University of Delaware Athletics
Ali Miller Earns Spot on NSCAA All-Mid-Atlantic Region Third Team (Dec. 9, 2011)
12/9/2011 2:48:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Miller was one of 33 players honored on the three teams. The Mid-Atlantic Region includes all schools in the Colonial Athletic Association, Atlantic 10, Ivy League, and Patriot League. The CAA placed five players on the three teams led by William & Mary's three first team selections.
The Sinking Spring, Pa. (Wilson HS) native is just the fifth Delaware player in Blue Hen history to earn a spot on the all-region team and the first to accomplish the feat since Shannon Alger was a third team selection in 2005.
Other former Blue Hens who have earned all-region honors are Beth Hatt, who earned first team honors in 1994, 1995, and 1996, Kristy Hendrickson, who was a second team selection in 1994, and Beth Gregory, who was a third team pick in 1997.
Miller, a Spanish education major with a minor in business administration, led the Blue Hens to one of their finest seasons in nearly a decade this fall as Delaware posted a record of 10-7-4 overall and placed fourth in the CAA with a record of 5-3-3.
The Hens, led by head coach Scott Grzenda, advanced to the CAA Tournament for the first time since 2005 and defeated Hofstra 1-0 in the quarterfinals before falling to top-seed and eventual champion William & Mary in the semifinals.
A first team All-CAA selection who also was named to the league All-Tournament team, Miller led the team and ranked second in the CAA in goals and points this past fall as she tallied 14 goals and dished out two assists for 30 points as a starter in all 21 games. Her 14 goals tied the school record set by Hendrickson back in 1994. She also paced the team with 90 shots and with two game-winning goals.
After going scoreless in the first six games of the season, Miller caught fire at mid-season and became one of the league's most potent offensive threats. She scored at least a point in 12 of the next 15 games and finished the year having scored a goal in each of the last five contests, including tallies in both CAA Tournament games.
She posted three multiple-goal games on the season, netting two goals each vs. Delaware State, Towson, and UNCW. The win over UNCW in the regular season finale clinched the CAA playoff berth for the Hens.
In just three seasons, Miller has already tallied 22 goals and dished out eight assists for 52 points in 53 career games. She ranks No. 6 all-time at Delaware in goals scored and No. 8 in points scored.
AGATE:
NSCAA All-Mid-Atlantic Region Teams:
1ST TEAM - GK - Lauren Smedley (Lafayette); D - Kathleen Beljan (Dayton), Jess Hopton (LaSalle), Diana Weigel (Wm. & Mary); M - Cortlyn Bristol (Wm. & Mary), Mo Hawkins (Saint Joseph's), Mallory Schaffer (Wm. & Mary); Renee Washington (LaSalle); F - Becca Wann (Richmond), Colleen Williams (Dayton), Kelsey Haycock (LaSalle)
2ND TEAM - GK - Melissa Sanger (LaSalle); D - Meghan Collins (UMass), Adrienne Lerner (Penn), Genna Pepe (Lehigh); M - Erin Beck (Penn), Tori Burchett (St. Bonaventure), Ashlynn Soellner (Navy); F - Kim An (Army), Kathryn Barth (Penn), Melanie Baskind (Harvard), Jillian Kinter (Colgate).
3RD TEAM - GK - Emily Cota (UMass); D - Kate Herren (Navy), Allison Kagawa (Brown), Molly McGuigan (Army), Karol Sanchez (VCU); M - Natalie LeClair (Richmond), Juliana Libertin (Dayton), Moa Mattsson (UMass); F - Melissa Gavin (Yale), Ali Miller (Delaware), Julie Morrissey (UMass).
