Team USA’s roster for the Pan-American women’s lacrosse championship has plenty of Philly flavor

Four women’s lacrosse players with local ties have wrapped up their collegiate careers, but they still have the desire to accomplish more on the field.

A month ago, Rachel Clark and Anna Brandt graduated from Boston College and Penn, respectively. Marie McCool is entering her fourth year as an assistant coach for her alma mater, North Carolina, and Maddie Burns is working a corporate job in New York City after graduating from Michigan a year ago.

While their paths are different, their commitment to the game has never wavered, and now they’ll compete together with Team USA in the Pan-American women’s lacrosse championship in Auburndale, Fla., from Thursday through Monday.

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The Pan-American championship is a qualifier for the 2026 World Lacrosse Women’s Championship in Tokyo. Eight countries will compete in the Pan-American championship, and the top four will secure spots in Japan.

Team USA has won the last four World Lacrosse Women’s Championships in 2009, 2013, 2017, and 2022. McCool was on the roster in 2017 and 2022.

These four players, plus Northwestern’s Delaney Sweitzer, who went to Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, will also be competing in the Women’s Lacrosse League All-Star Game on July 4.

McCool, who graduated from Moorestown High School in 2014, starred at North Carolina as a midfielder from 2015-18 and was a three-time first-team All-American. She tried out for the national team during her freshman year with the Tar Heels and — to her surprise — made the roster.

She was the youngest player on Team USA in the 2017 world championship and looks to play in her third World Cup in 2026.

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“I’ve gained perspective from being a coach that I can absolutely utilize within my playing career,” McCool said. “Whether that’s from a leadership standpoint, from a physical standpoint, or just my mental game as well.”

In high school, Burns was a three-year varsity starter at Germantown Academy. She then played at Michigan, where she broke multiple program records and was named the school’s first Big Ten Defender of the Year in 2024.

Burns played professional lacrosse through Athletes Unlimited the summer after graduation, and then moved to New York City to pursue her career as a growth analyst.

“My corporate job truly makes lacrosse a passion and a hobby,” Burns said. “Rather than it being my entire life, it makes me 10 times more excited to play and compete and get back into that super-competitive mindset.”

She says her love for the sport stems from the coaches and players she was surrounded by growing up.

“Having a female coach was so impactful,” Burns said. “They were so motivating, and they understood everything that you could be going through.”

As for making the Team USA roster, Burns is feeling “really lucky and grateful.”

“It’s so fun to be a part of such a powerful group of women,” she said.

Conestoga’s lacrosse program has produced many great players, including Clark.

After high school, she played at Virginia for two years before transferring to Boston College, where she broke the single-season scoring record with 106 goals this past season.

Clark hasn’t had much downtime after graduating, but she likes it that way.

“I feel like I have so much knowledge,” Clark said. “Still having an opportunity to play at the highest level means I’m growing what I know. I would love to coach and add in opportunities to keep competing and playing.”

Brandt was a multisport athlete in Baltimore County, Md., but knew deep down that she’d want to play lacrosse in college.

“I always just kept coming back to lacrosse,” Brandt said. “I would find myself getting so excited for lacrosse season and just wanting to be on a lacrosse field.”

She initially committed to West Point for lacrosse but took a gap year after she was medically disqualified. She then decided to join Penn, where she earned a number of accolades, including being named Ivy League Midfielder of the Year this past season.

Brandt plans to attend law school after her opportunity on the national team.

In November, she experienced her first stint with Team USA at a training camp. She is excited to get back on the field with the team this week.

“It’s really just such a cool experience to be able to play with so many amazing players that I’ve either played against, played with, or have grown up watching and really look up to in the game,” Brandt said.