Alyssa Murray fought to hold back the tears.

Leaning against a table in the postgame media room, the sophomore attack’s eyes shined heavily with water as she reflected on her impeccable performance.

Even after an announcement of her feat echoed through the Carrier Dome with 50 seconds left, Murray said she still hadn’t realized what she accomplished.

‘I honestly didn’t know when they announced it,’ Murray said. ‘I had no idea that they were even talking about me, so other people were telling me at the end of the game what they were talking about.’

Murray rattled off eight goals, a Syracuse single-game record, as the No. 12 Orange (1-0) breezed by No. 8 Boston College (1-1) 23-12 in SU’s season opener Tuesday in front of 585 in the Dome. She recorded a hat trick in less than 10 minutes, sparking a dominating scoring effort by the Orange in which seven players found the back of the net.

Freshman attack Kailah Kempney racked up five goals in her collegiate debut, while fellow freshman Devon Collins and junior attack Michelle Tumolo tallied three goals apiece.

But it was Murray who stole the show. Adding in a pair of assists, she also tied for fourth in the SU record book for points in a game.

‘She’s an incredible shooter and setting the school record today for goals, unbelievable,’ SU head coach Gary Gait said. ‘I think that’s a credit to the entire offense when she can be the recipient of so many feeds, and taking those easy one-on-ones without the doubles, and do a great job.’

Murray started her sophomore season with a bang against the Eagles.

With the score tied 5:10 into regulation, Murray held the ball on the right side of the field 20 yards out from the net. Two BC defenders stood between Murray and Eagles goaltender Catherine Conway. One pressured the ball while the other was ready to help.

Murray jabbed her left foot toward the middle of the field, then immediately cut right, leaving the first defender in the dust. She then blew by the second defender and seamlessly flicked a backhand shot over the left shoulder of Conway as she ran across the net.

‘They were pressuring out really far, which is the kind of style I like to go against the most, just because I know that I can beat someone running at me as long as I protect my stick on the way by,’ Murray said. ‘Just doing that, I could see them coming out, and I just really wanted to beat her, so I put it away.’

She proceeded to score with speed, accuracy and skillful maneuvering en route to four first-half goals. But after knocking the ball away from an Eagles defender and scooping it up on the right side of the net in the final minutes of the half, Murray showcased her passing ability.

With goalie Emily Mata bearing down on her, Murray calmly lofted the ball across the field, where Kempney stood waiting for an easy score. 

Murray scored her record-tying seventh goal of the game with 10:52 left in regulation. With Collins streaking up the left side of the field, it appeared she was winding up to fire. Murray sprinted all the way down the field, trailing the freshman.

So when Collins was angled off by an Eagles defender and Conway forced her to loop around behind the net, Murray was in perfect position.

Collins flipped the ball over the net, and Murray sent it home before the goalie could even turn her head.

‘The goalie has a tendency to come out really far because (the BC coaches) think that (Conway’s) really athletic, which she is,’ Murray said. ‘But she was going out and it was basically an empty net, so I was able to get the ball really quick and just put it away.’

A backhanded rip from the right side six minutes later gave her the record. And she picked up her 10th point on an assist to freshman attack Gabby Jaquith with 50 seconds left.

The announcement flew through one of Murray’s ears and out the other, but her teammates ran to congratulate her on the field after time expired.

‘She is one of a kind,’ Tumolo said. ‘I don’t even know her percentage, but I don’t think she missed. That’s just an amazing teammate to have and just a huge weapon that we’re going to have this year.’

sebail01@syr.edu

Published on February 21, 2012 at 12:00 pm

Contact Stephen: sebail01@syr.edu | @Stephen_Bailey1