When Bailey Horne (Framingham, Mass.) of North Carolina stepped onto the field for her first draw of the season, she stood across from another New Englander -- James Madison’s Maddie Epke (Guilford, Conn.).
Both players had taken very different paths to get to that point. Epke, a sophomore, started every game at attack the previous year as a freshman and was named the VaSID State Rookie of the Year.
On the other hand, Horne, a graduate student, played in only half her team's games in 2023, all off the bench. Still, it was the most she had ever appeared as a member of the Tar Heels, scratching and clawing her way to earn more playing time every season.
Epke had just scored to give the Dukes a 2-0 lead. When the whistle blew, she and Horne popped the ball up; both reached up with their sticks, but it was Horne who caught it and gave her team a much-needed possession.
