- 2017 Highlights
Personal Statement
My name is Evan Murray and I will be a 2018 graduate at St Andrew's School in Middletown, DE. I played club soccer with the Augusta Arsenal in my hometown of Augusta, GA, from second through eighth grade, until I went to boarding school. At St. Andrew’s School, I’ve started on the varsity team since I was a freshman. Although club soccer is not an option at St. Andrew’s, I was invited to be a guest player with the Augusta Arsenal last summer for a soccer tour of Ireland. That’s when I really started thinking seriously about playing college soccer, because of all the positive feedback and attention I got from the Arsenal coach as well as the Irish coaches.
School is important to me. I chose to attend St. Andrew’s because of its academic reputation, close-knit community, and diverse and global student body. But sports have always been an important part of my school experience, and I’ve played every season in middle and high school. I currently run indoor track, play baseball, and played football from fourth to eighth grade, all in addition to soccer, which is my favorite sport.
I’m looking for a similar experience in college--a strong academic school with a close and diverse community, where I can be a contributing member of the soccer team. As a center back, I’m proud of the fact that we won the league championship my last year at EDS with zero goals scored against us all season, including the playoffs. All three years at St. Andrew’s we have made the state playoffs. This year, making the semifinals, with a record of 10-2-1 we only gave up 7 goals during regulation play all season, tying the school record.
My coaches have always told me that they enjoy coaching me because of my work ethic, positive attitude, and team leadership. After our games in Ireland, the Arsenal coach, Ben Phelps, wrote a reference letter in which he said, “Evan is an aggressive, defensive-minded player with the ability to play simple with his feet and accurately pick out a pass from the back line. He obviously enjoys getting dirty and challenging for 50-50 balls, especially in the air, and has great positional awareness. [He is also] a threat on set-pieces.” I also received a “Leader of the Day” award when I attended a sports leadership program called STRIVE, http://www.striveleadership.org/ . STRIVE’s goal is to empower athletes by teaching them character-driven leadership skills. But I think the feedback I’m most proud of was when my high school head coach Matt Carroll told me when I returned after missing the season opener last year that the entire team played better when I was on the field.
I have been extremely dedicated to sports ever since I was a child. I am willing to put in as much work as possible to continue playing soccer at the collegiate level. My work ethic is unbeatable, and I give everything I do my 110% effort.
