"It was snowing up here in New Jersey and it was sunny there, probably like 65 degrees," recalled McCabe, who signed a letter of intent to attend the Division 1 school on Thursday, Feb. 2. "I really liked that."
McCabe, a Harding resident, gushed when talking about Spiders head coach Gina Lucido, whom she referred to as "amazing" and "nice."
She is more than well-acquainted with two of her future teammates. Sophomore midfielder Chelsea Davies played for Madison, graduating in 2010. Freshman back Aubrey Hunt, who went to Oak Knoll, also is a friend.
"Having them there will make college easier," McCabe said. "I'll know people right away."
McCabe, a two-year starter for the Dodgers, boasted an .881 saves percentage as a senior. She surrendered 23 goals, had 10 shutouts and made 171 saves for Madison, the 2011 Morris County Tournament champion.
For her career, McCabe had a saves percentage of .872 and 18 shutouts.
One of McCabe's best games was in the 2011 MCT final against West Morris when she made 13 saves and was named defensive MVP.
"Caroline McCabe joins the Richmond field hockey program as a young goalie on the rise," said Lucido, who has guided Richmond for five years, in a press release. "Her relentless commitment to development year round is one of Caroline's many strengths.
"Caroline will spur a healthy dimension of competition and camaraderie to our goalie family next fall. Although a standout goalie at the high school level, I believe her sincere desire to maximize her potential will push her excellence to new benchmarks. She brings significant depth to our elite goalkeeping standard."
The Spiders, 16-7 in 2011, already have two goalies on their roster. Sophomore Anna Zarkoski was superb last fall, starting 21-of-22 games and yielding 23 goals. She posted seven shutouts.
"Anna had an amazing season," McCabe said. "I'm hoping to get a little time under her. I know I have to work hard but I'm up for the challenge."
When not playing field hockey, McCabe, no doubt, will be exploring the campus and focusing on her major. She's interested in business, specifically marketing and advertising.
"I'm so excited about signing," she said. "I'm really happy. It's been a fun day. I am so glad about going to Richmond. I think it's a really great fit."
