A new job with a new title and new responsibilities has forced Trish Murphy to step down as head coach of the Beverly High School field hockey program after 15 seasons.
But she said she is retiring with a heart full of memories from 17 years on the Panthers sideline, winning eight Northeastern Conference championships and nearly 200 games during her tenure.
“Coaching is one of my biggest passions, so I have a lot of great memories,” said Murphy, who recently became executive director of public safety and police chief at Salem State University, where he played from 2002-05.
“I have scrapbooks that my players gave me for every season I coached, and I'll cherish those memories forever.”
Murphy, a 40-year-old mother of five children ranging in age from 13 to 4, has spent the majority of her tenure with her alma mater's powerhouse teams. She took over midway through the 2007 season and led the team to its first NEC title in 30 years in her first full season, then led them to five straight wins from 2009-2013, going 92-6, 9-9 in the regular season and including six wins in the postseason.
The Orange and Black also won the conference championship in 2017 and 2018.
In the end, the Panthers finished with 179 wins, 87 losses and 35 ties, and Murphy patrolled the sideline with longtime assistant Shannon Silvestri, who she said was both a friend and mentor to Murphy.
“One of the best things for me is having former players come back and text me, call me or see what they've done on social media,” she said.
Murphy said one particularly memorable time was when members of the 2010 field hockey team attended his wedding.
Such was the case against unbeaten Acton-Boxborough in the 2013 Division North semifinals, when the Panthers “played the best field hockey game I've ever seen,” but took the top-seeded team to overtime and nearly won with three minutes left in overtime before losing by a single blow.
She cherished conference championships and the excitement they brought not only to the players but also to “their families, the energy on the bus ride and their determination to be the best.”
Sabrina Beaudry's double-overtime goal against Lincoln-Sudbury in the 2018 state playoffs is another memory that brings a big smile to Murphy's face. The same can be said for a rainy night game in Salem a few years ago when the Panthers needed to close out the game to clinch a state berth and repeat as NEC champions.
“We needed a player to protect the net from the wind,” Murphy recalled.
During his tenure, Murphy has produced some exceptionally talented players, including Corinne and Nicole Woods, Katie Pietrini, Haley Govoni, the Otterbeins (Felicity, Grace, Abby and Julia), the Silvestris (Erin and Hannah) and twin sisters Mikayla and Melanie Mason.
“I hope I have given as much back to my community as my female coaches have done for me,” Murphy said, citing Deb Klein and Pam Morose as examples. “They have had a lasting impact on my life and I hope I have made them proud.”
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