Goshen, IN — Coming off the most successful season since 1998 and reaching NAIA Region VIII post-season play for the first time in four years, the Goshen College men’s soccer team announced on Tuesday that it was getting even better.

Head coach Tavi Mounsithiraj officially announced the signing of Evanston Township (Illinois) High School senior Peter Miller as his first recruit of the 2005-2006 academic year, giving the Leafs a multi-talented player and familiar namesake to join the squad next fall. Miller, who will graduate this spring from ETHS with a 4.0 grade point average, becomes the fourth generation in his family to attend Goshen College. Miller’s great-grandparents walked Goshen’s campus in the early 1900’s, while his grandparents and parents — on both sides of the family — all followed.

“We are very excite to have Peter Miller coming to Goshen College and joining our soccer program beginning in the 2005 season,” Mounsithiraj said. “Peter is an ideal student-athlete and I look forward to him joining the Goshen College community. He has the talent to come in and help us right away on the field, and he also will make an impact within our campus community. I am very excited to have him coming our way.”

Miller helped lead his high school soccer squad to a regional championship in his senior season, and guided his team to Central Suburban League Conference Championships in the 2001, 2003 and 2004 seasons. He was active in ETHS’s indoor soccer club throughout his high school tenure, and was a member of the renowned Team Evanston Soccer Club during that span as well. The forward/midfielder was invited to the Elite 3000 soccer camp at Goucher College following his junior season, and participated in the Wildkits soccer camp prior to each of his high school seasons.

“Peter is a very skillful player who passes the ball really well with both feet and has the ability to make plays when the pressure is on him,” Mounsithiraj said. “I think Peter can come in and fit in well with our program and perhaps step in and help us right away. We are coming off a respectable finish in 2004, but with players like Peter it’s our goal to continue to improve and become a regular contender in league play.”

And while Miller may be a standout soccer performer over the next four years at Goshen, his accomplishments and talents away from the field are equally as impressive. In addition to maintaining a GPA of 4.0 throughout high school and scoring a 1440 on the SAT, Miller is also an accomplished cellist, performing in his school’s symphony around the country. Miller accompanied his group to New Orleans and Orlando among other major cities, and was also a member of ETHS men’s choir. He was a member of the Midwest Young Artists Symphony and Chamber Ensemble, and performed in Chicago’s Harris Theatre under the direction of guest conductor Leonard Slatkin this past December.

“Peter has won countless accolades both playing the cello and as a singer, and I hope that he will participate in some way with our outstanding music programs here at Goshen,” Mounsithiraj said. “His academic success is quite impressive as well, especially being in a school with a student body of 3,025 students.”

Miller follows a strong family tradition to Goshen, as the ties began with great-grandfather Alvin C. Ramseyer (Goshen College, 1904) who helped raise funds and construct one of the school’s oldest active landmarks in the Adelphian Fountain. Three of Miller’s great-grandparents served on Goshen’s faculty, including John J. Fisher, a professor of psychology and education who ultimately served as the institution’s dean from 1922-1923. Both of Miller’s grandfathers served long careers on Goshen’s faculty as well, and his parents — mother Susan Fisher Miller and father Lee Miller — also have Goshen ties in addition to being alums. Susan served on the school’s English department faculty from 1985-1986, while Lee currently works as a neuroscientist on the faculty of Northwestern University. He occasionally returns to lecture at Goshen College.

Mounsithiraj can only hope that the latest Miller can help his program again reach the high level of success attained in the 2004 season, as the Leafs’ record of 14-4-4 was the program’s best since the 1998 season. The Leafs’ penalty kick loss to Madonna University in NAIA Region VIII play ended what was the first trip to regional competition for the program since the 2000 season, when Goshen dropped a 1-0 decision to Aquinas College.

Check back to this website for the most up-to-date team information and recruiting news as the off-season continues.