JMU’s Miller Grabs PEARL Honor
ATLANTA – After backstopping James Madison to a pivotal conference victory, Dukes junior netminder Aiden Miller has been named the MCLA Division I PEARL Goalie of the Week for the period ending March 31.
With James Madison in Morgantown to take on West Virginia in a key ALC battle that would clinch a conference tournament bid, the Wexford, Pa., product was a wall in the Dukes’ net.
He finished with a stunning 17 saves in the 14-7 victory, good for a 70.8 save percentage.
For the season, Miller is 5-1 with a save percentage of 55.4.
“Aiden stood on his head for us and came up with some really big saves in clutch situations,” said James Madison coach Owen Willison. “We were able to obtain an early lead and hold onto it all game thanks to his play in shutting down a good West Virginia offense.
“Aiden has been a cornerstone of our defense ever since his sophomore year when he transferred in from Liberty and won the starting job here. He is an outstanding leader and is a big part of our success this year.”
For winning the PEARL Goalie of the Week honor, Miller will receive a PEARL swag bag of goodies that will include PEARL lacrosse balls – the official ball of the MCLA.
PEARL Honor Roll
Patrick Kenny, Soph. – Indiana
The Port Washington, N.Y., native made a 11 saves (a 64.7 save percentage) against Kansas to lead the Hoosiers to a 7-0 mark on the season.
Connor Nichols, Sr. – Simon Fraser
In a 1-1 weekend against top-ranked BYU and Boise State, the Coquitlam, B.C., product combined for 33 saves and a 61.1 save percentage.
Zane Schwab, Sr. – UC Santa Barbara
The San Diego kid turned away 11 shots (61.1 save percentage), leading the Gauchos to an important non-conference victory over Colorado on the road.
Easton Wilkey, Fr. – Brigham Young
The rookie from Orem backstopped the Cougars to a 2-0 weekend in Boise, combing for 19 saves and a 61.3 save percentage.
Nick Wright, Sr. – Texas A&M
The netminder out of Southlake, Texas, turned away a dozen shots, helping the Aggies snap their four-game losing skid in a 7-6 win over LSU.