Miller remains solid through team’s ups and downs

By: Rich Fisher
   HAMILTON — The hot streak turned cold again for a streaky South Brunswick High girls’ soccer team, but goalie Susie Miller continues to avoid the inconsistency that has plagued her teammates.
   The Vikes offense has gone dormant, as they were shut out at Nottingham, 1-0, Saturday, then got blanked by East Brunswick, 3-0, Tuesday. The Bears clinched the Greater Middlesex Conference Red Division title with the win.
   On Saturday, Miller put on a clinic with 15 saves. Several times, she was left on her own to fend off the Nottingham attack, and came up big every time but once. The goal was impossible to stop, as Nottingham converted on a perfect cross in front.
   And yet, after the game, Miller had tears in her eyes, as if she were to blame.
   Actually, she was the last one to blame.
   "That’s just her," coach Nancy Ducko said. "She just wants to win. Nothing else matters to her."
   In fairness to the Vikings, two starters on the defense were slowed by illness, which allowed fatigue to set in. Especially in the second half, when Nottingham began to take the better of the play.
   "At this time of the year, everybody’s sick," Ducko said. "They’re battling as best as they can. It’s a rough time of the year with the sickness.
   "I can never really complain about my defense, but they’re going to have off days, especially recovering from illnesses. So what can you do, it’s going to happen."
   But Miller made it a game with several outstanding saves. She also made several other plays that don’t go down as saves but defused potentially disastrous situations.
   "Susie had a great game, she always does," Ducko said. ""She stays in it for the full 80 minutes, she goes hard.
   "She’s a great keeper, she really is. She works so hard and her decision making this year has just been excellent. She’s really helped pull our defense together."
   The loss to a hot Nottingham team snapped a three-game winning streak for the Vikings. The loss on Tuesday to an equally hot EB squad — winners of six straight — gave the Vikes a two-game losing streak entering Wednesday’s game at Edison.
   With a 3-5-2 record, South Brunswick needed to go, at worst, 2-0-1 prior to next Friday’s cutoff date to qualify for the state tournament. After Edison, South plays at Monroe Saturday and hosts North Brunswick under the lights Tuesday to conclude the regular season.
   As the schedule stands now, the Vikes would not play again until the GMCT opener Saturday, and teams must be .500 or better by the Oct. 20 cutoff.