“It was pretty cool to be a part of,” Dobson said. “She shoots the ball 92 miles an hour. To be able to stand in there is oftentimes [something] you don’t want to do. But I’m not going to back down from an opportunity like that. The challenge was awesome and fun.” 

“Credit to Brett Dobson for stepping in net,” North said of that moment. “He’s a fantastic goalie and has just won back-to-back PLL Championship Game MVPs. To be able to shoot on him was an honor and I hope we can get some more reps against him soon.”

For Dobson, North’s approach as a shooter was unexpected.

“It’s a different release point,” he said. “The stick has a lot more whip and, obviously, I didn’t think she was going to pull it as much as she did, and I was wrong. So I know better this time if I can do it again.”

North is, of course, one of the best step-down shooters in the history of the sport. When she steps up in a one-on-one situation with a goalie like she did against Dobson, her emphasis is on reacting to how the goalie is playing her.

“It’s pretty much all about reading the goalie and seeing what they’re giving you,” she said. “Then trying to bait them with your body language and your deception that you have as a shooter.”

She added that there are specific ways to achieve that deception that can keep goalies guessing until the last second. 

“Opening your hips or shoulders a certain way, using your body and your eyes or your head and then changing levels with your stick is obviously really important,” she said. “I like to teach girls to be as versatile a shooter as possible by being able to change your levels and go from three or four release points to do that.”

Unleashed Overnight gives North the opportunity to teach those types of skills to the next generation of women’s lacrosse players. It’s a special event led by some of the best players in the world. With North and fellow Team USA players Ally Mastroianni and Lizzie Colson as instructors, the camp provides dynamic lacrosse training in addition to off-field sessions on mental performance and confidence, nutrition, strength and conditioning, digital media and branding, and more. 

“It’s really unique,” North said. “Beyond the lacrosse training, there’s so much more that this camp offers that doesn’t really exist elsewhere.” 

For North, Unleashed Overnight is a chance to give back to the game and engage with younger players.

“It’s something I’m really fortunate to do and that I really love to do,” she said. “To connect with the next generation of players. I get to hear their background in the sport, why they love the sport, how they got into it and what they want to learn. It’s so exciting. We form really cool connections over those three days that last beyond just the camp.” 

This weekend in Chula Vista, California, North and Dobson will be back at Unleashed Overnight helping to mold the next great lacrosse players. The only question is, will we get a rematch?

“Probably a strong possibility there,” Dobson said.