KEARNEY, Neb. – The Tri-City Storm announced Wednesday that forward Ryan McMurphy has committed to play Division I college hockey next season at Bentley University in the Atlantic Hockey conference.
“Once I was there it felt like home,” McMurphy said after his visit to the campus earlier this week. “I would like to thank my family and all of my past coaches for all of their support throughout the years.”
McMurphy said it was a dream come true for him to reach his goal of playing in college and the USHL helped him get to where he wanted to go.
“I think the goal for most youth hockey players is to be in the USHL because it’s the league that produces the most Division I scholarships,” McMurphy said. “I think coming here to Tri-City definitely helped me to achieve my goal of playing D1.”
A top-notch student, McMurphy wanted the best academic experience possible, and was impressed with what Bentley had to offer in the classroom.
“I knew I wanted to go to a strong academic school,” McMurphy said. “When Bentley called me I really enjoyed the fact that they have a great business school. It’s a good spot for me.”
With the school located just outside of Boston in Waltham, Mass., McMurphy also loved the proximity to a big city. Although McMurphy was far from big cities while growing up in Broken Arrow, Okla., he spent his high school years in the Dallas area.
“I really enjoyed how nice the campus was in a suburb of Boston,” McMurphy said. “It’s close to the big city and minutes from the downtown area.”
On the ice, Bentley has had a successful season, finishing in second in the Atlantic Hockey conference standings and earning a bye in the first round of the playoffs last week. McMurphy is hoping to contribute as a freshman and help continue the school’s success.
This year the 19-year-old has had a more offensive role in his second season with the Storm, accounting for 10 goals and six assists. His 16 points are seventh-best on the team, but the center also holds many other roles on the team including a spot on the penalty kill.
McMurphy has now appeared in 106 games with Tri-City in the last two seasons, scoring 24 total points and three game-winning goals.
But it isn’t just Ryan who is proud about his future plans. His family back in Oklahoma was also thrilled about his next step.
“My family was really excited about it,” McMurphy said. “They wanted me to do what I want and they will support me the whole way. They thought this was a great opportunity for me both in hockey and education.”
McMurphy and the Storm are back in action this weekend when they host the Sioux City Musketeers on Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. at the Viaero Event Center.