Seawolves Fans

Courtney Murphy was arguably the most naturally talented player in her recruiting class most other top programs had never heard of. She certainly wasn’t on any freshman watch list, either. But everyone soon learned her name when posted seven goals and eight points in her debut vs. Bucknell Feb. 15, 2014. She finished the season with 61 goals. No other freshman in the country had more. She was named to ILWomen’s All-Rookie Team.

As much hype as she received, Stony Brook head coach Joe Spallina knew she could be better. He’d tell her if she became a full-time student-athlete, she’d be a first-team All-American. She fulfilled that prophesy her junior year, scoring 100 goals to break Delaware’s Karen Emas’ longstanding record of 98. But Syracuse ousted the Seawolves for the second time in three years.

Murphy thought about it and finally started responding to her teammate’s messages. Around the same time, she received hundreds of cards from young Long Island girls, the same ones who are willing to wait more than an hour after a Stony Brook game to get her autograph. She wasn’t completely convinced, but she was starting to have a chance of heart. At the urging of teammates like Kylie, Van Dyke and Yevoli, she decided to travel with the team to Florida.

Murphy had to keep pushing. Instead of starting a new job, she interned for the Wall Street firm, doing physical therapy at 4 a.m. twice a week. It was hectic and she wasn’t able to fully focus on her recovery. When she came back in August, she wasn’t cleared, a benchmark she had set for herself.

With the “dream team” on the same page and a No. 2 national ranking, the expectations are higher than ever for the 2018 Seawolves. Murphy feels the weight, but after a year of wondering what the future had in store for her, she’s on board with one cliché: Any game could be anyone’s last.