Johns Hopkins women’s lacrosse senior Marielle McAteer recently chatted with PressBox about the process to contributing for the Blue Jays, playing for Tim McCormack and more. The 5-foot-3 midfielder scored six goals and picked up seven ground balls in a reserve role in 2023. McAteer is a native of Annapolis and graduate of St. Mary’s School.
PressBox: How did you become interested in lacrosse?
Marielle McAteer: I went to a Montessori school when I was little, from preschool to going into second grade. When I transferred, my neighbor [Eva Gormley] went to this school called St. Mary’s in Annapolis, which is elementary through high school. I transferred to go there and my neighbor was playing lacrosse at the time and my mom figured it would be a good way to get me to make friends and stuff at the new school. That’s basically how I got into it. At that level, everyone is the exact same. Once we started to grow up and I realized that I was actually pretty good at it, I started to like it more. I started club in sixth grade and then from there started the recruiting process and realized I wanted to play in college.
PB: Who were the biggest influences on your game growing up?
MM: Definitely my parents [Patrick and Pamela] for keeping me in it. At those low stages, it’s hard for a parent to go and even watch the game, and then to keep me in it, especially when I loved it, and going to all my tournaments growing up, they absolutely influenced it so much.
PB: What are your favorite memories from playing at St. Mary’s?
MM: I remember the very first practice I had. It got stormed out. We got there and after like 20 minutes there was a lightning warning, so we had to leave. That was when I was about to be in second grade. I played all the way through high school [at St. Mary’s], so a big one for me was being on varsity my freshman year. That was everything I ever wanted.
PB: Why did you choose to go to Hopkins?
MM: When I was in the recruiting process, I loved [former head coach] Janine Tucker. She was like a mother figure to me. Being around her felt like home, so that was the biggest influence on me. Plus, Hopkins is such a great school. It’s hard to turn down an offer from there, but definitely [Tucker] was my biggest influence.
PB: You played in 15 games as a junior in 2023 after playing in four prior to that. What’s it been like to develop throughout your career and now be able to contribute the way you have?
MM: It means so much more to me that everything I’ve done I’ve really had to work for. It’s been countless meetings with my coaches — seeing what can I do better — [and] working so hard on the field, trying to prove that I deserve to be out there. I remember having a meeting last year with [head coach Tim McCormack] and it was after our first scrimmage and I didn’t go on. The next week in practice I was playing because I was pissed, so I was playing so much better. I met with him the following week and he was like, “You’ve proved to us that we can’t keep you off the field. You’ve proven to us that we need you on there.” That was such a good feeling and it was really fulfilling knowing that everything I did I really, really worked so hard for.
PB: Janine Tucker recruited you, but you stuck around to play for Tim McCormack. What’s it like to play for McCormack? What are the similarities and differences between McCormack and Tucker?
MM: They have very similar philosophies, as in our team is a family. All the relationships that we have with each other are so real, and they’re real friendships. Family comes first, but everything you’re doing is representing who you are first, who your family is and then you’re representing Hopkins lacrosse. That has definitely stayed around. The main difference is just their coaching style. Tim likes to do a very different style of play, which if you had watched last year you would see. It’s kind of like, “What are they even doing?” But it’s very technical. We’re just constantly moving, setting picks, trying to create advantages. With [Tucker], it was more of a standard style of play. We had certain plays or dodging focus, so this style of play is definitely different.
PB: What’s your favorite memory at Hopkins so far?
MM: Last year, we were playing Rutgers. We were down at halftime [by six goals]. We had the worst first half ever, and then we came back out and in the third quarter the sun came out. They played “Here Comes the Sun.” Goal by goal, we started coming back and we ended up winning the game by one. It was just the energy that we had. The bench was on fire. We were all celebrating each and every aspect of the game, whether it was a ground ball or a goal or anything. We felt so cohesive, and that was so awesome to be a part of.
PB: What is your favorite thing about Baltimore?
MM: I guess this is favorite thing about Baltimore and Hopkins, but I like how small the campus is. Whenever I’m going to class, I usually pass by two to three people I know really well, or at least familiar faces that I say hi to. To me, I love that sort of interaction, so that means a lot to me. The same with Baltimore, it’s just very small where we are. All of our houses are within walking distance. We can just go to anyone’s house at whatever time, so I like that a lot — not having to drive places. I know some campuses, they scooter. Everything’s walking distance and I really like that.
PB: Who’s your best friend on the team and what’s a story that underscores your friendship?
MM: I live with three other girls and they’re all pretty equally my best friends, but I guess I can say Abbey Hurlbrink just because we’ve roomed together for all four years of college. We met each other originally very randomly on a mutual family friend vacation when we were both still being recruited, had no affiliation with each other at the time. We both got recruited. We played against each other at some club tournament and started texting after that. I forget which one of us asked, but one of us DM’d the other and said, “Hey, do you want to be roommates?” Ever since then, we’ve been best friends. Like I said, we’ve roomed all four years together and I’m very happy to have her in my life.
PB: Who was a player you looked up to when you first got to Hopkins?
MM: I always looked up to Keegan Barger just because she was my position and she had a very successful career the entire time while she was there.
PB: What advice do you have for younger players who are in the recruiting process?
MM: Take your time and really weigh all of your options. It’s really exciting, especially when you get your first offer, but really make sure you’re visiting all the schools — seeing all of the options, really.
PB: What are your goals for after lacrosse?
MM: I’m still working at that. I’m obviously going to get a job, but for me the most important thing is that what I do for work doesn’t identify me. I want to be able to make enough money to support my family and all of that kind of stuff, but I want my life outside of work to be what’s most important to me and to have a job where I’m able to do that.
Photo Credit: David Donoher/JHU Athletics
Issue 285: February/March 2024
Originally published Feb. 21, 2024