PROVO, Utah - BYU women's soccer recruit for 2012, Michelle Murphy, has been named the 2011-12 Gatorade State Girls Soccer Player of the Year for her outstanding career at Alta High School. Murphy is just the third Player of the Year to be chosen by Gatorade from Alta HS.
The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Murphy as Utah’s best high school girls soccer player. Murphy is now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year award to be announced in May.
The 5-foot-4 senior forward led the Hawks to a 19-1 record and the Class 5A state championship this past season. Murphy scored 37 goals and passed for 22 assists, including seven goals and four assists in four postseason games. The 2011 Deseret News’ Miss Soccer and the 2011 Salt Lake Tribune Class 5A Player of the Year, Murphy scored the lone goal in Alta’s 1-0 win over Viewmont High in the state final. She concluded her prep career with 49 goals and 39 assists.