Life presents moments that can last forever or quickly pass, but the people who enter one’s life can leave lasting impressions. For Navy women’s lacrosse players Emma Kennedy and Maura Murphy, that statement represents their connection perfectly.
Kennedy and Murphy began playing alongside one another with Hero’s Lacrosse in sixth grade and went on to star together at Glenelg High School.
“From the moment we met each other, we hit it off,” Kennedy said. “Then, from that point on, we just ended up hanging out every single day.”
Now, the longtime friends are senior attackers at Navy coming off of a Patriot League championship season in 2025. Kennedy scored 53 goals and dished out 11 assists last year, while Murphy scored five goals in her return from a knee injury and complicated rehab. But it wasn’t as if they were always set on choosing the same path, from sixth grade to college.
“I was really thankful that I had that youth lacrosse experience, and then having it translate to us both,” Murphy said. “We decided that both on our own. It wasn’t like, ‘Oh, we’re a package deal type of thing.'”
Kennedy and Murphy were recruited by Navy at the same time, received their offers on the same day and committed a week apart. They went through the admissions process together as well.
They felt lucky to have each other during the first year at the Academy, which includes “Plebe Summer,” an intense seven-week training period designed to begin to shape new Midshipmen into leaders and officers.
“The trials of plebe year, and being able to say you came in with one person, is super special,” Murphy said. “I never felt alone in anything. It’s incredible to look back on and have that experience, especially since I know that everyone pretty much came here on their own, from all over the country or the world.”
The first two seasons of their Navy lacrosse careers would provide each of them with different experiences. Kennedy appeared in 15 games as a freshman in 2023, then broke out with a 20-goal season as a sophomore in 2024. Murphy started the first seven games of her freshman season before suffering a season-ending torn ACL and only appeared in one game the following season, still recovering from the knee injury. She required two additional surgeries to remove scar tissue.
It was a challenging time mentally for Murphy, but Kennedy was there for her every step of the way.
“I think the injuries played one of the biggest roles earlier in my time at Navy,” Murphy said. “Obviously, my coaches were very supportive of me as I had to go through multiple knee surgeries, which wasn’t an easy time. But I knew Emma was always there for me, whether it was driving me to physical therapy, picking me up food or just the little things, as simple as checking up on me.”
Despite being on the sidelines, Murphy remained as involved with the team as she could.
“Being on the sideline, Emma and I adopted a coach-player relationship there for a little bit,” Murphy said with laugh. “We grew up like sisters. She could come off the field, and I could be like, ‘What was that?’ Or, ‘You’ve got to do this on a draw or attacking.’ To have that sort of relationship where we can be super open with each other and we know it’s coming from a place of love — simply, I want to see you get better and progress.”
Kennedy praised how Murphy handled her injury and eventually came back from it, playing in 14 games in 2025.
“She was a champ through it all,” Kennedy said. “I’ve never seen someone so strong, who never broke from who she was or took anger out on anyone else.”
“I was surprised by how much my headspace was affected by not having her on the field with me,” Kennedy continued, “but it was great because I could go up to her after a play [and] ask her, ‘What did I do wrong?’ And she’s going to tell me exactly how it is.”
Last season was a special one for Navy women’s lacrosse. The team finished the season 15-6 and became Patriot League champions, defeating Lehigh, Army and Loyola in the conference tournament. The Mids fell to Clemson, 11-8, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Kennedy and Murphy characterized the season as a memorable experience not only in their collegiate careers but in life as well — the camaraderie from August all the way to May, navigating the ups and downs of a long season, having a great coaching staff as the backbone of their team, and most importantly, being able to play with one another once again.
Head coach Cindy Timchal, who is entering Year 19 at Navy, is counting on Kennedy and Murphy as senior leaders heading into 2026.
“We’re all about the team, and having those experiences with both Emma and Maura helps create an expertise of knowing what it takes, staying on task, training hard and improving daily,” Timchal said. “When we show up for our first game, we’re ready to go and compete.”
Timchal had nothing but praise when describing the two.
“They’re just two amazing young women who bring an incredible amount of energy to the team,” the coach said. “They’re committed to getting better and improving in every area of the game. You learn to do that when you grow up playing lacrosse in Maryland. I think that is something that is ingrained, that competitive spirit of wanting to be the best and certainly wanting to compete hard when the opportunity is presented.”
Kennedy and Murphy are on the same attack line this season, something they’re both excited about. That wasn’t a coincidence.
“You always want good synergy, for sure,” Timchal said. “Good teammates, the ones that really love each other in the love of sports, end up playing hard for each other. The teams that push forward are the ones that want to put it on the line for each other, doing it selflessly. I think that sums up what Emma and Maura are all about.”
After their senior year, Kennedy and Murphy will be working together in Florida to become Navy pilots. Kennedy reflected fondly on the journey she and Murphy have shared thus far.
“It’s amazing to have someone who comes into your life and can be your best friend. I think everyone wishes for that one friend you can go to about anything in life,” Kennedy said. “I think that is what Maura encapsulates. She knows me so well, even more than I know myself, having that stable rock that you know will be there for you no matter where you are in the world.”
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Navy Athletics
Issue 297: February / March 2026
Originally published Feb. 18, 2026