Aggie goalie dead ends offenses
Utah State goalkeeper Megan Mills has never been under the knife and says she would prefer it if she never has to be.
Mills said she suffered the worst injury of her 15 plus year career during her sophomore season as an Aggie when she dislocated and broke two of her fingers just prior to the start of a game.
“I don’t know if the trainers weren’t qualified or if they just didn’t know how to pop them back into place,” Mills said. “But they had to take me to a doctor at the Wellness Center.”
After having her fingers put back in place – the closest Mills has been to surgery – she rushed back to the game just as the second half of play was about to get underway.
“I played the whole second half,” Mills said. “I just couldn’t stand being on the sideline.”
Instead of undergoing surgery, Mills said she would prefer to be over the knife, on the other end of the procedure.
“I want to be a doctor of some kind,” Mills said. “Surgery is definitely an option, but I’ll probably change my mind four or five times.”
This fall, the senior is juggling her role as a full-time student studying for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) with her role as a full-time soccer player.
“Meetings, games, practices, traveling – it all takes time,” Mills said. “But soccer pays the bills, so I kind of see it as a full-time job.”
Still, she said she is careful to keep her education as her No. 1 priority, something she said her coaches are very understanding of.
“School over soccer,” Mills said. “The coaches are very understanding. They try to work around everyone’s schedule. Even if it’s a [supplemental instruction session], or something that isn’t mandatory, they understand.”
After graduation Mills said she would like to attend medical school in Pennsylvania or Ohio.
“I’ll go anywhere I’m accepted,” Mills said. “But I’d really like to go somewhere in Pennsylvania or Ohio. I have family in Ohio and I really like Ohio State.”
Before becoming the starting goalie during her sophomore year, Mills said one of her most memorable games as an Aggie came against Cal Poly as a freshman.
“We were down by a lot,” Mills said. “Coach put me in for the second half and I ended up playing really well. It was just a no pressure game for me and it gave me a lot of confidence.”
Mills notched a school-record 10 shutouts last season for the Ags. Coincidentally, Utah State won a season-record 10 games in 2003.
But Mills credits her teammates rather than herself for the team’s success.
“The defense was awesome last year,” Mills said. “They did all the work for me.”
So far this year, Mills, in her last season with Utah State, has recorded six saves and allowed only one goal for the Ags (1-1). Coming off a record setting season, Mills said she is looking for the team to continue its success.
“We were picked to finish 9th [in the Big West] again,” Mills said. “So we have some motivation to get to the Big West Tournament for the first time.”
The soccer team travels to Gonzaga and Eastern Washington this weekend before facing off with BYU in Provo on Tuesday.
-acf@cc.usu.edu