Murray ready to climb
out of her niche at Lane
By Patrick Z. McGavin
More than 15 months have passed since that beautiful Friday afternoon day. The memory burns bright for Scout Murray, evoking a potent and direct account of perseverance and dedication.
As a freshman midfielder at Lane, she had already established herself as a bonafide and significant young talent. She combined excellent size and speed into an imposing mixture.
The game was a marquee game of the Chicago Cup, a tournament matching the best public and private programs in the city. Lane was at St. Ignatius, in a beautiful back-and-forth game with the Wolfpack.
St. Ignatius went up 1-0 in the 64th minute. Lane was now scrambling to counter, forced to summon something deep inside themselves.
“There were about 10 minutes to go, and our captain, Alana (Coffman) got us together and just said: ‘This is it. Everybody give it all you have.’”
Lane’s dynamic forward Eily Quinn broke free and scored goals in the 74th and 77th minute for the heart pounding 2-1 comeback victory.
Murray was breathless.
“That was probably the greatest game I have ever played, because everybody put in everything they had,” she said. “That was probably the best feeling ever.”
The absence of games makes palpable the ones nearest to memory, a reminder of what was lost during the pandemic but also a signal for those young players like Murray of what remains.
Now entering her junior year at Lane, she showed during her freshman year that she is one of the best prospects of the Class of 2022.
She is a two-time watch list member of top underclassmen identified by Chicagoland Soccer.
During her freshman year, she flashed speed, power and control in making the most out of her minutes as a high-impact and high-energy player off the bench.
Murray scored seven goals and delivered eight assists for the five-time city champions.
“Coming in as a freshman, I didn’t know which roster I was going to make, but I wanted to make the highest one,” Murray said.
“Growing up, when I was in sixth or seventh grade, I’d go to all of the games and see how intense and great every player was.”
She was a natural midfielder who also had the versatility and burst to play at the top of the formation. The assimilation was tough at the start; the biggest block was mental, having to convince herself that she belonged on an experienced squad.
“I was intimidated but just tried to show what I had to offer,” Murray said. “I was able to show that.”
Lane coach Michelle Vale likes to utilize her entire roster and commingle the younger players like Murray and another player from her class, Jocelyn Ramirez, in with the established talent.
Murray was not there for show. The whole purpose was for her to gain the necessary experience. She had the right mentality.
“I think of myself as an aggressive player,” Murray said. “Every single game matters, and I go into every game acting as though it’s a championship, basically.
“I really had to step it up, because I was very intimidated. I had to act confident and go in believing I had a chance. I think I gained the respect of the older girls from playing and from working really hard. They pretty much just took me in.”
Murray also learned an invaluable lesson about the nature of time and performance. Time was never guaranteed. It was a jolt at first, starting the games on the sideline and waiting for her name to be called.
“For my club team, I always played the whole game,” she said. “With Lane, I really had to work to play. After that I realized I don’t just play soccer because I enjoy it. I am a good player now.
“I think I really improved over my first season at Lane. I had to really step it up, and I got a lot better.”
About the special provenance of her first name: her father was a car enthusiast and loved that model. Her mother was a great admirer of the Harper Lee novel. Scout Finch is the name of the daughter of the lawyer protagonist Atticus.
As an only child, her parents are her connecting thread to the game.
“My dad played that older brother role,” she said. “We’d play sports all the time, and he never let me win. I always had to fight my way through.”
The North Sider joined her first organized competition, the Little Kickers, at the age of 4. The game was both a creative outlet and a chance to show off her skills, regardless of the competition.
“I was always the fastest one,” Murray said. “I also played against boys a lot growing up, so I became really aggressive. I just realized I really loved the sport.
She stayed in the Kickers’ program until the age of 11 before she shifted over to the elite city program, Chicago City. Lane was the next challenge. By enrollment, the school is by far the largest in the city.
Lane is a school of multitudes, a place that is easy to get lost or swallowed whole for first-year students. Soccer was a point of identity. The older players immediately accepted her.
Murray connected and her game flourished. The other players recognized as much. She made a tight bond with classmate Ramirez.
“Scout is such a talented player to have on the team,” Ramirez said. “She brings so much joy on and off the field. She puts great effort when it comes to hard opponents, and she always challenges individuals.”
Ramirez called her serious but also loose limbed and spontaneous. (“Especially on stressful days Scout always manages to put a smile on my face with her goofy self,” she said.)
Murray and Ramirez were the next-wave talents intertwined with four-year standouts like all-state players Camaron Niforos and Loyola recruit Zehra Hailic.
The pandemic changed everything, leaving Murray to ponder what might have been.
“When the news first came out, it was heartbreaking,” Murray said. “For a while I was really sad. I learned I needed to continue to work hard and get better.
“Everyone’s going through this, and I should use the time to make myself better.”
She played tennis with her father to improve her footwork, balance and conditioning. She took two-mile runs, often with a ball at her feet to work on her dribbling and ball-handling skills.
Time is at her advantage, unlike the graduated Niforos or Hailic. She has two years left, a platform to continue the evolution of her game. She played some summer games with Chicago City. Now she is in fall practice mode.
Having her sophomore year snatched away from her has only deepened her resolve. She has begun contacting college colleges. She is working with a private trainer and putting together a recruiting video.
Amid the uncertainty of the moment, soccer is her sanctuary. It has always been that way.
“No matter what is going on in my life, when I go out and play soccer, I just go out and forget about it all,” Murray said.
“I learned that early on. If something bad was going on at home or if I was in a fight with some friends, if I went and just played soccer, I could just forget all about it. None of that would matter.”
out of her niche at Lane
By Patrick Z. McGavin
More than 15 months have passed since that beautiful Friday afternoon day. The memory burns bright for Scout Murray, evoking a potent and direct account of perseverance and dedication.
As a freshman midfielder at Lane, she had already established herself as a bonafide and significant young talent. She combined excellent size and speed into an imposing mixture.
The game was a marquee game of the Chicago Cup, a tournament matching the best public and private programs in the city. Lane was at St. Ignatius, in a beautiful back-and-forth game with the Wolfpack.
St. Ignatius went up 1-0 in the 64th minute. Lane was now scrambling to counter, forced to summon something deep inside themselves.
“There were about 10 minutes to go, and our captain, Alana (Coffman) got us together and just said: ‘This is it. Everybody give it all you have.’”
Lane’s dynamic forward Eily Quinn broke free and scored goals in the 74th and 77th minute for the heart pounding 2-1 comeback victory.
Murray was breathless.
“That was probably the greatest game I have ever played, because everybody put in everything they had,” she said. “That was probably the best feeling ever.”
The absence of games makes palpable the ones nearest to memory, a reminder of what was lost during the pandemic but also a signal for those young players like Murray of what remains.
Now entering her junior year at Lane, she showed during her freshman year that she is one of the best prospects of the Class of 2022.
She is a two-time watch list member of top underclassmen identified by Chicagoland Soccer.
During her freshman year, she flashed speed, power and control in making the most out of her minutes as a high-impact and high-energy player off the bench.
Murray scored seven goals and delivered eight assists for the five-time city champions.
“Coming in as a freshman, I didn’t know which roster I was going to make, but I wanted to make the highest one,” Murray said.
“Growing up, when I was in sixth or seventh grade, I’d go to all of the games and see how intense and great every player was.”
She was a natural midfielder who also had the versatility and burst to play at the top of the formation. The assimilation was tough at the start; the biggest block was mental, having to convince herself that she belonged on an experienced squad.
“I was intimidated but just tried to show what I had to offer,” Murray said. “I was able to show that.”
Lane coach Michelle Vale likes to utilize her entire roster and commingle the younger players like Murray and another player from her class, Jocelyn Ramirez, in with the established talent.
Murray was not there for show. The whole purpose was for her to gain the necessary experience. She had the right mentality.
“I think of myself as an aggressive player,” Murray said. “Every single game matters, and I go into every game acting as though it’s a championship, basically.
“I really had to step it up, because I was very intimidated. I had to act confident and go in believing I had a chance. I think I gained the respect of the older girls from playing and from working really hard. They pretty much just took me in.”
Murray also learned an invaluable lesson about the nature of time and performance. Time was never guaranteed. It was a jolt at first, starting the games on the sideline and waiting for her name to be called.
“For my club team, I always played the whole game,” she said. “With Lane, I really had to work to play. After that I realized I don’t just play soccer because I enjoy it. I am a good player now.
“I think I really improved over my first season at Lane. I had to really step it up, and I got a lot better.”
About the special provenance of her first name: her father was a car enthusiast and loved that model. Her mother was a great admirer of the Harper Lee novel. Scout Finch is the name of the daughter of the lawyer protagonist Atticus.
As an only child, her parents are her connecting thread to the game.
“My dad played that older brother role,” she said. “We’d play sports all the time, and he never let me win. I always had to fight my way through.”
The North Sider joined her first organized competition, the Little Kickers, at the age of 4. The game was both a creative outlet and a chance to show off her skills, regardless of the competition.
“I was always the fastest one,” Murray said. “I also played against boys a lot growing up, so I became really aggressive. I just realized I really loved the sport.
She stayed in the Kickers’ program until the age of 11 before she shifted over to the elite city program, Chicago City. Lane was the next challenge. By enrollment, the school is by far the largest in the city.
Lane is a school of multitudes, a place that is easy to get lost or swallowed whole for first-year students. Soccer was a point of identity. The older players immediately accepted her.
Murray connected and her game flourished. The other players recognized as much. She made a tight bond with classmate Ramirez.
“Scout is such a talented player to have on the team,” Ramirez said. “She brings so much joy on and off the field. She puts great effort when it comes to hard opponents, and she always challenges individuals.”
Ramirez called her serious but also loose limbed and spontaneous. (“Especially on stressful days Scout always manages to put a smile on my face with her goofy self,” she said.)
Murray and Ramirez were the next-wave talents intertwined with four-year standouts like all-state players Camaron Niforos and Loyola recruit Zehra Hailic.
The pandemic changed everything, leaving Murray to ponder what might have been.
“When the news first came out, it was heartbreaking,” Murray said. “For a while I was really sad. I learned I needed to continue to work hard and get better.
“Everyone’s going through this, and I should use the time to make myself better.”
She played tennis with her father to improve her footwork, balance and conditioning. She took two-mile runs, often with a ball at her feet to work on her dribbling and ball-handling skills.
Time is at her advantage, unlike the graduated Niforos or Hailic. She has two years left, a platform to continue the evolution of her game. She played some summer games with Chicago City. Now she is in fall practice mode.
Having her sophomore year snatched away from her has only deepened her resolve. She has begun contacting college colleges. She is working with a private trainer and putting together a recruiting video.
Amid the uncertainty of the moment, soccer is her sanctuary. It has always been that way.
“No matter what is going on in my life, when I go out and play soccer, I just go out and forget about it all,” Murray said.
“I learned that early on. If something bad was going on at home or if I was in a fight with some friends, if I went and just played soccer, I could just forget all about it. None of that would matter.”