Preps: Palo Verde soccer team looks forward to new challenges

Spencer Patterson

Wednesday, Dec. 9, 1998 | 3:18 a.m.

It's hard to imagine a 48-goal season being a frustrating experience for a high school soccer player.

But that's exactly how Palo Verde junior Tami Miller, one of the area's emerging prep stars, and her coaches describe her 1997-98 season with the Panthers.

After opening in 1995 with only a freshman class, Palo Verde's athletic program had to wait until this, its third year of existence, to field varsity squads in most sports.

And for an experienced, club soccer player like Miller, that meant spending her first two high school seasons on Palo Verde's junior varsity team.

Not surprisingly, the Panthers dominated at that level last year, posting a 13-3-3 mark. Miller, a high-scoring forward used to taking on the best players in the state, had her way on the offensive end, tallying 48 goals in just 18 games.

And had it not been for Palo Verde coach Natalie Thomas' well-founded concerns about running up scores, there's no telling where Miller's total might have been by season's end.

"Once she got three or four goals, I had to pull her because it got crazy," Thomas said. "Sometimes, I'd have to pull her five minutes into the game because she already had three goals."

While soccer players relish the opportunity to score, Miller said the experience was less than challenging at times.

"It was frustrating," Miller said. "All my club teammates were playing on other varsity teams around town."

Indeed, while Amber Woodward and Maia Detmer -- two of Miller's teammates on the under-17 state club champion Jammers -- helped Bishop Gorman reach the zone finals, the Panthers had to be content preparing for 1998.

"You could tell she was getting bored by the end of the year," Thomas said. "She just wasn't being challenged."

With her team's move up this season, that's no longer the case. And Miller, for one, is thankful.

"You can see the difference," Miller said. "Defenders have more understanding and can do more things. And it's more fun to have more of a challenge."

With injuries claiming five starters, the Panthers have struggled somewhat in the early season, posting an 0-1-2 record thus far. Last week's 2-2 tie against Chaparral proved that despite its youth, Palo Verde has the ability play with the best in town.

As for Miller, the junior isn't likely to rack up 40 goals in a single season again anytime soon. With talented scorers like sophomore Nicole McIntyre around her, Miller has been spreading the ball around, scoring just once in her team's three contests.

"Tami is definitely a team player," Thomas said. "She had 48 goals last year, but she wasn't a ball hog at all. She looks for her teammates whenever she can."

Despite her two-year wait for her first varsity action, Miller remains upbeat about her Palo Verde experience and is optimistic her club will be among the area's best by the time she graduates.

"This is kind of the building year, but I think we'll progress and keep getting better," she said. "There's a downside to (being at a new school), but we're the first graduating class and we can start making a name for this school."