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For over 80 minutes, the Michigan men’s soccer team and Washington were in a deadlock. Both teams traded attacks as they fought to break the 1-1 tie. With ten minutes remaining, the Huskies had a golden opportunity to pull away. Midfielder Peter Kingston received a through ball near the box and immediately turned toward the middle of the field in search of a teammate to receive a cross.
But Wolverines junior defender Nolan Miller had other plans.
Miller quickly got in front of Kingston and forced an errant pass that landed nowhere near another Husky, erasing a potent opportunity for Washington to break through. While Michigan was also unable to overcome the tie, Miller’s defensive heroics helped earn the Wolverines one point in the Big Ten standings.
In the first half, Michigan’s repeated carelessness with the ball in the defensive third and the midfield gave the Huskies several attack opportunities, but Miller always stepped up to the challenge. About 30 minutes into the first half, a Husky winger received an on-target through ball down the left sideline. In response, Miller flew across the field from his spot at center back, making a forceful slide tackle to send the ball out of bounds and thwart Washington’s open-field attack. Later that half, Miller once again hit the turf to send a Husky pass out of bounds.
“They had us for a little bit in the first half,” Wolverines coach Chaka Daley said.
Through these moments, Michigan leaned on Miller. While most players prefer the flash and attention that comes with being a goal-scorer, Miller — a three-year starter and captain — embraces his role on the defensive end. Evolving from a leader solely by example to becoming the voice of the Wolverines’ back line, his energy and tenacious play style radiates to their other defenders.
“He’s learning to lead with his voice … that’s what made him different,” Daley said. “We talk about enjoying defending. … When you enjoy defending for the right reasons, it makes it more exciting.”
In the second half, Miller looked to make an impact on the offensive end as well. Making a run into the box on a Michigan throw-in, he got his foot on the ball, but he couldn’t convert as the Huskies’ goalkeeper swooped the ball up.
Still, Miller continued to lock down on the defensive end for the Wolverines. As Michigan employed a more aggressive offensive approach, leaving it vulnerable to Husky counter-attacks, Miller was a stout final line of defense.
And with just over a minute left, Miller rose to the occasion one final time. Washington midfielder Richie Aman had nothing but green grass between him and the Wolverines’ goalkeeper, but Miller stopped him dead in his tracks. Running from midfield, Miller got in front of Aman, slowing him down and forcing a turnover that saved a potential go-ahead goal.
“He’s been outstanding in his defensive actions,” Daley said.
Amid Michigan’s inability to score, Miller’s contributions — thwarting Husky attacks on the back end to set up counter-attacks — kept the match even and put the Wolverines in position to break the tie.
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