Joey Murphy scored 36 points (22 goals & 14 assists) as a freshman starter in 2025, an accomplishment that carries added weight given the Friars’ relentless national schedule. Earning meaningful minutes for Malvern as a ninth-grader is atypical; producing at that level against top-tier competition is even more eye-popping. Joey played his way onto the All-Tournament Team at the New Balance All-American Underclass event this past summer, further validating his early impact on a national stage. Offensively, he operates with a calm, almost nonchalant rhythm — a clear example of slow is smooth, smooth is fast. Murphy is far from a one-move dodger, capable of chaining together bull, split, roll, & face dodges, often re-dodging with purpose rather than forcing the issue. A left-handed attackman/middie with strong vision, Murphy consistently finds cutters on the inside while remaining a legitimate scoring threat from anywhere on the left side — wing, low base, or box corner. Defenses that overplay his left are quickly surprised, as he’s comfortable getting down the hash & ripping it right-handed. Joey shows a willingness to compete on the defensive end in small spurts, scrapping in unsettled situations, an encouraging sign at this stage of his development. Murphy is still very much at the beginning of his trajectory, revealing the scratching of the surface with his long-term potential. He is surely already on the radar of top programs. College coaches cannot initiate direct recruiting contact until September 1, 2026, making this next season about continued growth rather than exposure.

Joey Murphy scored 36 points (22 goals & 14 assists) as a freshman starter in 2025, an accomplishment that carries added weight given the Friars’ relentless national schedule. Earning meaningful minutes for Malvern as a ninth-grader is atypical; producing at that level against top-tier competition is even more eye-popping. Joey played his way onto the All-Tournament Team at the New Balance All-American Underclass event this past summer, further validating his early impact on a national stage. Offensively, he operates with a calm, almost nonchalant rhythm — a clear example of slow is smooth, smooth is fast. Murphy is far from a one-move dodger, capable of chaining together bull, split, roll, & face dodges, often re-dodging with purpose rather than forcing the issue. A left-handed attackman/middie with strong vision, Murphy consistently finds cutters on the inside while remaining a legitimate scoring threat from anywhere on the left side — wing, low base, or box corner. Defenses that overplay his left are quickly surprised, as he’s comfortable getting down the hash & ripping it right-handed. Joey shows a willingness to compete on the defensive end in small spurts, scrapping in unsettled situations, an encouraging sign at this stage of his development. Murphy is still very much at the beginning of his trajectory, revealing the scratching of the surface with his long-term potential. He is surely already on the radar of top programs. College coaches cannot initiate direct recruiting contact until September 1, 2026, making this next season about continued growth rather than exposure.