Liam Murphy was born to compete. 

After receiving CAA Rookie of the Week, the freshman midfielder is ready to get back on the field, work hard and help bring success to his team.

“I love to compete,” Murphy said. “The whole point of college ball is to compete and hopefully we are on the right track to success.”

Murphy has always played soccer, remembering the days when he would pass a ball around the house with his dad. Since then, soccer has taught him many life lessons that are beneficial in many ways.

“Soccer has always been something that helped me off the field,” Murphy said. “I am able to express myself and it teaches me to be responsible as a person and gives me a level of independence that allows me to continue to grow.”

Whether through scoring, assisting or defending, Murphy is prepared to help his team get to the NCAA tournament, which hasn’t been done by NU’s men’s soccer team since 2012. 

In the Sept. 21 game against Charleston, Murphy scored his first goal as a Husky, tying up the match. He also put in a cross that was turned in for the eventual game-winning goal, helping his team make a comeback, winning 4-2. 

“My main goal is to figure out how, as a team, we can win conference, win tournaments and eventually NCAA,” Murphy said. “We have good players on and off the field, and I want to help out in any way I can.”

Murphy is NU’s first men’s soccer player to be named Rookie of the Week since fellow midfielder Ryan Massoud last year, and Murphy hopes he can be a repeat recipient through continued hard work.

“Let’s see how I can get it again,” Murphy said. “You can do it once but if you can do it twice that shows that you are consistent out on the field.” 

The Westin, Fla. native is ready for a semester of hard work, saying that head coach Chris Gbandi set up a good summer regime and as long as the team can stick to their plan, they can reach their ultimate goal of getting to NCAAs. 

Gbandi calls Murphy a “dynamic player,” and sees him having a very successful career at Northeastern. 

“He has contributed to the team by providing us some much needed attacking ability going forward,” Gbandi said. “His unique skill of beating players one-on-one helps open up space for other players.”

This offensive ability and Murphy’s playmaking should help the team reach their goal. Murphy has observed other players and knows what he needs to do in order to succeed. Soccer has also shown Murphy that hard work pays off on the field or in the classroom and he can achieve anything he sets his mind to. 

“I’ve seen a lot of talented people who let the talent get to their heads, give up, and many less talented people really work and get places because of their consistent work ethic,” Murphy said.

As someone who has played soccer for most of his life, several coaches have influenced Murphy’s soccer career. One of the most important lessons that he learned was to be confident.

“A lot of times confidence is key. If you know who you are and feel confident on a day-to-day basis, then there should be no problem doing the same on the field.” Murphy said. 

Murphy and the Huskies face James Madison University Oct. 5 at Parson Field.