Even as she’s setting records, redshirt senior attacker Katie Hoeg gives the credit to her teammates.
Hoeg broke her own tournament record with seven assists in the North Carolina women’s lacrosse team's 19-6 win over Louisville Wednesday for the first round of the ACC Tournament. This was also a career high for Hoeg, who is UNC's all-time assist leader.
“It speaks to my teammates," Hoeg said. "I can throw a million passes, but I’m not the one finishing them. I think it just goes to show how dynamic we are as an offense. I knew my vision was going to have to be on point today if we wanted to be successful, and credit to my teammates for putting the ball in the back of the net for allowing that to happen for me.”
It took Hoeg just over 45 minutes to notch her seventh assist, two minutes fewer than it took to tally her previous record six assists in the 2019 ACC Tournament game against Virginia Tech.
Hoeg tallied four of her seven assists in the second half, including one to fellow senior attacker Scottie Rose Growney. This gave Growney a hat trick, and she would later add another goal to finish the day with four.
“It’s awesome to be on attack with her," Growney said. "She sets us up for everything. It’s really incredible to have such a selfless teammate. She does a great job in seeing the field really well and making the right decisions."
With an extra year of eligibility after the 2020 season was canceled due to COVID-19, head coach Jenny Levy and the Tar Heels were able to return Hoeg and other key pieces from last year's top-ranked team — which started 7-0.
“Katie’s a great player because she’s earned it," Levy said. "She’s worked really hard for the five years that she’s been here."
Levy said Hoeg is a smart, competitive and tough player.
