Northboro Athlete Signs Letter Of Intent To Play College Lacrosse

NORTHBOROUGH, MA—Catie Murphy said growing up watching her older brother Patrick play lacrosse inspired her to do the same. Her brother, who played lacrosse at St. John's High School and now at St. Michael's College in VT, set the standard. Now Murphy's advancing in what clearly is a family sport.

Murphy, a Northorough native who is a senior at Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, NH, has signed a national letter of intent to play lacrosse at Wagner College in Staten Island, NY.

"Lacrosse is always developing and changing, and the creativity you have as you play makes the sport interesting and exciting," Murphy told Patch.

She started playing lacrosse in the fourth grade as part of the Northborough-Southborough Youth Lacrosse program, and then joined the Revolution team out of Boston. At Brewster, Murphy was on the varsity lacrosse team for four years, and played for three years on the field hockey team. She's a member of the National Honor society and numerous other clubs at her school.

During high school, Murphy made the trek from school in New Hampshire to practices in Massachusetts or to recruiting tournaments up and down the east coast, from Massachusetts to Maryland to Florida. It wasn't a chore; it was a passion.

"The coaches that I had in Northborough-Southborough girls' lacrosse the first year I played really made me love lacrosse," said Murphy. "That pushed me to join Revolution Lacrosse, a club lacrosse team out of Boston. The Rev coaches are amazing and I played for them throughout high school while also playing for Brewster Academy."

After many college-recruiting visits as a freshman in high school, she verbally committed to Wagner College to play Division 1 lacrosse to Coach Michelle Tumolo. Wagner is the seventh smallest college in the country that participates in NCAA Division 1 sports.

Murphy, now a senior, solidified her commitment by signing a letter on Nov. 14 in a ceremony at Brewster Academy.

"Making my decision on where to play college lacrosse was hard, but when I stepped on to Wagner’s campus, I knew that was where I needed to be," said Murphy. "People always tell you as athletes you need to choose your school based on where you can see yourself without playing, and without the coach who recruited you. I was recruited by Katie Rowan, who left Wagner this past year for another coaching job. Thankfully, Wagner went out and hired a great coach, Michelle Tumolo, who replaced her and is amazing. But, I chose Wagner based on being able to double major and its location and size. Lacrosse is the icing on the cake for me."

While the inspiration for playing lacrosse came from her brother, Murphy said she always wanted to be a teacher like her mom. She'll do that, too, at Wagner, majoring in both education and special education.

"When I look further into my future, I see myself helping kids who have learning disabilities like me," said Murphy. "I have dyslexia, and certain teachers I have had in my life have made a huge difference to my education and my life. These teachers have helped me understand my disability and excel in the classroom. These teachers are role models for me and I want to make a difference in young kids' lives, as well."

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