Jordan Karnes
Staff Writer
Ryan Murphy
Murphy, a senior attackman, has helped lead the Pride men’s lacrosse team to a 4-0 start. A native of Mansfield, Mass., Murphy was named the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week after a stellar performance that included four goals and one assist versus Western New England. In the season-opener against Gordon College, Murphy scored three goals and dished out two assists to help the Pride to a 20-9 win. In the win over Stevens, Murphy pushed the offense in the right direction, as he scored on two separate occasions and dished out an assist. Murphy possesses great athleticism on the field, but also veteran leadership to propel the Pride down the right path.
Q. How is this team different from last year’s squad?
A. This team is different from last year’s due to our senior leadership. Last year we had a lot of juniors and freshmen taking on big roles. Now, everyone has a year of experience and we have the same starters as last year at every position.
Q. What have you done personally to bring this team to such prominence early on in the season?
A. For me personally, I have just played every game like it’s my last. I have been playing lacrosse since I was in third grade. This is the last chance I get to play competitively and I want to take full advantage of every opportunity I get on the field.
Q. Beating Western New England is a tough task. What went right for you and the team?
A. Western New England has always been a big rival game for us. The biggest thing that went right and that we proved to everyone is our depth. The first half we were getting the shots we wanted, but couldn’t finish. Most of the second half we played our second midfield line and we starting clicking on all cylinders. It just shows we have the depth to compete with anyone in the country.
Lauren Pocius
Pocius’ performances this weekend led to her being awarded ECAC Co-Athlete of the Year. Pocius finished sixth out of eight with a score of 36.4 at the ECAC Championships. Pocius had her best meet by far this season at home against Brown University, where she broke a school record by posting a score of 9.675 in the uneven parallels, a record that hasn’t been broken since 1993. At the same meet she posted a team-high score of 9.600 in the floor routine, proving to be her personal best. Pocius will lead the Pride as they head to Ithaca to compete in the NCGA Championships. Pocius will compete in all four events, as she qualified in the all-around competition. This is her third time in as many years that she will represent the Pride in the all-around event.
A. This team is different from last year’s due to our senior leadership. Last year we had a lot of juniors and freshmen taking on big roles. Now, everyone has a year of experience and we have the same starters as last year at every position.Q. What have you done personally to bring this team to such prominence early on in the season?
A. For me personally, I have just played every game like it’s my last. I have been playing lacrosse since I was in third grade. This is the last chance I get to play competitively and I want to take full advantage of every opportunity I get on the field.
Q. Beating Western New England is a tough task. What went right for you and the team?
A. Western New England has always been a big rival game for us. The biggest thing that went right and that we proved to everyone is our depth. The first half we were getting the shots we wanted, but couldn’t finish. Most of the second half we played our second midfield line and we starting clicking on all cylinders. It just shows we have the depth to compete with anyone in the country.