MILLER NAMED ECAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Former Toronto Thunderbird and St. Michael's Buzzer Greg Miller (photo credit - Patrick Shanahan/Cornell Athletic Communications), now with the Cornell University Big Red, was named ECAC Player of the Week for his recent performance this past weekend.
The Toronto, Ontario native joined the OJHL as a 16-year old member of the Toronto Thunderbirds in 2005-06 and would taste instant success, recording 12 goals and 32 points in 48 games played to finish eighth on the club in scoring. The following year Miller would join the St. Michael's Buzzers and would spend the next three seasons from 2006-09 patrolling the wing. Each season with the Buzzers, he would see a significant increase in his offensive output, jumping from 16 to 32 goals and 37 to 67 points during his first two years at St. Mike's, finishing tied for second in goal scoring on the club in 2007-08. Also that season, while helping the Buzzers capture the regular season league title, Miller would be named to Team East, helping them win the CJHL Prospect Game series that was held in Winkler, Manitoba, 5-3. Named team captain during his final season of Junior 'A' hockey, Miller would lead the Buzzers and finish fifth overall in league scoring with 91 points in 49 games played. He would also help Team Canada East win the bronze medal at the 2008 World Junior 'A' Challenge held in Camrose, Alberta.
Below is the official press release from the Cornell University Athletics website (www.cornellbigred.com):
ECAC Hockey announced Tuesday that forward Greg Miller has been named the league's Player of the Week, and junior Andy Iles has been named the Goaltender of the Week. It's Miller's first career league award, while Iles has been tabbed as ECAC Hockey's best goalie of the week three times this season.
Miller scored two goals in back-to-back games for the first time in his career, leading the Big Red to a weekend sweep of Rensselaer and Union. Against the Engineers, he scored the go-ahead goal early in the first period, then blew the game open with a shorthanded goal on a breakaway in the second period. On Saturday against the Dutchmen, Miller scored the game-winner on the power play. He had the primary assist on the second goal, just two minutes earlier, then he capped the scoring in the third for a five-point weekend (four goals, one assist). Now 10th in the country in goals per game (0.54) and has busted into top 10 in the league scoring with 17 points over 19 games. His 10 league goals is now tied for third in ECAC Hockey.
Iles backstopped the Big Red to the only sweep in ECAC Hockey last weekend, registering his highest save total for a weekend since Nov. 2-3. He was a key contributor in the team's 10-for-11 penalty-killing performance, including 1:20 of a two-man disadvantage against a Union power play that ranks third in the country with a 24.7 percent conversion rate. He made 36 saves in the game. Iles also had his second career assist a night earlier, kicking the puck to Miller for a shorthanded breakaway goal in the second period. He has now started 63 consecutive games in goal for the Big Red, dating back to the ECAC Hockey championship game in 2011.
Cornell (11-13-3, 7-10-3) wraps up its regular season this weekend with games Friday at Brown and Saturday at Yale.
