Kearsarge, New Hampshire, leads Skyhawks attack over first two games of season, including victory in NEC and home opener Saturday
Hughes also named an NEC Prime Performer
NEC Women's Lacrosse Weekly Report
Murphy earns NEC Player of the Week honors for the first time after totaling 11 points over the Skyhawks first two games (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes) |
EASTON, Mass. (February 26, 2024) – Stonehill College sophomore attack Grace Murphy has earned Northeast Conference Player of the Week honors for women's lacrosse by the Conference office this afternoon.
Murphy is the second NEC Player of the Week since Stonehill started its transition to NCAA Division I status prior to the 2023 season. She joins senior Molly Mae Hughes, with whom Murphy was also named an NEC Prime Performer on Monday, in earning the recognition over the Skyhawks first two seasons in the NEC. The duo led Stonehill to a 1-1 week, that included Saturday's 15-6 win over FDU in the Skyhawks NEC and home opener. The combined to account for 15 of Stonehill's 24 goals over its first two games, adding a combined five assists for the week. Hughes scored a career-high matching six of her team-leading eight goals last week in Saturday's win, including her 100th career goal. She has now totaled 102 goals in 48 career games.
Murphy totaled a team-high 11 points on seven goals and four assists in Stonehill's two games, adding five ground balls and three caused turnovers. She posted career-highs of four goals, three assists and seven points in Saturday's win over FDU, adding three ground balls and two caused turnovers. Murphy opened the week with three goals and an assist for five points in Wednesday's season-opening matchup at unbeaten UMass Lowell, also collecting two ground balls and a caused turnover.
Murphy |
Hughes |
Murphy shares the NEC lead with her 11 points after just two games, ranking second in assists (4) and third in goals scored (7), while ranking ninth for ground balls (5). Her 5.50 points per game also lead the NEC, while ranking second only to Hughes for goals per game (3.50), second for assists per game (2.00) and seventh in ground balls per game (2.50). Murphy and Hughes' seven points accumulated against FDU on Saturday are tops in the NEC so far this season, while Murphy's four goals in the win are the third-highest total in the NEC this season and three assists tied for tops in the Conference.
Murphy has started 12 of the 17 games she has played over her first two seasons at Stonehill. She has totaled 18 goals and nine assists for 27 points, adding ten ground balls and five caused turnovers. Murphy also posted season-highs of three goals, two assists and five points in the Skyhawks 2022 win over FDU, also posting multi-goal games against Holy Cross and Howard during her freshman season – giving her five multi-goal games for her career.
Stonehill (1-1, 1-0 NEC) is back in action on Wednesday, when it hosts Boston University for a non-conference matchup at W.B. Mason Stadium at 4 p.m.
For the latest on Stonehill Athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Fans can also download the Stonehill Skyhawks "Front Row" mobile app, powered by PrestoSports, on iTunes and the Android Market.
