| NEWS |
  
 |
| FEATURES |
| ENTERTAINMENT |
  
|
| COLUMNS |
     |
| CONTACT US |
|
| HOW TO SUBMIT |
|
|
| BACK ISSUES |
|
|
caption:
|
Highly Touted Miller Living Up to Reputation In Helping Tiger Women's Lax Streak Hit 22
By Bill Alden
Kathleen Miller was drenched and her hands were stained black due to her soaked gloves but the freshman attacker with the Princeton University women's lacrosse team projected a sunny outlook last Wednesday.
Enduring a windswept downpour at Class of 1952 Stadium and a challenge from Penn, Miller had reason to smile as she fought her way to three goals and an assist to help the Tigers whip the Quakers 10-3. The win over Penn marked the 21st victory in a row for the top-ranked Tigers, thereby breaking the program's previous record of 20 straight wins.
As she reflected on the team's gutsy effort, Miller asserted that she and her teammates weren't about to let the miserable conditions slow their juggernaut. "It was tough but it raised the intensity," said Miller, who scored two goals last Saturday as the Tigers added to their consecutive win record by topping Harvard 17-7. "We played a lot harder. We weren't going to let the elements affect us."
For Miller, one of Princeton's most highly touted recruits in recent years having been named the top schoolgirl lacrosse player in the nation in 2002 and having been a member of the U.S. under-19 team that won the 2003 World Championship, the transition to college game has been seamless.
"It's been awesome," declared Miller, reflecting on joining the Princeton program after playing high school lacrosse at St. Stephens & St. Agnes in Alexandria, Va. "I could not have thought of a better way to transition from high school to this. The team is the most welcoming and supportive group of girls I've ever worked with. Any time you hit a rut, everyone is there to bump you up."
Miller said her game has benefitted from playing with teammates who have back-to-back national titles under their belts. "I think there is a drive here that everybody feels," said Miller, who now has 23 goals.
"It keeps the intensity up to know that we have such great people on the field. For me, I have Theresa Sherry on the same field with me. I have Lindsey Biles, Elizabeth Pillion, and Sarah Kolodner to look up to. I think that we all feed off of each other and come up with the intensity and high level of play that we all want."
With her team at 13-0 (5-0 Ivy League) and riding a program record 22-game winning streak, Princeton coach Chris Sailer knows that she's had a lot of great people playing for her.
"I think it's a sign of quality teams over the years," said Sailer as she reflected on the program's winning streak. "I'm really proud that we've been able to sustain the competitive level that we've had, I think the focus comes from the kids. The kids we recruit are really driven and motivated. We're a team that really likes to play."
Sailer likes the drive being shown by her freshman star Miller. "Kathleen responds to whatever you tell her," explained Sailer after the Penn game. "She played a phenomenal game tonight. We told her to fight back harder and be more of a defensive presence. She was a real factor not only offensively but defensively as well."
In Sailer's view, Miller brings a special set of offensive skills to the table. "She has a lot of talent," said Sailer, whose club will look to maintain its unblemished record when it hosts Dartmouth on April 24 in an Ivy showdown as both teams ended last weekend with 5-0 league marks. "She is learning when she should take it to goal and when she should feed. She's trying to learn different ways to attack so she's not predictable. She's coming along."
Miller, for her part, has been enjoying that learning process. "I think the biggest adjustment is the speed, it's a whole new form of the game," asserted Miller. "On attack, everything is structured. You have to learn to work with each other as opposed to high school where you could pretty much work with one other person. You're playing as a unit, not one-on-one."
Miller, whose high school team went undefeated her senior year, believes she's playing on a Princeton unit that could duplicate that feat.
"I definitely think so," said Miller without hesitation when asked if the Tigers could run the table. "I have no doubts in my mind about that. I have full confidence in each of my teammates, whether they are on the bench or on the field. We are so deep."
With her fast start, Miller has certainly earned the full confidence of her teammates.
