Marissa White’s 11th-Hour Decision to Flip from North Carolina to Boston College

Boston College head coach Acacia Walker-Weinstein felt the transfer portal had been quiet in 2025 — too quiet, even in a post-COVID era.

“I was like, ‘This just feels weird,” Walker-Weisnstein said. “I texted Sam [Apuzzo] and said, ‘Something is going to pop up.’”

A few somethings did, including James Madison attacker and draw specialist Maddie Epke, who considered Boston College but ultimately chose Northwestern. (“A huge loss,” Walker-Weinstein conceded.)

But the Eagles remained persistent.

“I said to Sam, ‘Just keep refreshing [the portal page] every day, a couple of times a day,” Walker-Weinstein said. “My whole time, my gut was just like, ‘This is odd. The transfer portal has been so quiet.”

On the final day to enter the portal, Apuzzo refreshed — and Walker-Weinstein’s gut instinct proved to be spot on.

“We saw Marissa White’s name and went, ‘Whoa,’” Walker-Weinstein said.

To an extent, White, who scored 49 goals and won an NCAA title during her redshirt-sophomore season at North Carolina, surprised herself with the decision to transfer.

“Honestly, that entire weekend leading up to the last day to enter the portal, I was pondering entering it,” White said. “I had some conversations with family and coaches I grew up around and thought it was the best decision for me to move forward.”

Walker-Weinstein took a quick poll of all her coaches, and they unanimously agreed that White would be a perfect fit for the Eagles, who graduate offensive stars Emma LaPinto, Mckenna Davis and Rachel Clark, a childhood friend of White’s. They then immediately reached out.

It wasn’t White’s first rodeo with Boston College. The Eagles recruited her out of The Agnes Irwin School (Pa.) and were part of her top three schools, along with North Carolina and Penn.

White had long dreamed of wearing Carolina Blue, like fellow Philadelphia suburb native Scottie Rose Growney, who spent five years in Chapel Hill from 2018-22.

“I always went to UNC camps,” White said. “I watched them in 2016 in Philly, and I knew more people who went there. I was set on Carolina — that way my goal, my dream at the time.”

White committed within three days, without a campus visit, due to COVID-19 restrictions. But dreams change, and White, who has two years of eligibility remaining after sitting out the 2024 season with a torn ACL, liked what she saw from the opposite sideline during Carolina and BC’s legendary clashes over the last three years.

Especially last season, when the teams met in the ACC championship game and White chipped in two goals in a 14-12 Carolina win.

“The games with BC were our toughest games,” White said. “No one else was playing us to two- or three-goal games. They were gritty and competitive. Their defense was always strong. Shea [Dolce] is one of the best goalies in the country — probably the best one. She was always tough to go against. It was us and them.”

Now, White is one of “them.” But first, she got the inside scoop from her childhood friend, Clark, who poured in 101 goals during her final year in Chestnut Hill.

“She had nothing but great things to say about the coaches and how she grew as a player,” White said. “That’s what I’m looking for. To grow and get better, reach my fullest potential and become the best version of myself in my two years left.”

If you ask Walker-Weinstein, White is already pretty great.

“Everybody at this level is skilled, but I love how smart she is,” Walker-Weinstein said. “I also like how she’s a first-class player who isn’t one-dimensional. She can play on the draw, behind the net, on the elbow, up top, inside. She can push the transition, create a fast break, catch off the clear — she’s good at everything. She’s exactly what we need. We need more threats in the midfield, and that’s what she provides.”

Expect the Eagles to tap into that talent, and perhaps uncover another one. White wasn’t much of a factor on the circle, corralling three draws all season. But BC plans to see what she can do there — and everywhere — next year.

“I think we’re going to give her a shot on the circle,” Walker-Weinstein said. “I think we're going to try to get her involved in creating transition looks, and she’ll probably be one of the quarterbacks of the offense. She’ll be everywhere.”

What White won’t be doing is starting from scratch. She’s familiar with the ACC gauntlet and her new teammates. Clark might be gone, but White has played in Lake Placid and Vail and is familiar with many incoming Philadelphia-area freshmen (Exhibit A: four-star midfielder Caroline Chisholm went to Agnes Irwin School).

“At first, the process feels scary because you kind of have to start over, but I have existing relationships with many of the players,” White said. “We used to talk about playing together, and now we can. Plus, having the chance to play in a new environment with new people is exciting.”

You could call it a refresh of sorts. However, White wouldn’t mind hitting the “refresh” button and repeating a bit of what she helped accomplish at UNC last year: ACC and national titles.

“Boston College won the ACC championship my freshman year at UNC and the national championship last season, and UNC won last year,” White said. “That experience is important. It gives you an edge. But every program is different. I’m going to learn about the way they do things. I’m hoping to bring my experience and combine it with theirs. But that’s our goal, winning, and it’s definitely possible at BC.”