The Anatomy of a Save with Cassie Miller

_{by Jenna Weyforth}

Charging forward in a flash of electric yellow for the Current, goalkeeper Cassie Miller slides to the top of the goal box. With no hesitation, she uses her body to send the ball sailing out of immediate danger for a crucial save.

For Miller, defending the goal is as much instinct as it is a mental process.

“In my head as a goalkeeper,” Miller said, “if I go straight back to my goal, it's gonna be a breakaway. But, if I'm able to get to her as soon as possible, and she's not able to be totally in control it would be a benefit to me. If I suck back in, the goal just gets bigger.” 

But her work is not over in the humid heat that encases Orlando on June 24.

Just two minutes later, she dives to protect the far post from a shot taken by Adriana, the Pride’s top scorer. Miller said she was on constant alert, communicating with the team and hoping to be in the right spot at the right time.

Laying out to poke the ball toward the grandstand behind her, she rolls over and takes a deep breath before slowly sitting up.

With the team on constant defense, Miller said she was constantly on her line, going up and down, but she said she could see the fatigue setting in on the field.

“We were defending, defending, defending,” Miller said. “I made the save, but it's a corner kick again. And in my head. I'm like, do I do it? Do they need a break? In that moment it's like, okay, just breathe. Everyone recover, and then get back in and get locked in. I think that was a nice breather, mentally and physically for the team."

With Orlando set up for a corner kick, Miller’s breather is short-lived, but she jumps up into the action. Before the ball can touch another player, it's safe in Miller’s hands.

A common theme throughout the night, the ball gravitated toward Miller’s gloves as she clocked in five saves, clustered mostly late in the second half. This is a season-high for Miller, who has started the last nine games for the Current.

However, her impact on the game expanded beyond her expertise in goal.

From the first minutes against the Orlando Pride, Miller distanced herself from the safety of the net to become an eleventh attacker on the pitch, as the whole team became a part of the action. Open for a low-risk pass back, Miller’s perspective of the field opened up new plays, moving the ball through each level of the Current offense.

She said she thinks of herself as a defensive midfielder in the center of the field, almost the spine of their setup. Using one of her strengths, her foot skills, she said she enjoys being outside the box and playing in the midfield.

“I love to connect, I love to be the anchor,” Miller said. “I love to be the passer and to stop it with my feet, so that's definitely my game."

When she is playing up higher on the field, she said her radar is always on. After passing, Miller said she continues moving forward if the team has possession. As soon as they lose the ball, she knows to drop off, which adds to the mental part of the game, especially in the second half. 

It was an action-packed half for Miller, but she said the team was dedicated to not letting this game slip away. Their momentum carried them through with a 2-1 victory over the Orlando Pride.

“Ultimately if your game is clean, I'm happy leaving the field,” Miller said. “I don't care if I have one save or if I have eight saves. I'm just happy we got the win.”  

Written by: Jenna Weyforth