Preview: Miller's Tale

Photo courtesy of Arizona State Lacrosse

By: E.J. Freeman | MCLA.us      

ATLANTA- Arizona State sophomore Nick Miller was in the heart of his first fall in Tempe on October 9, when late in a typical practice he went down.  The Arizona State coaches came to check on Miller and found he was having a seizure.  Miller was quickly stabilized and came-to after roughly a minute and a half.  Medics arrived around five minutes later and tended to Miller and took him to the hospital. Since Miller had no history of seizures, doctors ordered an MRI the following morning.  The results of the MRI provided an answer, but also news that no one ever wants to hear.  Miller was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor on his right frontal lobe.  Nick’s doctors moved quickly to develop a treatment plan and Nick underwent brain surgery on October 14.

The surgery was successful in removing the majority of the tumor.  The right frontal lobe is responsible for controlling motor skills and speech.  As such, after the surgery, Nick’s ability to move his arms and legs was affected along with his ability to speak.  Post surgery,  Nick was admitted to Barrow Neurological Institute for intense inpatient therapy in order to build  back his motor skills.  According to Nick, the hardest part of the process was waking up from surgery and not being able to move or think the way he had before.  Miller’s treatment consisted of four hours of therapy every day along with “homework” each night.   Following two weeks of this intensive inpatient therapy, Nick was allowed to go home and move into outpatient therapy.  In addition to the grueling physical work, Nick was doing cognitive therapy as well.  Nick’s mother Cherese commented, “The cognitive piece required just as much or more effort. Starting with regaining full speech capabilities; from there, it was retraining his brain to connect the dots on simple tasks building back up to more complex cognitive functions.” 

It would be understandable for someone in Nick’s situation to completely withdraw and focus on themselves, but Nick stayed engaged with his Sun Devil teammates and they remained committed to him.  Teammates came to see Nick nearly every day that he was in the hospital.  Nick’s two roommates, who are also teammates, were at the hospital for the entirety of his surgery in addition to their nearly daily visits.  As soon as he was able, Nick began attending team events, which head coach Dave O’Neil  said, “…was a huge uplift for the overall morale of the group.”  The Sun Devils honored Nick and his recovery efforts on their shooting shirts this season and also helped fundraise for Nick’s family via  merchandise sales with proceeds going to the Millers.

Nick had a follow-up MRI on December 24 that showed the surgical cavity collapsing and no new tumor growth.  Nick is currently under the care of an Oncologist and remains on an oncology medication that targets his tumor mutation.  The next follow-up MRI is scheduled for the end of March.

Nick continued his therapy through the new year and on January 14 he was cleared for non-contact participation in lacrosse practices.  The on-field portion of the road back started with stickwork and conditioning.  During the first week of February, clearance for light contact came.  Earlier this week, what seemed like a pipedream back in October and November came to fruition.  Nick was granted full medical clearance for lacrosse and will make his Arizona State debut on Sunday when the Sun Devils host USC.

Nick suiting up this weekend marks an incredible achievement and shows the power of determination and resilience.  Nick is quick to thank those that supported him through the process, “I had a great support system of family and friends throughout. I couldn’t ask for a better team!" 

Nick’s mother Cherese added, “Nick would not be where he is today without all the incredible efforts by his doctors, nurses, and therapists!  Beyond this, he and his family are beyond grateful and humbled by the amazing support from friends, family, ASU coaches and teammates and the lacrosse community as a whole.”

This weekend will be a milestone in Nick’s recovery and we wish him the best in his continued recovery.  Nick’s return is fantastic news and something all of us in the MCLA can cheer for.  I’ll certainly have an eye on the game in Tempe on Sunday.

We’ve got another weekend filled with big games from all over the country.  Dylan Hess and Tim Haslam still sit atop the guest picker leaderboard at 4-1 and the guest picker jinx remains in place following Chapman’s  loss last week.  This week’s guest is Ryan Kerr.  Ryan began his MCLA career at South Florida before moving on to Florida Atlantic to finish his career.  Kerr earned First-Team All-America honors in 2025 as well as being named the MCLA Player of the Year for Division II.  Thank you to Ryan for taking the time to pick some games as well as providing your thoughts on those games.

#3 South Carolina at Virginia Tech 6pm Friday – These two teams were regular combatants for years before falling off of each other’s schedules in 2025.  Thankfully, this game is making a comeback in 2026.  South Carolina is riding high with the number three ranking in the initial poll.  The Hokies are still relatively unknown after some weather induced cancellations.  The Gamecocks run on a physical and stingy defense and an offense that loves to share the ball.  The Gamecocks have a bevy of strong shooters and sophomore Nathan Wolfe is a willing distributor, getting them the ball in the spots where they like it.  Alex Ashley will draw the attention of the Gamecocks’ defense.  This one should be fascinating.  Either way, the Gamecocks must re-focus quickly as they face Liberty on Saturday in what the ALC is calling The Champions Classic.

Ryan’s Read: Two top tier programs both with deep histories in the MCLA. As a former athlete in the SELC conference with my time at USF, I'm picking South Carolina to improve to 7-0 on the year and grab a big win on the road at Virginia Tech.  PICK: South Carolina

Fan Pick: South Carolina (79%)

#5 Montana at #19 Utah State 7pm Friday – The Grizzlies rolled in the Rocky Mountain Rumble and look to continue their momentum in Logan.  Utah State has won the last two games against Montana but sits at 1-4 on the season.  As a team Utah State is winning around 25% of their faceoffs.   The Aggies will need to either improve that figure or find a different way to manufacture some extra possessions against the Grizzlies.

Ryan’s Read: I'm leaning toward Montana in this one as they have the edge in both faceoff and save percentages so far this season. Utah State has had a tougher schedule to start the year, but Montana will look to maintain their perfect record. PICK: Montana

Fan Pick: Montana (89%)

#13 Oregon at #2 Brigham Young 1pm Saturday-  The Ducks have looked great so far, but the competition level take a big jump against the Cougars.  Many teams have brought nice records to Provo only to leave with blemished records and bruised egos, can the Ducks avoid this fate?  These teams played a one goal game a year ago so neither team will be impressed by the other.  Based on the way each team’s offense has been playing this feels like we might be in for an old west shootout. 

Ryan’s Read: If I had to pick this one purely on uniforms I'd take the Ducks, but that's not the case. As D1 national semifinalists last season, BYU is out on a revenge tour this season and should have no problem winning this one at home over the Ducks. PICK: BYU

Fan Pick BYU (55%)

#4 Montana State vs #1 St.  Thomas 3:45pm Saturday (in Fargo) – This game has the last two Division II National Champions facing off.  This will be the sixth time these teams have played since the beginning of the 2023 season so they certainly are not strangers.  Both teams are off to strong starts with the Bobcats’ only loss coming to #2 Cal State San Marcos; meanwhile the Tommies just keep beating whoever lines up across from them.  The Tommies have mostly been coasting so far, can the Bobcats test their mettle and see how they react to a close game in the fourth quarter?

Ryan’s Read: Now this game should be a battle in Fargo. The 2024 DII national champs versus last year's champs. St. Thomas has the edge in this one as they look to continue their momentum from last season. PICK: St. Thomas

Fan Pick: St. Thomas (92%)

UNC-Charlotte at #9 Florida Atlantic 6pm Saturday – The 49ers are surely still smarting from their loss to Wake Forest and sit at 1-1.  The Owls certainly are not happy either coming off a loss to Tampa sitting at 3-3.  Which team can fix what ailed them last game and make their opponent pay for facing them coming off a loss?

Ryan’s Read: This one is a no brainer for me. As an FAU alumni and having spent two years in the program, I've got the Owls at home in this one. I never lost a home game in my time at FAU and want to see that streak continue for the underclassman I played alongside. Stavros and the coaching staff are carrying forward the culture and foundation established over the years as they look to sustain that momentum this season.  PICK: Florida Atlantic

Fan Pick: Florida Atlantic (100%)

Other Games I’ll be Watching

Colorado at #9 Texas Christian 4pm Friday – The Buffs split their California trip last weekend meanwhile the Horned Frogs beat Chapman and Cal State San Marcos earning a top-ten ranking.  The Buffs are used to a steady diet of possessions thanks to faceoff specialist Mike Kuligowski.  The Horned Frogs as a team win around 42% of their faceoffs so  they will have to be efficient with the possessions they do get.  The Buffs could use a win here after losing to Cal and playing a very close game with Santa Clara.

Fan Pick: Colorado (68%)

#11 Chapman at #14 Cal Poly 7pm Friday – Both teams are coming off somewhat surprising losses last week.  I’d expect a defensive struggle here as both defenses seem to  be playing well.  Three of the last four games in this series have been blowouts in favor of Chapman, but the Mustangs won last year’s game by a single goal.

 Fan Pick: Chapman (88%)

Northeastern at Florida 7pm Saturday – Two teams that lost transformational senior classes that are still looking to find their identity in 2026.  This should be a fascinating game.  After traveling to California the Huskies now join the snowbirds in Florida for a weekend.  Northeastern has relished the role of traveling underdogs in the past, does this pack of Huskies feel the same way?  The Gators lost on a literal last second goal against Central Florida last weekend before turning around and defeating Southern Methodist.  This will be a fascinating contest between teams still finding themselves.

Fan Pick: Northeastern (100%)

Denver at #10 College of Idaho 4:30pm Friday -   Denver sits at 1-5 and the Yotes are 3-0, but the records do not tell the whole story here.  Denver has been testing themselves against many of the best teams in Division II.  The Yotes have been running roughshod over their opponents who are a combined 1-9.  Will the tough schedule benefit the Pioneers who will not be impressed by the Yotes?  Can the Yotes adjust to the increased level of competition?

Fan Pick: Denver (60%)

#16 St. John’s at #14 North Dakota State 12:30pm Saturday – St. John’s is coming off a weekend sweep and feeling good about themselves as they head to Fargo.  The Bison are coming off a bye week after getting two wins in Denver at the Rocky Mountain Rumble.  The Bison have owned the Johnnies as of late, but this year’s St. John’s team looks to be significantly improved.  This game could be quite telling as the UMLC Division II season heats up.

Fan Pick: St. John’s (71%)

#12 North Florida at #15 Wake Forest 7pm Saturday – The classic irresistible force meets immovable object game.  Following an early loss to Florida Atlantic, North Florida has been scoring almost 16 goals  per  game.  Meanwhile, Wake Forest allows only 5.75 goals per game.  Something has to give here.  Wake Forest will be playing their second game of the day so will their defense have enough in the tank to  ground the Ospreys?

Fan Pick: North Florida (71%)

As always, head coaches please submit player and goalie of the week nominations to info@mcla.us by noon local time on Monday.