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© 2025 USA Lacrosse. All Rights Reserved.
© 2025 USA Lacrosse. All Rights Reserved.
AUBURNDALE, Fla. – Less than a year ago, Katie Goodale thought her lacrosse career might be over. On Thursday, she took the field with USA on her jersey as a member of the national team competing in the Pan-American Women’s Lacrosse Championship at the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex.
Needless to say, it’s been quite a turnaround.
Goodale was a first team All-American defender at Syracuse in 2024 after setting a school single-season record with 45 caused turnovers, but no opportunity came from Athletes Unlimited to keep playing.
But a few months after finishing up at Syracuse, she was invited to become a part of the player pool with the U.S. national team.
“I got that call to be a part of the player pool and it was shocking,” Goodale said. “I really thought I was done with lacrosse at the point – not playing in the professional league. As soon as I got that call, I was like I need to start training to get ready for this. I started working with my trainer that I had worked with in college, trying to get my feet moving on the field again. The whole fall, that’s what I was doing to get ready for the opportunity.”
She made her debut with the U.S. national team during the IWCLA President’s Cup last November in Florida. It was almost like she was back in high school – playing at a major recruiting event trying to impress coaches.
“That first President’s Cup, I was very, very nervous for it, but nerves are good sometimes,” Goodale said. “You should be nervous. This is such an honor. I used those nerves to make myself play better and rely on my teammates. When you’re nervous, you rely on them and you want to make them look better and from there you can worry about the team instead of worrying about yourself.”
Goodale made her presence felt early on in Thursday’s 21-5 victory over Puerto Rico. The U.S. got off to a sluggish start and was locked in a 1-1 tie nearly 10 minutes into the game and Puerto Rico had the ball. A Puerto Rico shot went wide and Goodale sprinted towards the end line with Puerto Rico players on both sides of her. She dove fully extended and landed hard, but won the race to the endline to give possession to the U.S.
“I got the wind knocked out of me a little bit,” Goodale laughed. “I just saw the opportunity, so I took it. I just went for it and I was happy it went my way.”
Soon after, Kenzie Kent scored a quick stick goal off a feed from Marie McCool, triggering a three-goal run to close the first quarter. Goodale’s full-out effort is the exact type of play and effort that head coach Acacia Walker-Weinstein is looking for from her team.
“The standard is to raise the bar and if we’re not raising the bar, then we’re not meeting the standard,” Walker-Weinstein said.
As the game wore on, she saw more of what she’s looking for.
“I thought it was a really great opportunity for our girls to get their feet wet in international play and play in different units and different groups,” Walker-Weinstein said. “The beginning was a bit of a slow, sloppy start. [Puerto Rico] came out really hard and beat us in some 50-50 battles, which created some scoring opportunities. I think as the game went on, we sort of settled in. I’m really proud of the girls.”
The game was the first against an international opponent for the U.S. senior field team since beating Canada in the 2022 world championship final, something not lost on veteran Marie McCool. McCool, who also won a World Cup in 2017, noted it was the first time they had put on their real uniforms in nearly three years. She finished the game with two goals, an assist and a team-high five draw controls.
One of the players McCool now coaches in her role as an assistant coach at North Carolina – Tewaaraton winner Chloe Humphrey – made quite the impression in her U.S. team debut. Humphrey had a team-high six points on three goals and three assists, including a no-look back hander, despite only playing the second half.
Humphrey was one of four players to register hat tricks in the game, joining Emma Muchnick, Charlotte North and Izzy Scane.
Playing Puerto Rico was not a new experience for Muchnick. As a member of the U.S. U20 team last year, Muchnick met up against Puerto Rico, a rising program on the international scene, twice in that event, including in the quarterfinal round.
“Even though we had that experience last summer, it’s very different,” Muchnick said. “It’s more competitive obviously, but it’s so cool to be able to compare it to last summer playing Puerto Rico and now.”
She’s looking forward to make more memories with her new teammates over the next few days, beginning with tomorrow’s pool play game against Peru, the first time the U.S. has ever played against Peru. She’s not alone in enjoying the moment.
“This is my first cycle with the USA and it’s such an honor to be here, honestly,” said Goodale, who had two caused turnovers in the victory. “I’m so grateful that I get this opportunity to play among such amazing players. It’s a dream come true.”
USA Goals: Chloe Humphrey 3, Emma Muchnick 3, Charlotte North 3, Izzy Scane 3, Emma LoPinto 2, Marie McCool 2, Anna Brandt, Rachel Clark, Ally Kennedy, Kenzie Kent, Ally Mastroianni
USA Assists: Chloe Humphrey 3, Ally Kennedy 2, Emma LoPinto 2, Maddie Burns, Rachel Clark, Kori Edmondson, Ally Kennedy, Marie McCool, Emma Muchnick.
USA Goaltending: Shea Dolce (3 GA, 3 saves, 30 minutes), Caylee Waters (2 GA, 1 save, 30 minutes)
Puerto Rico Goals: Bri Carrasquillo 2, Isabella Henson-Vendrell 2, Victoria Rankin-Areizaga.
Argentina 16, Jamaica 9
Canada 14, Haudenosaunee 8
Mexico 20, Peru 6
USA 21, Puerto Rico 5
10 am - Puerto Rico vs. Mexico
10 am - Haudenosaunee vs. Argentina
12:30 pm - Peru vs. United States
12:30 pm - Jamaica vs. Canada
Watch on World Lacrosse TV
Brian Logue has worked at USA Lacrosse since 2000 and is currently the senior director of communications. He saw his first lacrosse game in 1987 - Virginia at Delaware - and fell in love with the sport while working at Washington and Lee University.
