The Skyhawks, just three wins shy of last season's total (an 8-8-2 record), lost Murphy for the season after she tore two ligaments and a meniscus in her knee. At the time, the former Weymouth High standout was leading the team in scoring (four goals, two assists) and had potted the game-winner in the team's opener against Nyack.

Head coach Rolando Lopes said Murphy will be missed on the field, but valued off it.

"You don't find goal scorers like her every day, but she's still an important part of our team,'' said Lopes, who lives in Brockton. "I know our players are inspired by her leadership.''

Murphy prefers to remain upbeat while fulfilling her captain's role.

"I don't need a 'C' on my shirt to be a leader, but now that I have it, I really want to take the freshmen under my wing and get the team motivated and ready to play and do all I can short of taking the field,'' she said.

"Coming into the preseason I saw the girls came back in great shape and that's contributed to our start,'' said Murphy. "That enabled us to focus more on our set plays and new formations, which are different than last year.''

Murphy, who may choose to play as a fifth-year graduate student in the future, said she's fallen victim to the "four-goal curse.''

"I had four goals as a sophomore when I blew out my right knee, four goals last year when I got mono, and four this year when I got hurt,'' she said, "and all were season-enders. But I have full confidence in our team to step up. We have talent in the starting lineup, a defense with potential, and depth on the bench.''

A former Northeast-10 Conference All-Rookie team selection, Murphy has netted 19 goals and six assists in 48 games, 41 as a starter. At Weymouth High, she was captain of a Wildcats' girls' squad that was the first in program history to win the South Sectional championship and a Bay State Conference All-Star.

Stonehill's starters include sophomore midfielder Casey Mathews of Mattapoisett (Old Rochester Regional), who scored her first goal of the season last Saturday in a 1-0 overtime win over Pace; junior defender Allison Nagle (Mansfield High), who had one assist; sophomore defender Jaemie Fasanello of East Bridgewater (Notre Dame Academy); and sophomore forward Caitlin Martell of Randolph (Cardinal Spellman), who had a pair of goals.

Also seeing playing time are freshman Renee Trudeau (Pembroke High), who had a pair of assists; freshman defender Danielle Sears (Cohasset High); and freshman midfielder Maddie Manning (Weymouth High), whose lone goal was the game-winner vs. Adelphi in her first start and who assisted on Mathews's winner vs. Pace. Freshman defender/midfielder Kate Wegener (Brockton High) is coming back from a knee injury.

Stonehill, currently 6-1-1 overall and 4-1-1 in the NE-10, hosts Southern Connecticut State University on Saturday, September 24 at noon on Alumni Weekend.