Millers win 2-0 against Muncie Central in first round of IHSAA Sectionals

It was an unseasonably warm October evening for the first round of IHSAA sectionals with your Millers taking on the Bearcats of Muncie Central. While the rankings listed on MaxPreps said this would be a lopsided game, the Bearcats came out and played a tremendous game. They were disciplined tactically and constantly frustrated the Millers attack. They had 2 forwards up top that knew there role was get a goal on a quick counterattack, hoping to steal a goal and win the contest 1-0. For most of the night it looked like their tactics would work.

Your Millers had plenty of opportunities in both halves to score. They had plenty of room to work on the wings but once they made it into the final third, the Bearcats clamped down and provided no space inside the 18. Plus, the Bearcats goalkeeper made numerous saves and his positioning was sound. The Millers thought they had their breakthrough towards the end of the first half. Senior Sam Holland was brought down in the box, drawing a penalty kick. However, the Muncie Central goalkeeper made an outstanding save on the subsequent PK to keep the game level going into halftime.

At halftime, the Millers didn’t panic even though the score was nil-nil. They knew that eventaully they would wear down the Bearcat defense. They simply needed to keep to the game plan.

With about 20 minutes remaining in the game, the Millers thought they pulled ahead with a goal by Sam Holland, However, it was called back with Holland being in an offside position when he received a deflected shot from freshmen Ben Hewitt. 5 minutes later, the Millers scored and it would not be called back for offside. A beautiful weighted cross by senior Alex Pursch from the left flank found senior Ashton Craig on the back post for a lovely header that was tucked just inside the post past a diving goalkeeper. Less than 1 minute later, Hewitt decided to double the score all on his own. He collected the ball near midfield, turned towards goal and dribbled 40 yards, beating a few defenders along the way. His last dribble placed the ball on his weaker, left foot so he could avoid a defender at the top of the 18. He uncorked a shot with said left foot (which might not be his weaker foot afterall!) that beat the GK to the right post. Your Millers held on to this 2-0 lead as the clock struck zeroes to survive and advance.

Kudos to the Bearcats on a highly successful season. They played an excellent game and should be applauded for their efforts. 

Your Millers play the Arabians of Pendleton Heights on Wednesday at 5:30PM. Come on out and support your Millers as they inch closer to a 3rd consecutive state title!

Millers beat Franklin Central 5-1 to claim HCC Crown

It was a blustery, rainy night for your Millers’ regular season finale. Due to the weather, the game was played at Old Beaver Stadium to keep the grass field at Hallmark Orthodontics Soccer Complex intact for sectionals. Regardless of the weather or field, your Millers started off strong with energy and confidence, scoring 3 goals in the first 8 minutes of the contest. The first goal was created by a nice run down the left flank by senior Sam Holland. He beat 2 defenders and took the ball endline, eventually finding a cross to freshmen Ben Hewitt for the opener. The 2nd goal was scored on a lovely ball over the top of the Franklin Central back line by center back Kasole Williams. The pass found senior Ashton Craig and cooly slotted it past the goalkeeper. Minutes later, Craig found an assist as he dribbled right and slotted a pass back left to Holland who uncorked a vicious left-footed strike near post past the keeper. The final scoring of the half came in the 26th minute when junior Caden Rice sent in a great curling cross from the left flank. Sophomore Quinn Johnston had a thundering header back to the near post to beat the goalie. Your Millers went into halftime up 4-0.

The second half saw each team score 1 goal. Your Millers added to their lead 5 minutes into the 2nd half with a lovely through ball by Holland that found Craig on the run. Craig deflty toe-poked a shot past an on rushing keeper from 30 yards out. After the 5th goal, Coach Dollaske gave many players their first varsity experience. With sectionals coming up, the roster expands and this was a prime opportunity to get rid of any nerves heading into playoffs. Freshmen Ashton Hancock, Sophomores Braden Lindley, Keaton Kulp, Vince Cash, and Mason Glanzman, and Juniors Jackson McQueeney and Deklan Jenski all got their first minutes of the season. Franklin Central was able to pull 1 goal back with about 5 minutes to go in the game. 

The game ended 5-1 with your Millers feeling very confident marching into playoffs next week. Their road to a 3peat starts with Muncie Central on Monday, October 2nd at Hallmark Orthodontics Soccer Complex. 

With the win, the Millers earn the program’s third Hoosier Crossroads Conference Championship in the last four years; it is the program’s fourth HCC Title.

HCC Championships: 2011, 2020, 2021, 2023

Varsity stays on a roll with 5-2 win against Center Grove

It was senior night at Hallmark Orthodontics Soccer Complex. Your Millers were looking to get our 7 seniors (Ashton Craig, Sam Holland, Alex Pursch, Max Reason, Cole Thompson, Max Tucker, and Dugan Webster) a victory over highly ranked Center Grove. Dugan Webster, normally a goalie, got the start as striker so all 7 senior could be in the starting lineup. And he played like a season veteran. He made great runs and had good vision to find his fellow senior wingers in Sam Holland and Ashton Craig. For the first 35 minutes of the game, your Millers were the better team but had nothing to show for it. At the 35 minute mark, after some substitutions brought on some younger players, Freshmen Ben Hewitt and Junior Caden Rice had some nice combination play down the right flank that ended with Caden Rice being brought down in the box. Holland stepped up on senior night and calmly converted the spot-kick to take the lead 1-0 going in to halftime.

After the break, your Millers kept up the pressure. Holland bagged his brace 6 minutes into the half on a nice flick by Craig. 5 minutes later, Hewitt got on the scoresheet with a nicely laced shot from outside the penalty area to make the score 3-0. Center Grove was able to pull one back on a penalty kick of their own. Your Millers were undeterred and only 2 minutes after conceding a goal, they earned a dangerous free kick on the left flank. Senior Max Reason took a beautifully struck free kick bent around the 2 person wall. The Center Grove keeper made the save but coughed up the rebound. Senior Alex Pursch pounced on it and made the score 4-1. Before being subbed off, Senior GK Cole Thompson made a penalty kick save to keep the score at 4-1. With 20 minutes to go, Webster subbed on in goal. Unfortunately, Center Grove took a great strike to cut the lead to 4-2 but there was nothing that Webster could do on the shot. It was simply too good.

With 5 minutes to go in the game, Holland earned his 2 hat trick in as many games after sophomore Carsten Shidler had a nice long throw-in from the right flank that found Holland in the box. The game ended 5-2 with your Millers earning it’s 6th consecutive senior night victory.

Your Millers finish up the regular season with a bout against conference foe Franklin Central on Tuesday, September 26th. With a win or a draw, your Millers can be HCC Champions. Lets go Millers!

Millers beat the Castle Knights for their 5th win in a row

It was a cool Fall Saturday as your Millers took on the Castle Knights, who made the trip up from Evansville. The game started with a bang. Not more than 5 minutes into the contest, your Millers were on the scoreboard. Senior Ashton Craig played a nicely weighted ball past the Castle center back and into the path of fellow senior Sam Holland. Holland took one touch, saw the GK coming off his line, and slotted the ball home near post.

4 minutes later, again Craig found Holland. Craig headed down a Castle goal kick and Holland did the rest. Holland took on one defender on the left flank, cut it inside to his right foot and drilled the shot far post. Less than 10 minutes into the game and your Millers were up 2-0. However, the energy levels dipped a bit after this goal and allowed the Knights to get situated in the game. Just after halfway through the first half, the Knights earned a corner kick. The Millers defense made an uncharacteristic error and allowed a free header just inside the penalty spot. The lead was cut in half at 2-1. Less than 1 minute later, the Millers were able to earn a penalty kick off a foul drawn by junior Kasole Williams. Unfortunately, the kick hit the right post and score remained 2-1. The score was almost leveled at 2 a few minutes later, but senior GK Dugan Webster was able to shut down a nicely executed breakaway by the Knights. With about 10 minutes to go in the half, Holland was able to finish off his hat trick with a lovely assist from sophomore Quinn Johnston. At the half the score was 3-1.

7 minutes after the break, Castle was again able to pull within 1, making the score 3-2. Their striker was able to hit a wonderful left-footed strike far post. After GK Webster and the Miller defense shut the door, not allowing another shot on goal. The final scoring of the day came off a wonderful cross from junior Caden Rice. The cross was headed towards Holland for a tap in. However, a Knights defender tried to head clear. Instead, he headed into his own goal. With a final scoreline of 4-2, your Millers earned their 5th consecutive win and are gaining momentum as they head towards sectionals.

Your Millers are back in action this Thursday against highly ranked Center Grove. It is also senior night. We will celebrate our 7 seniors who have given so much to this program + our 4 senior managers who have done everything behind the scenes to make each season so successful. See you there!

Millers win 4th in a row with another HCC win against HSE

It was a perfect fall evening for an HCC battle with rival Hamilton Southeastern. Your Millers started the game strong, with many balls played over the top to both strikers Sam Holland and Ben Hewitt. In the 13th minute, junior winger Jake Hall sent a perfectly weighted long ball to Hewitt, who controlled the ball and slotted a shot through the HSE goalkeeper’s legs for the first goal of the evening. Towards the end half, a nice combination play between Hewitt and sophomore Quinn Johnston allowed Hewitt to dribble in from the right flank across the 18. Hewitt sent a shot far post and past the keeper. Your Millers went into halftime up 2-0.

In the second half, your Millers faltered with their energy for the first 10-15 minutes. They allowed an HSE player to get a cross in from the left flank. Another HSE player was left unmarked at the penalty spot and had a free header on goal, which he converted to cut the lead in half to 2-1. Your Millers were able to get many more chances on goal and regain the energy levels they showed in the first half after giving up the clean sheet.

With the win, your Millers remain undefeated and in first place in the HCC. If they beat Franklin Central in 2 weeks, they will be crowned conference champions. Go Millers!

Varsity gets another conference W against Zionsville

Your Millers traveled to Zionsville’s new soccer complex on Tuesday night. It was a nice facility. It felt nicer leaving with a victory. Each team traded opportunities in the first half but neither teams could score. The Millers were anchored by Cole Thompson in net with his trusty back line of Keller Willis, Kasole Williams, and Blake Horn helping keep shots to a minimum. Forwards Ben Hewitt, Sam Holland, Ashton Craig, and Brady Frayer all had runs on goal but nothing came of it as your Millers went into halftime tied 0-0.

At halftime, subs were put on and immediately made an impact. Carsten Shidler started wreaking havoc down the right flank while Quinn Johnston controlled the midfield. 6 minutes into the second half, Shidler took a long throw-in near the right corner flag. Johnston had a beautiful flick header at the corner of the 6. Hewitt was able to sneak in and volley home the eventual game-winning goal. Your Millers held on with a few dangerous Zionsville chances, especially with 10 seconds to go in the game, but Thompson was able to shut the door. Your Millers are now 7-0-5 and 3-0-2 in conference.

They have another conference battle on Thursday against HSE. Many events are happening then. It is community night. Any local youth club player can get in free if they wear their club jersey. Also, Sogility will be in attendance with their Technical Soccer Zone trainer there to try out. Plus, there will be a bake sale to help raise funds for the Millers. Show out and have some fun Thursday night!

Varsity continues winning ways with 3-0 victory over Southport

It was a cool September evening with your Millers taking on the Cardinals of Southport at beautiful Hallmark Orthodontics Soccer Complex. It was a special evening for a young Miller by the name of Sam Henderson. He was an honorary Miller for a Day. He was able to lead the team out for starting lineups, give a pregame speech, and was even named man of the match at the conclusion of the game. Well done Sam!

In the first half, your Millers controlled much of the possession but had no goals to show for it. However, they were able to break through in the last 2 minutes of the half in a big way. First, junior Blake Horn was able to take a free kick on the left flank. He lofted a great ball to the back post, where senior Ashton Craig was able to rise up and head home the first goal of the game. On the ensuing kick off, the Millers won possession and marched down the field. Senior Max Reason was able to draw a free kick about 30 yards from goal. He called his own number and took the impending free kick. He curled it around the wall and into the back of the net to double the lead and go into halftime up 2-0

The second half saw more sustained pressure by the Millers. Many players had impacts on the game with chances to score. Freshmen Ben Hewitt had several shots saved by the Southport keeper. Sophomore Max Tucker had a shot rattle the crossbar. Junior Korey Klimek had great runs up the right flank. However, it was Ashton Craig who again got a tally on the score sheet. Sophomore Brady Frayer hit Craig with a nice pass. Craig was able to beat a defender and find the back of the net with about 12 minutes to go in the game. The score ended 3-0. A big part of the clean sheet was senior goalkeeper Dugan Webster, who was getting his first career varsity start. Webster had several quality saves to keep the Cardinals off the scoresheet.

The Millers resume play next week with 2 HCC matches @ Zionsville and then at home vs. Hamilton Southeastern. The Thursday game against HSE is a community night. Any youth club player wearing their jersey will get in for free. Looking forward to next week’s matches.

Varsity gets a 2-0 win against Westfield on their Pink Out Night

It was the annual Megan S. Ott Pink Out game for your Millers. This year's opponent was the Shamrocks of Westfield. Your Millers started out strong with many chances coming with through balls to our strikers up top, who were able to use their speed to beat the Westfield center backs. However, the Shamrocks GK stood strong for the first 15 minutes of the game. At the 15 minute mark is when your Millers first struck. Junior Blake Horn sent a great, cross field pass from the left flank to Vinny Howard on the right flank. Howard let the ball bounce twice towards the top of the 18 and then unleashed a wicked half volley far post past a stunned Westfield GK.

Your Millers went into the half up 1-0. The 2nd half saw the Shamrocks gain some more possession but the back line of Carsten Shidler, Kasole Williams, and Keller Willis held strong. Your Millers were able to regain their composure in the middle part of the 2nd half and start appying pressure and chances. The Millers finallybroke through again on a lovely run by sophomore Brady Frayer, who took the ball to the endline on the left flank. He drove a low cross across the box. It was deflected by a Westfield defender right to Sam Holland, who smashed a laced shot near post. A few minutes later, the game was put into a storm delay. The teams tried to wait out the weather but it just hung around too long. The game was called with 7:42 left in the game.

Your Millers are 5-0-5 overall and 2-0-2 in the HCC. They next take on Southport on Thursday. It is also our Youth Camp Night. Any youth camper who wears their camp shirt gets in for free. See you there!

Noblesville continues to dominate games but only has draws to show for it.

Your Millers tied the Brownsburg Bulldogs 1-1. Each team scored a PK in the 2nd half. Your Millers were dominant in play but sometimes the result is determined by factors outside of the team’s control. 

The Millers will enjoy a long Labor Day weekend and come back refreshed to take on Westfield on Tuesday, September 5th. It will also be our Pink Out game so come out and show your support. 

Varsity earns another 1-1 draw. This time with Fishers

It was an HCC battle with rival Fishers on Tuesday night. Your Millers got off to a quick start, with freshmen Ben Hewitt firing a shot that deflected off a defender and into the goal less than 5 minutes into the game. For the next 30 minutes of play, the Tigers and your Millers traded offensive chances. With 5 minutes to go in the half, Fishers earned a corner kick, which they were able to convert after the Millers were unable to clear the ball out of the penalty area. The score at halftime was 1-1.

The 2nd half saw your Millers change formation to add some more offensive firepower up top. While chances were created, they were unable to find the back of the net. GK Cole Thompson also did his part in keeping the game tied with some spectacular saves.

The Millers are back at it on Thursday with another conference foe in the Brownsburg Bulldogs. Hope you can make the trip to the west side of Indy to catch this heavyweight bout. 

Noblesville beats New Albany (OH) 2-1 to complete a successful Midwest Showcase

The 2nd day of the Midwest Showcase saw your Millers bring home the W against a tough New Albany team from Ohio. After some back and forth play, the Millers were able to find a long ball up the left flank to Sam Holland. After beating a defender he was able to slot a pass to fellow striker Ben Hewitt who was able to finish and bring the score to 1-0. The score remained there as the teams went into halftime.

8 minutes after halftime, GK Cole Thompson played a punt up the middle. The New Albany defense had some issues with the bounce. Ben Hewitt was able to pounce on the loose ball, and play a chip over the opposing GK as he cam out to challenge Hewitt at the top of the 18. 8 minutes later, Thompson went up for a ball in his own 18 and accidently caught a NA player in the head, leading to a PK and a yellow card. Thompson had to exit the field and Senior Dugan Webster came on in relief for the remainder of the game. The Eagles converted the PK and cut the Millers' lead in half.

The last 24 minutes of play saw chances at both end of the field. With 10 seconds to go, Webster made a spectacular play to seal the victory on a long throw in by the Eagles. 

Your Millers are next in action on Tuesday at HCC rival Fishers. Go Millers!

Millers earn a tough fought 1-1 draw with rival Fishers

It was an HCC battle with rival Fishers on Tuesday night. Your Millers got off to a quick start, with freshmen Ben Hewitt firing a shot that deflected off a defender and into the goal less than 5 minutes into the game. For the next 30 minutes of play, the Tigers and your Millers traded offensive chances. With 5 minutes to go in the half, Fishers earned a corner kick, which they were able to convert after the Millers were unable to clear the ball out of the penalty area. The score at halftime was 1-1.

The 2nd half saw your Millers change formation to add some more offensive firepower up top. While chances were created, they were unable to find the back of the net. GK Cole Thompson also did his part in keeping the game tied with some spectacular saves.

The Millers are back at it on Thursday with another conference foe in the Brownsburg Bulldogs. Hope you can make the trip to the west side of Indy to catch this heavyweight bout. 

Millers draw with Rockford (MI) 2-2

It was a hot Friday night at Hallmark Orthodontics Soccer Complex for the Midwest Shocase, but your Millers started cold against the visiting Rockford Rams. The Millers gave up a goal 70 seconds into the contest to dig themselves a 1-0 hole. At the 33rd minute mark, Rockford sent a through ball over the top that was misplayed by the Millers back line and GK, doubling the Rockford lead 2-0

Finally, the Millers woke up. with a minute to go in the first half, Freshmen Ben Hewitt was played through and goal and he slipped a shot past the keeper to bring the scoreline to 2-1 at the half. 

After the half, the Millers kept up the intensity. 5 minutes after halftime, the Millers were fouled in the box giving them a penalty kick as well as the Rockford defender getting a red car for Denying an Obvious Goal Scoring Opportunity (DOGSO). The ensuing PK was missed by the Millers but only 40 seconds later, senior Sam Holland found him self on a breakaway and leveled the score 2-2.

The Millers methodically tried to pick apart the Rockford defense that was playing with only 10 men, but they were unable to crack it. The game ended 2-2. 

The Millers conclude the Midwest Showcase tomorrow with a match against New Albany from Ohio at 3PM. Good Luck to Rockford with their game against Archbishop Moeller tomorrow. 

Noblesville opens the flood gates and beats Avon 6-0

Your Millers competed against the Avon Orioles on Teacher Appreciation Night. The athletes had such a good time before the game reminiscing with their favorite educators. But from the opening whistle, the Millers were all business.

Freshmen Ben Hewitt, making his first varsity start was able to get his first varsity goal in the 10th minute on a lovely assist from senior Sam Holland. Not bad for a player that felt nervous going into the game. The Millers had many more chances in the 1st half, but went into the break only up 1-0.

After the half, the Millers applied even more pressure. They were able to pour it on with a goal from Sam Holland (assist Miles Tucker), a breakaway goal by Caden Rice (assist Miles Tucker), a rebound goal by Alex Pursch off a Max Reason free kick, and a lovely solo effort by Max Tucker going top bins! And the absolute cherry on top was Ben Hewitt’s 2nd goal of the night on an assist by Korey Klimek to finish the scoring at 6-0.

Your Millers have a few days off until battling Rockford (MI) and New Albany (OH) this weekend in the Midwest Showcase. The games will surely be entertaining. Come on out to watch this weekend and catch other great teams battle for Midwest Supremacy. 

Noblesville gets a hard earned 1-0 victory over Plainfield

It was a balmy Monday night as your Millers traveled to the southwest side of Indy to battle the Plainfield Quakers. Not only did the Millers have to battle the heat, they also had to battle the field conditions. It didn’t look like the groundscrew had cut the grass in weeks, making it very difficult to dribble or connect passes. Your Millers perservered, retaining about 80% of the possesion on the evening. After many attempts on frame, the Millers were able to break through about half way through the 1st half on a Penalty Kick by Sam Holland. They went into the break up 1-0.

The second half saw more of the same. Patient work from the back line of Alex Pursch, Kasole Williams, Max Reason, Blake Horn and Jake Hall led to many opportunities. Freshmen Ben Hewitt started creating some chances along with Caden Rice. Unfortunately, none of those chances found the back of the net. The game ended 1-0.

The Millers are right back in action at home against Avon tomorrow evening. It is also Teacher Appreciation Night where every varsity player will be showing some love to their favorite educators. 

Noblesville draws Brebeuf 1-1.

Your Millers traveled to Indianapolis Saturday morning to play the Braves of Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory Academy. The first half started off as a struggle for the Millers. Perhaps they hadn’t quite woken up due to the early start time. Whatever the issue was, the Millers found themselves on the back foot for most of the first half. About halfway through the first half, Brebeuf had a long throw-in from the right flank. The Millers were unable to clear the ball and it ended up in the back of the net. This was the first time the Millers have trailed on the season. Going into half time down 1-0, the Millers needed a wake up call.

After discussing tactics and energy levels at halftime, the Millers came out focused in the second half. They were able to move the ball easier through the midfield. In the 60′ minute, after some beautiful combination play, Miles Tucker was taken down inside the penalty area and a PK was called. Senior Sam Holland stepped up and buried the PK, tying the game at 1. Both teams traded opportunities after that but neither was able to find the game winner.

The Millers are right back in action on Monday at Plainfield. 

Noblesville draws 2-2 with 3A #1 Carmel

It was a matchup between #1 Carmel and #2 Noblesville that did not disappoint. Your Millers played the first half riding high. Time and time again, Caden Rice and Sammy Holland were able to use their speed to race down the flanks. It finally paid off in the 25th minute when Rice slipped a pass to Holland at the 18, who took 1 touch and buried a shot near post. A 2nd goal in the 31st minute by Brady Frayer was waived off due to him being in an offside position. However, 2 minutes later, Holland doubled the lead on a header from a Max Reason free kick. Your Millers went into halftime up 2-0

However, the 2nd half was a different story. Your Millers were not able to keep as much possession as they had in the 1st half. The Greyhounds pulled a goal back 5 minutes on the other side of halftime after some rather sloppy play in the back. The Millers continued to cling to their one goal lead for a majority of the 2nd half. Cole Thompson even managed to safe a Penalty Kick in the 60th minute to keep the score 2-1. However, with 90 seconds left in the contest, Carmel was able to find the equalizer. It was not the result the Millers expected but it will be a game to learn from come tournament time. Your Millers were without multiple key players due to injury and illness so knowing that the bench could step up and play with the same intensity is an invaluable lesson this time of the season.

The Millers are back in action Saturday @ Brebeuf, Monday @ Plainfield, and finally at home for the first time this season on Tuesday against Avon. Go Millers!

Varsity wins season opener 4-0 against Perry Meridian

It was an unseasonable cool evening for your Millers’ season opener against Perry Meridian. The Millers started the game strong with many chances created by Seniors Miles Tucker and Sam Holland. The Millers were able to break through in the 18th minute via a Sam Holland penalty kick after Perry Meridian was guilty of a handball in the box. The Millers doubled their lead 10 minutes later with beautiful combination play that ended with a full volley by Junior Caden Rice. It’s only the first game of the season but we already have a goal of the year candidate! The Millers went into the half up 2-0

The 2nd half saw your Millers continue to maintain possession through the middle of the pitch and find chances up the wings.  This build up from the wing led to a 3rd goal for the Millers. Holland slotted a ball from the wing to the top of the 18 where Tucker calmly slotted the ball back post past the keeper. The final scoring of the game came off a corner kick. Newcomer Kasole Williams was able to fight through all the congestion in the box to tap it home. The defense of GK Cole Thompson and defenders Max Reason, Kasole Williams, Jake Hall, Blake Horn, and Alex Pursch were able to keep the clean sheet. 

Your Millers will enjoy the 4-0 victory for one night and then turn their attention to arch rival Carmel on Thursday. Come on out to the away contest at Murray stadium and show your support.