Miller’s size and speed on different levels
Miller spent recruitment time proving collegiate coaches wrong.
With her short and slight frame, some coaches thought that Samantha Miller would never play college soccer.
Nevada interim head coach Antoinette Marjanovic said when she was first scouting Miller, now a junior forward, some of the coaching staff was unsure if Miller would be able to compete physically with the other Division I players.
However, Miller has shown at Nevada that her speed makes up for her lack of stature.
In her first two years as a member of the Wolf Pack, Miller has racked up 75 shots, 11 goals and 31 points.
Now other teams are starting to take notice of Miller’s speed and skill, and are taking extra care to mark her on the field, which creates chances for her teammates.
“She’s carrying a couple players with her and that’s going to open up some holes,” Marjanovic said.
Miller’s road to Reno started early. She decided she wanted to play a sport when she was six. Her father decided she would play soccer.
When she was in fourth grade, Miller met her future teammate Miranda Montejo, a junior midfielder and captain for Nevada.
Montejo and Miller eventually joined the same soccer team during middle school and played together for a season. After that, the two stayed in the same league.
The first time Marjanovic saw Miller play was at a tournament for her club team. Marjanovic said she had her eye on a different player, but was ultimately drawn to Miller’s speed.
“I ended up watching her (Miller), and she’s a great player,” Marjanovic said.
Montejo also played a part in bringing Miller to Nevada.
When she was approached by Marjanovic, Miller was interested in attending a different college, but when Montejo told her how much she loved the campus at Nevada, Miller was convinced to visit.
“I wanted to go somewhere where I could really make a difference,” Miller said.
Montejo was glad to see Miller join the Nevada team.
“I hadn’t played with her since I was really young,” Montejo said. “Meeting up with her and playing with her again was really cool.”
Now that Miller has come to Reno, she has made a difference.
One factor in Miller’s success is her chemistry with Montejo and other players.
“As a midfielder, it’s really easy to find her because she always has pops and hoppers,” Montejo said. “Her speed really benefits the way I play.”
Another factor is her aggressive play style.
“I’m shooting a lot more, but I need to get the ball in the back of the net,” Miller said.
Miller is currently pursuing a degree in human development studies. She said that she doesn’t know what she’s going to do after college.
Miller said she isn’t planning on playing professional soccer, but she does want to continue playing soccer after her time at Nevada is over.
“(I’ll) probably play on an old lady team,” Miller said.
In her time at Nevada, Miller also made a good impression on her coaches.
“She’s just a great role model,” interim head coach Marjanovic said. “Comes from a great family and is a great player.”
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