The Millers beat 3A #4 Chesterton Saturday night in the Semi-State finals.
For the third time during this playoff run, the Millers got on the board within the first five minutes of play. The first goal came off of an assist from Spencer Holland, who dribbled the ball down the right flank and sent a pass in to Brayden Doll at the six. Doll hit a half volley. The Chesterton goalkeeper got a hand on it, but it sailed into the upper part of the net to put the Millers up 1-0.
The Millers offense got right back to work. The second Miller goal came about 10 minutes later, after Doll sent a short corner to Kyle Goad. Goad took a shot that was saved by the Chesterton keeper. Doll collected the rebounded shot and crossed to Jake Johns. Johns slotted it past the keeper to put the Millers up 2-0.
The third Miller goal came with Holland dribbling three Chesterton defenders up the left side. Holland took a shot that was deflected by the Chesterton keeper. Palmer Ault tapped the deflection in to put the Millers up 3-0.
The Millers midfield continued to work the ball into the offensive third. In the 22nd minute Doll slipped a pass to Ault, who dribbled to the top of the box and took a shot. The shot got past a diving Chesterton keeper to put the Millers up 4-0.
Millers keeper Gabe Ingle leapt and tipped a Chesterton shot over the bar during the 24th minute to keep the Millers up 4-0.
The Millers defense held off several strong Chesterton attacks during the second half. This included wingback Cole Bramblett shutting down the Chesterton leading scorer, Jacob Perkins.
The Millers scored their fifth and final goal of the night late in the second half. Goad sent a corner kick to the back post. Drew Cochran tracked it down to the opposite corner and sent in a cross that was deflected by Sam Holland to his brother, Spencer Holland. Holland scored from a shot from the top of the box.
Ingle and the Miller defense had their 16th shutout of the season.
Man of the match and Miller player of the game went to Ault. After the game, Ault said, “This is a great feeling. We got to this stage when a lot of us were sophomores and we came up short. But we were really prepared tonight.”
Despite the big victory, Ault immediately shifted to thoughts about the state championship game. “This is what we’ve been working for all year. We have one game left to prove we are the best in state. This means we have one more week to put in the preparation and come out strong against our rival, Carmel.”
The Semi-State title is the second in the program’s history and is the Millers’ first in 22 years. In 1999, the Millers earned the program’s first berth in the IHSAA State Finals under the tournament’s old format for single class soccer where they lost to Penn in the Final Four.
Twenty-two years to the day of the Millers’ previous appearance at the IHSAA State Finals, the Millers will play in the State Finals once again, this time in the State Championship match against a familiar foe in rival Carmel on October 30 at 6:30 p.m. The game will be played at IUPUI’s Carroll Stadium.