University of Delaware Athletics
Miller Earns First CAA Player of the Week To Round Out Regular Season (Oct. 31, 2011)
10/31/2011 2:33:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Miller, a junior on the Blue Hen squad, helped her team lock in a spot in the with a three-goal week, posting two markers in a 4-0 romp over UNCW and scored UD's lone goal on Sunday against Drexel in a 1-1 draw.
"It's great tot see Ali win Player of the Week," said 22nd-year head coach Scott Grzenda, who will take his team to the CAA Tournament for the fourth time since 2002. "She works hard in everything she does and it's nice to see her rewarded for her efforts."
The Sinking Springs, Pa. native earned the CAA's weekly plaudits for the first time in her career. She also represents Delaware in the honor for the first time since teammate Amy Pickard was tabbed on Oct. 3.
Miller posted her team leading 12th goal on Sunday, helping the Hens eliminate local rival Drexel from postseason contention. The forward has been scoring at a torrid pace, scoring five goals in the last three games.
Despite the high goal total, which is just two off the Hens' single-season record of 14, it took Miller some time this season to find her scoring stroke, being held off the board for the Hens' first six games.
Delaware, which improved to 9-6-4, 5-3-3 with Sunday's draw, has an impressive record when Miller finds the back of the net this season. The Hens have lost just once when Miller scores and boast a 6-1-2 record while also going 3-0-0 in games she has multiple goals.
Miller is one half of a scoring duo and currently has 26 points on 12 goals and two assists. Paired with senior and fellow forward Amy Pickard, the two account for 64 percent of Delaware's offense. They are the only two Hens with 25-plus points since Bethany Gregory and Bethany Hatt each tallied 31 and 30 points, respectively, in the 1995 season.
Joining Miller in the weekly honors was Rookie of the Week Sam Scolari of Hofstra.
With the Hens 4-0 win over UNCW on Friday, Delaware locked in a spot for the 2011 Virginia 529 College Savings Plan CAA Tournament. The fourth-seeded Hens will take on fifth-seeded Hofstra.
The quarterfinal match up will take place on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. The tournament will be hosted at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Va. and all games will be played at Martin Family Stadium at Albert/Daly Field.
