At 25 years old, Casey Murphy isn’t wasting any time making her mark on the international stage. The 6’ 1” goalkeeper from Bridgewater, New Jersey earned her first two U.S. Women's National Team caps in November during two friendlies played in Australia, coming away with one clean sheet and an overall impressive performance.
In a time when the U.S. Women’s National Team is slowly transitioning away from their veteran players and trying out a younger squad, Murphy’s stellar goalkeeping performance has put her at the forefront of the conversation. So much of the player she is today can be attributed to her time spent growing up in New Jersey.
Jersey Roots
Ever since her days at Bridgewater-Raritan High School, Murphy has been racking up the accolades. In her senior year, she won the state championship with her high school team under coach Chris Gerber. She would go on to play for Rutgers University before turning professional, playing in both in the French Division 1 league and in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).
For Murphy, soccer has always been her love. “Where I grew up, my backyard was basically the elementary school fields,” she told Jersey Sporting News. “I would go out there after school almost every day and kick around a soccer ball with my friends or my dad, and eventually my family just signed me up for soccer.” Luckily for her, many of the games during those years playing rec were at those fields behind the house.
When Murphy first started playing as a child, she would spend half of her time on the field and half in goal, but by the time she was 12, she was committed to goalkeeping. It didn’t take long for her coaches to see her budding talent. “My coaches told me if I really loved it, I should try and challenge myself and play at a higher level,” she explained. So Murphy took her skills to a Bridgewater based travel team. Shortly after, she moved to Players Development Academy (PDA).
“PDA is one of the most well-known girls soccer development clubs in the United States,” Murphy explained. “During that time I was so lucky to have phenomenal coaches Mike O’Neill and Meghan Ryan.” Both O’Neill and Ryan helped instill good habits in Murphy and told her she had the potential to go pro if she worked hard. “I started to believe that,” she recalled. She knew from that moment on that she wanted to play at the highest level possible.
CARY, NC - SEPTEMBER 12: Casey Murphy #1 of the North Carolina Courage catches the ball during a game between Portland Thorns FC and North Carolina Courage at Sahlen's Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park on September 12, 2021 in Cary, North Carolina. (Photo Credit: ISI Photos)
After high school, Murphy attended Rutgers University in 2014. The decision to stay local was an easy one. “I grew up a Rutgers fan,” Murphy said. “My family and I went to football games and basketball games together when I was kid, and my club coaches at PDA were the head coaches at Rutgers.” Although she looked at schools all around the country, it was this connection to the school and to her coaches that made it clear to Murphy that going to Rutgers was the best way to achieve her dreams of playing at the highest level. As an added bonus, Murphy’s family was able to come to many of her home games.
By the time Murphy left Rutgers, she earned even more accolades, including Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year, All-Big Ten First Team, and All-Region First Team. She had 45 clean sheets. Murphy credits much of her success at Rutgers and beyond to her goalkeeping coach at the university, Lubos Ancin. The quality of Ancin’s coaching not only enticed Murphy to Rutgers, but the work they did together helped her be the best player and teammate she could be.
“It was a no-brainer that Rutgers was the school I wanted to play for,” Murphy said. She continues to follow the Rutgers women’s soccer program and is impressed with their improvements year over year. “The team culture and environment there is one of the best I’ve ever been part of,” she said. “What makes Rutgers so special is everyone is bought in and wants the best for the team.”
To France and Back Again
From being just under 30 minutes from home to well over 3,000 miles, Murphy then took a big leap. In 2017, she left Rutgers a year early to play professionally for Montpellier HSC in the Division 1 Féminine. The French team proved challenging for Murphy, where she had to deal with not only distance from home, but a language barrier. She did not let those challenges stand in her way, and in 2018, she was named the league’s Goalkeeper of the Year.
It’s the coaches I’ve had over the years, my teammates that push me each day in practice, and my commitment and drive to be the best player I can be.
“It wasn’t part of my plan,” Murphy said of starting her career abroad. With one year left at Rutgers, she had originally planned to enter the NWSL draft. “I got an offer to go play in France and in the Champions League, and I just went for it!” Her coaches at Rutgers supported her every step of the way. They knew it had always been her dream to go pro.
“It was not an opportunity I could pass up,” she said. She ended up extending her original 6 month contract and stayed two years with the team. “I don’t regret it at all - it was an overall great experience and something really important for my career.”
After those years in France, Murphy signed with OL Reign in Tacoma, Washington in 2018. It was always her goal to play in the NWSL, and to be seen by U.S. Soccer. “Having that goal kept me focused and driven, despite all the challenges playing abroad,” Murphy said. She only had ten days home before she headed straight to Washington, and unfortunately missed pre-season and the first few games. The team helped her transition smoothly and quickly.
“It was such a well run club under coach Vlatko Andonovski,” Murphy recalled about OL Reign. “As a goalkeeper, you don’t always interact with the head coach as often, but Andonovski is one of those coaches that makes the time to meet with the goalkeepers and really involve them in training.” She felt like they created a good relationship even though they only overlapped for one year.
CARY, NC - SEPTEMBER 12: Casey Murphy #1 of the NC Courage distributes the ball during a game between Portland Thorns FC and North Carolina Courage at Sahlen's Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park on September 12, 2021 in Cary, North Carolina. (Photo credit: ISI Photos)
Then, at the end of 2020, Murphy was traded to the North Carolina Courage. Although not quite New Jersey, the proximity to home was very special. “I was really excited to learn I was moving back east,” she explained. “My parents can drive down for games now.” She also looked forward to the opportunity to play for a team like the Courage. “They’re a team with a target on their back because of their previous success,” Murphy said of the team who has won the NWSL Shield three times and the Championship twice. “I was really looking forward to that challenge of playing for a top team in the league.”
Murphy has enjoyed her time at North Carolina and has grown tremendously under goalkeeping coach Nathan Thackeray. “He pushes me to be better every day,” she said. “The success I’ve had this year is because of Thackeray and his training.” This year for the Courage, Murphy boasted 11 clean sheets, the highest in the league. With 96 total saves this season, she was a critical component of getting her team to the NWSL playoffs, even though they lost to the Washington Spirit in the quarterfinals.
Determination Down Under
Although she’s no stranger to U.S. Soccer, having played at the youth level, Murphy had yet to earn her first appearance with the senior team. She had received two prior senior team call-ups, including to the 2021 SheBelieves Cup, but never found her way into a game. When she found out she would be headed to the November camp in Australia, Murphy knew this could finally be her chance. “I was aware that it was a possibility to get my first cap,” she explained. However, she did not let that pressure get in the way of changing how she normally prepares for a game. “I was focused and prepared, no matter if I was going to play or not.”
The responsibility of bringing that intensity and standard of the national team was now on us, and we embraced that as a team.
When she was told she would be starting in that first match, Murphy was so excited. “It was my first opportunity to represent the national team,” she said, “And to do it against a top opponent was going to be a huge challenge, but one I was ready for.”
Ready was most certainly an understatement. Not only did the U.S. win that game 3 - 0, but Murphy came away with eight saves and a Player of the Match accolade. For NWSL viewers, Murphy’s strong performance was not surprising. “The most important thing was that I felt prepared going into the game. I was ready. I’ve done the work,” Murphy said.
Indeed, all of the work she had put in up until that point was finally culminating into this one incredible moment. “So much has gone into it,” Murphy explained. “It’s the coaches I’ve had over the years, my teammates that push me each day in practice, and my commitment and drive to be the best player I can be.”
PORTLAND, OR - OCTOBER 30: Casey Murphy #1 of the North Carolina Courage holds the ball during a game between North Carolina Courage and Portland Thorns FC at Providence Park on October 30, 2021 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo Credit: ISI Photos)
When she found out she would be getting the start in the second and final friendly against Australia, Murphy was eager for another opportunity to end the year on a high note. In that match, she only allowed one goal that came off a deflection in the dying minutes of the game.
It was another standout performance for the national team newcomer, and she again felt ready. “Before each match, I go in with goals for myself and goals I have for the team,” Murphy said. “At any point if I was feeling nervous or a little bit shaky, I just remembered those goals, took a deep breath, and reminded myself that I was prepared.
The national team roster that went to Australia looked a lot different from the team that went to the Olympics just four months prior. In fact, only ten players on the Olympic roster headed down under for these last two games of the year. Even though the team was filled with new faces, Murphy has known many of these players for years from her time playing at the youth level and in the NWSL. “It was nice to know and have a lot of familiar faces in camp,” Murphy said. “We were all up for the challenge, knowing that there were not as many veterans there. The responsibility of bringing that intensity and standard of the national team was now on us, and we embraced that as a team.”
Murphy was excited to make the most of this opportunity. Although the group only had 10 days together, she did her best to get to know all the players on the roster, especially the ones she had not played much with before. “It’s important off the field to get to know people,” she said. “It makes it so when you get on the field, you’re more comfortable together.”
A New Jersey Star
Now that Murphy is back home, she is using the off-season to prepare herself for what comes next. “It’s an important time for me to work on the things I want to work on,” she said, and this includes making sure she's ready for her next call-up. She’ll be checking her email to see if she gets invited up to January camp.
Although she doesn’t get to spend much time at home these days, New Jersey is never far from Murphy’s mind. “I just think Jersey’s the best!” She said. From kicking around a ball behind her house as a kid, to winning the high school state championship, to her time at Rutgers, the future national team star is truly a Jersey girl. And let's be honest, it’s not really the U.S. Women's National Team without a star from New Jersey.
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