seasons. There was plenty to learn on the practice field, but just as much from how Krieg prepared, thought ahead and interacted with the defense and the rest of the team.

Krieg, the goalie on North Carolina’s last Memorial Day weekend team in 2021, graduated after starting every game of his college career. Goode logged about 140 minutes in eight games in the front half of his career, probably about as much as would be expected from playing behind a four-year starter.

Last season, the Tar Heels added Michael Gianforcaro, who had already played in two NCAA tournaments at Princeton. The graduate transfer earned the starting job and helped the Tar Heels return to the postseason, while Goode posted a .750 save percentage appearing in five games.

“Even when Mike was coming in, I still had the mentality I was going to compete for the job,” Goode said. “That didn’t change my preparation at all. But super-fortunate to have another great teammate with Mike and someone who has a long list of accolades, was an All-American and is playing in the PLL right now.”

Goode didn’t alter his on-field approach going into his senior year, but he acknowledged an added sense of responsibility for helping to steer the team. Breschi said Goode was a pivotal figure in offseason workouts and is part of the team’s leadership committee.

The best illustration, though, came with how Goode supported Marcus, the newcomer who won the starting job and held it throughout the regular season. He helped the Tar Heels to four victories over other quarterfinalists (Syracuse twice, plus Johns Hopkins and Penn State) and posted a .515 save percentage in the team’s first dozen games.

“It’s funny because it was a full circle moment for me, as Collin Krieg and Mike Gianforcaro mentored me, it was my turn to mentor him,” Goode said. “Josh and I are extremely, extremely tight and we continue the discourse of how you play this shot, how you approach this game. It’s just the mentality you have to have because it’s ultimately what the team deserves and that’s just the bottom line.”

Marcus struggled in the season’s final weeks, with a .354 save percentage in North Carolina’s last four games through Selection Sunday. Goode entered late in the first half, and Breschi stuck with him last week while giving Marcus an opportunity to reset.

Goode was plenty comfortable, quickly settling in after stopping UAlbany’s Silas Richmond in the early moments of the first-round game. Meanwhile, the Tar Heels scored the first five goals and built a 12-1 lead by late in the first half.

“He’s always prepared like a starter,” senior defensive midfielder Leif Hagerup said. “Nothing’s really changed whether he was second or first. When he came in, everyone knew he was ready to go. Obviously, we didn’t miss a beat in the goal. His outlet passes were amazing and you had that confidence that he was going to make the saves he needed to make and he was going to steal a couple.”

Goode appreciates the camaraderie of the Tar Heels’ four-man goalie corps, and yet from the outside, basic math is what makes his situation so interesting. A fourth or fifth attackman can play on extra man or come out of the midfield. Multiple midfield units play. An extra defenseman may get work on a faceoff wing or a man-down unit.

But there’s only room on the field for one goalie, 60 minutes likely to be allocated heavily toward one player. To go almost four seasons without drawing a start seems like it would be challenging, or at least a test of patience.

“Hard from the perspective of, ‘Are you ever going to get your shot?’” Goode asked. “I don’t think so because especially this year, you really learn to drop your ego. It doesn’t bother me. You just come to peace because it doesn’t bother me if I know if the team needs Josh this season, then I’m going to do everything in my power to make Josh Marcus the best goalie he can possibly be.”

All that effort has also made Goode a better goalie. He won’t be a first-time starter when the Tar Heels aim for a third victory over Syracuse, and the freshly minted graduate of North Carolina’s business school is prioritizing extending the season another week above all else.

“It’s a great story for Kent,” Breschi said. “He’s worked hard for four years. This is perfect for all those kids out there who [think], ‘I didn’t get my shot, I didn’t get my shot, I didn’t get my shot.’ And he got his shot, and it’s really cool to see that perseverance, being a great teammate, having the respect of your peers, all those things matter in the grand scheme of things. And he never, ever wavered in four years.”