MURPHY’S LAW: Stuart Country Day School lacrosse player Betsy Murphy heads to goal in a game earlier this season. Last Thursday, junior attacker Murphy scored both goals for Stuart as it lost 5-2 to WW/P-South. The Tartans, who defeated Hamilton West 12-8 last Monday to improve to 2-7, host the Wilberforce School on April 29 before playing at Princeton Day School on May 1. (Photo by Frank Jacobs III)

By Bill Alden

With the Stuart Country Day School lacrosse team trailing WW/P-South 4-0 coming into the fourth quarter last Thursday, Betsy Murphy and her teammates felt a sense of urgency.

“We were a little slow at the start; we just couldn’t pick it up, we couldn’t get a feel on them,” said Stuart junior attacker Murphy. “It was crunch time, we knew we had to get it in. Lauren [Lee] and Abby [Chirik] definitely huddled us together and we knew we had to get it going.”

Murphy got Stuart on the board, tallying a goal with 10:31 left in regulation.

“I was pretty frustrated with myself,” said Murphy. “I didn’t play the way I wanted to but I knew I could get it there, throwing a fake in.”

Three minutes later, Murphy struck again, scoring another goal to make it a 4-2 game.

“I just saw the momentum and I just wanted to get it in and get us going,” said Murphy. “I thought that got us more on a run.”

The Tartans, though, were unable to find the back of the net after that as they fell 5-2.

While the defeat was disappointing, Murphy liked the way Stuart battled to the end.

“Abby and Lauren got us down the field,” said Murphy. “The defense held up really well today and the goalie (Marlie Conway) as well.”

Coming into this spring, Murphy was looking to up her offensive production.

“We had seniors graduate so we have more offensive looks and there is more sharing the ball around,” said Murphy. “I definitely worked in my crease rolls and fakes, getting around my defender and executing. Finishing is definitely something I have been working on, especially aiming. I struggle with that a little bit. I came into the season ready and I wanted to win and lead my team.”

Murphy, who also plays field hockey and basketball for Stuart, likes to stay busy every season.

“It definitely keeps the momentum up for me,” said Murphy. “I really enjoy athletics. it is a big part of my life, fall, winter, and spring. By spring, I am usually the fastest I am. I really enjoy lacrosse, I have played for around seven years. Basketball is a super fun environment and so is field hockey with Ms. Bruvik (coach Missy Bruvik) and my teammate Abby.”

Stuart first-year head coach Jarrett Luoma had fun watching the strong defensive performance his squad produced in the loss to WW/P-South.

“It was a great effort by the girls, they are really starting to mesh together,” said Luoma. “The communication is getting down, our slides are getting down. We are starting to build more an identity down there. We are growing and doing a good job of it.”

Luoma pointed to the play of junior Maeve Wall, senior Najma Tahiry, and junior Mayah Chennault as sparking the defensive unit.

“Maeve is the center point of our defense,” said Luoma. “She is communicating, she plays hard and gets a lot of ground balls. I love her effort out there. Najma made some big plays in the clearing game. Mayah has also been paramount for us in clearing the ball and using her speed on defense, staying on girls.”

Junior Conway has gotten up to speed quickly in goal. “This is her first season in goal,” said Luoma of Conway who made five saves against South. “I think she was around 50 percent today on saves. She is really stepping up day-by-day, getting one percent better everyday.”

As for the Tartan offense, Luoma acknowledged that it is a work in progress.

“We are getting looks, we are just a little bit low on the execution at this point in time,” said Luoma. “We just have to keep working. Lacrosse is like basketball, sometimes the ball falls, sometimes it doesn’t. It is a game of runs.”

Murphy has been on a good run this spring. “She has progressed great,” said Luoma of Murphy who tallied a goal and three assists as Stuart defeated Hamilton West 12-8 last Monday and now has 15 goals and 13 assists this season. “I have been trying to get her to dodge a little bit more often and be more of a catalyst to this offense at the attack position.”

Looking ahead, Luoma is looking for his players to be more aggressive from the opening draw.

“We have to start a little bit sooner, especially at home,” said Luoma, whose team improved to 2-7 with the win over Hamilton West and hosts the Wilberforce School on April 29 before playing at Princeton Day School on May 1. “We have to be ready to go, just getting into a rhythm a little bit earlier so we don’t have to be coming from behind. Choosing when to go is something I have to talk about with the girls a little more. Understanding that OK, there is probably going to be an early slide here, let’s move it over, just little nuances and stuff like that. We are all learning.”

In Murphy’s view, the Tartans need to build on the way they played in the fourth quarter against South.

“We need to bring the defense and the fourth quarter into the next game,” said Murphy. “I think we could have started it a little earlier.”