Marissa Creatore is a former UNC field hockey star, two-time national champion and East Chapel Hill High alum with the class of 2015. She played forward for East and later the nationally ranked field hockey program at UNC. She finished her career with 35 goals and 20 assists, and was named an All American this past year. I got in contact with her recently to answer some questions about her career. Here are her responses.
What is it like playing field hockey at UNC?
Playing at UNC was such an incredible experience. I walked on my freshman year and ended up redshirting that season. My last three years, I was blessed to start every single game and be a captain the last two seasons. I think more than anything for me, it was amazing to represent my home town and bring pride back to the place I grew up. My teammates became my best friends and I’m so happy I have those amazing memories to share with them. In addition, coach [First Name]Shelton and the entire coaching staff taught me more than field hockey. They taught me leadership, work ethic, collaboration, resilience, and gave me a confidence that I carry with me in the professional world.
How does this compare to your experience of playing field hockey at East?
Playing at East was equally as rewarding as UNC. Becoming a state champion all four years at East, I was prepared for the intense championship culture that I faced at UNC. Coach [Susan] Taylor did an amazing job of instilling a love for the game and a hard working mindset. Just like my time at Carolina, I loved that my teammates at East were my best friends. I still keep up with many of them today and look back on my time at East very fondly.
What is your favorite field hockey memory?
My favorite memory playing field hockey was winning the 2018 national championship. Our team had lost the previous 10 years in the final four so it felt as if we had finally broken a “curse.” Winning this past fall was just the cherry on top.
Out of all of the awards/honors you’ve received, which has meant the most and why?
I think that becoming an All American is the accolade that I am most proud of. When I walked on, I expected to play left bench and cheer my team to victory. So to be able to become an impact player and help my team win national championships… that was an incredible feeling. I never ever thought I would be an All American.
What is the most exciting game of field hockey that you have ever played?
Definitely when we played Princeton earlier this fall. We were down by three goals and ended up scoring three goals in the last five minutes (which is crazy for field hockey). We ended up going undefeated for the second year in a row so that game really was a game changer for us! A very exciting, momentum shifting moment where all of our hard work came together.
