From New Jersey to Paris: Casey Murphy's journey to 2024 Summer Olympics
Former Rutgers women’s soccer player Casey Murphy will travel to Paris for the 2024 Summer Olympics with the United States Women’s National Team this July. It will be Murphy’s first-ever trip to the Olympics after impressive performances with National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) side North Carolina Courage.
“It’s really an awesome experience, just really excited for the summer and to be able to represent Jersey and Rutgers, and obviously team USA,” Murphy said on her call-up to the Olympics squad.
Murphy, who hails from Bridgewater-Raritan, New Jersey, started her career with the Scarlet Knights in 2014 and had a strong first two seasons on the Banks. Murphy took a redshirt year in her junior season to play with the U.S. Under-20 Women’s National Team at the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. She started all six games for the United States and had a tournament-high 77.8 save percentage.
In her final season at Rutgers, Murphy was named Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year and led the conference in goals-against average, save percentage and shutouts. Murphy finished her time as a Knight with a program-leading 45 shutouts and a program-best 0.42 goals-against average. The aforementioned 45 shutouts are also the second-most in Big Ten history and fourth-most in the NCAA.
Murphy was drafted 13th overall by Sky Blue FC in the 2018 NWSL draft but instead signed a contract with French side Montpellier. She gained experience playing in the UEFA Women’s Champions League and was named the league’s Goalkeeper of the Year that same year.
Murphy returned to her home country the following year after signing with the Seattle Reign. She made 23 appearances and had nine shutouts.
Since 2020, Murphy has played for the North Carolina Courage. She made an instant impact in her first season, tying the NWSL single-season clean sheet record with 11 shutouts and boasting a career-high 80.67 save percentage. From then on, Murphy has made 58 appearances and remains the team's starting goalkeeper.
Murphy was called up to the United States women’s national team for the first time in 2018 but did not make her first appearance until November 2021, keeping a clean sheet in a 3-0 win in a friendly against Australia. Murphy has made 19 appearances for the national team and rotates as the starting goalkeeper with Alyssa Naeher.
Murphy credits her time at Rutgers as a stepping stone to where she is today.
“I had an amazing experience at Rutgers,” she said. “The coaching staff, the team, it was a great three years I spent there. It was a starting point to help get me to my professional career and then from there, instilled great habits in me. I’m very thankful to have started collegiately playing there.”
Murphy added that coaches such as her former head coach, Mike O’Neill, supported her every step of the way.
“I learned a lot from the coaches here, and I think overall just the biggest thing was the support and the belief they had in me that I could go on and one day compete at the Olympics or the World Cup on the biggest stage and seeing how much they believed in me helped me at that age believe in myself. I thank them a lot for that and also just always being in my circle.”
ONeill was also Murphy’s coach during her time at PDA, a New Jersey soccer club.
“I always joke that coach Mike is like a second dad to me,” she said. “I had him at PDA and we’ve kept in great touch since being away from Rutgers, and so you know, just seeing him and just giving him a hug was great.”
Murphy and the United States women’s national team will start its Olympic campaign on July 25 with a match against Zambia.
“We’re so excited to get the games going … We’re going to take it one day, one game at a time,” Murphy said.
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