Bridgewater Grad To Play On USA Team In FIFA Women's World Cup

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — Casey Murphy’s love of soccer was kick started when she was a kid growing up in Bridgewater.

"Soccer was always so much fun," Murphy recalled. "I loved going to practice and working hard."

That passion resulted in a drive that has elevated her to the top of the World (Cup) in women’s soccer.

"I remember always wanting to be the best, and once I was in high school and college, that’s when I really started to believe I could play in a World Cup one day," said Murphy.

Well, her ambitious dreams years ago have become a reality today.

The reality is that Murphy has profoundly distinguished herself on the soccer field that she has played her way on to become a member of the world-renown United States Women’s National Team (USWNT) that will bid to capture its third straight—and fifth overall—World Cup when the highly acclaimed and popular event begins on Thursday, July 20.

The co-host countries for the 2023 World Cup are New Zealand and Australia.

Murphy, a backup goalie, and her American teammates will launch their title defense on Friday, July 21, when they confront Vietnam. The game is slated to start at 9 p.m. and will be televised on FOX.

There are 32 teams — the biggest World Cup ever — competing for this prestigious championship that will be eventually decided on Sunday, Aug. 20.

But first there are opening round matches for the field that has been placed in eight groups of four teams.

The United States is stationed in Group E and their three partners are Vietnam, Netherlands and Portugal. The USWNT will meet the Netherlands in the second match on Wednesday, July 26, and then complete its opening round in Group E play when it confronts Portugal on Tuesday, August 1.
The World Cup’s Round of 16 will be held from Saturday, Aug. 5 through Tuesday, Aug. 8.

The quarterfinals will follow on Thursday, Aug. 10 through Saturday, Aug. 12, with the semifinals scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 15 and Wednesday, Aug. 16. The third-place match is set for Saturday, Aug. 19, leading up the championship that will be aired at 6 a.m. on Fox during that Sunday, Aug. 20.

Her path to the World Cup began on the local fields in Bridgewater under the encouragement of her parents, Jill and Mike Murphy.

"My family is my biggest support system. My parents have always supported my big bold dreams," Murphy said. "They instilled in me a work ethic and to never be complacent with where you are at."

Also in her corner is her younger brother, Kyle, who today is the head varsity wrestling coach and freshman football coach at Bridgewater-Raritan High School, where his full-time profession is a Special Education Teacher.

"I love the relationship we have," she said about her brother who graduated two years after her at Bridgewater-Raritan High School in 2016. "He has my back always and his belief in me pushes me forward, especially after a mistake or loss."

She very rarely experiences mistakes – and losses.

A four-year letter winner for Bridgewater-Raritan, she earned All-State when she guided the team that won the school’s first — and only — Group 4 state championship in 2013.

The girls’ soccer program at Bridgewater-Raritan came close three times, losing in the Group 4 state final in 2003, 2007 and 2018.

But with Murphy the anchor in the goal, the 2013 team was not to be denied.

Murphy pitched a shutout in her final scholastic game when Bridgewater-Raritan blanked Montgomery High School, 1-0, in the 2013 Group 4 state championship game.

That state championship squad was steered by former coaches, head skipper Chris Gerber and assistant Stephanie Romanko.

During her All-State senior year, she recorded 16 shutouts, including delivering at a crucial time when she posted five shutouts in six state tournament games. Overall, she halted 131 of the 143 shots fired at her.

From there she was off to Rutgers University when from 2014 through 2017, she was named Big 10 Goalkeeper of the Year twice while she earned All-American honors twice and was a Missouri Athletic Club (MAC) Hermann Trophy semifinalist. The MAC Hermann Trophy is awarded to the top male and female collegiate soccer players annually.

While at Rutgers, her 45 career shutouts set a program record and was second at the time in Big Ten history.

A scholar All-American and Academic All-Big Ten selection, she received the elite Big Ten Medal of Honor in 2018. According to the Big Ten, the Medal of Honor is awarded to one male and one female student-athlete from the graduating class of each member institution who has demonstrated excellence on and off the field throughout their college career.

She was lured to the professional ranks after three brilliant years manning the goal at Rutgers.

"I left college early to play professionally in France," she recalled. "A top French team wanted me to come join their team."

She climbed the ladder playing on numerous youth national teams until she reached the top of her soccer profession when she was named to the United States Women’s National Team in 2021.

During her career tendon goal for the USWNT, she has posted 10 shutouts in 14 appearances.

She is presently starring professionally for the North Carolina Courage in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). She has been on the North Carolina team since 2021.

According to league records, she leads the NWSL with six clean sheets in 12 starts and her 0.95 goals against average is second in the league.

While Murphy is not penciled in to start in the World Cup, she will be more than ready to hit the turf to relieve veteran goalie Alyssa Naeher, who has been on the USWNT since 2016 and started on the 2019 World Cup championship squad.

"My mindset is I’m ready and prepared to play and help my team win gold," Murphy revealed. "The only person I’m competing against is myself. The better I show up every day, the better I make myself and push my teammates."

All of Bridgewater-Raritan—and the entire country–is rooting for her.

— Submitted by Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District