Women's Soccer | 5/28/2020 9:52:12 AM
Hannah Miller of the Nazareth College women’s soccer team was named the 2019-20 Empire 8 Female Senior Scholar Athlete of the Year, based on a vote by the conference Faculty Athletic Representatives (FARs). The award honors one female student-athlete who best exemplifies what it means to be a dedicated scholar and athlete over the course of their collegiate careers.
Miller excelled on and off the field throughout her four-year career as a goalkeeper at Nazareth. She started all 17 games in goal in 2019 for the Golden Flyers and recorded a 0.81 goals-against average, a save percentage of .880 and compiled six shutouts. She was named an All-Empire 8 First Team selection and garnered United Soccer Coaches All-East Region First Team honors.
A native of Butler, Pa., Miller recently earned her bachelor’s degree in physical therapy from Nazareth, while carrying a tremendous 3.866 grade-point average. She was named a 2019 United States Soccer Coaches Third Team Scholar All-America selection, while also garnering CoSIDA Academic All-Region honors. Miller was a seven-time member of the Empire 8 President's List for student-athletes with GPAs of 3.75 and higher and earned a pair of United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-Region honors. Miller capped off her four-year career by winning Nazareth’s prestigious Robert A. Kidera Scholar Athlete of the Year award in 2020.
“Hannah was a two-year captain who cultivated a culture that is accountable, respectful, selfless, committed and fun,” said Nazareth women’s soccer head coach Gail Mann. “Hannah served as a leader that carried the equipment every day, was first to practice and the last to leave. She was the person players turned to for academic help, having tutored her teammates on the bus, while holding study sessions.”
Outside of the classroom, Miller also organized team service events such as the Breast Cancer walk, Out of Darkness Walk, while also volunteering for the Special Olympics.
In four seasons at Nazareth, Miller posted a 30-15-8 record with 317 saves, an .883 save percentage and 22 shutouts. She was a nine-time Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Week.
“Hannah exemplifies all aspects of this distinguished honor,” said Empire 8 Commissioner Chuck Mitrano. “She has excelled in an incredibly rigorous major, one that few can complete while competing in college athletics. She didn’t just compete, she excelled. Hannah’s athletic performance is matched only by her academic achievement.”
As a sophomore in 2017, Miller won a career-best 12 games, while posting a career-low 0.67 goals against average to go along with eight shutouts. In 2018, Miller was named the Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Year and was a after finishing 9-5-4 with a 0.82 goals against average and a career-best .901 save percentage. She also earned D3soccer.com Second Team All-American accolades and United Soccer Coaches All-East Region Second Team honors.
“As always, there was an incredibly competitive women’s field for the Senior Scholar Athlete award,” said Dr. Adam Pack of Utica College, who serves as the chair of the conference's Faculty Athletic Representatives. “All of the candidates were outstanding student-athletes, with exceptional achievements both on and off the field. Hannah consistently achieved awards and recognition at the institutional, regional and national levels both as a student and athlete.”
Miller is working on her doctorate in physical therapy at Nazareth and will return to the Golden Flyers as a graduate assistant on the women’s soccer staff in 2020-21.
2019-20 Empire 8 Female Senior Scholar Athlete of the Year Finalists
Emily Blosdale, Houghton College – Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field
Tayler Dence, St. John Fisher College – Track & Field
Gina Grauer, Hartwick College – Women’s Swimming and Diving/Lacrosse
Megan Flynn, The Sage Colleges – Women’s Basketball
Hannah Miller, Nazareth College – Women’s Soccer
Emily Wright, Alfred University – Women’s Soccer
Bridget Yaw, Elmira College – Women’s Basketball
ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit
www.empire8.com.
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