Miller Sets Wildcats Record With 30th Career Shutout

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- Senior goalkeeper Tyler Miller established a new program record with his 30th career shutout on Sunday, making four saves in a scoreless draw with Cal-State Fullerton on the west coast. Miller's third clean sheet of the 2014 campaign broke a tie with Misha Rosenthal (2005-09) and gave him sole possession of the top spot on the Wildcats leaderboard.

Northwestern emerged from their weekend in Santa Barbara with a pair of draws against top competition from the Big West Conference. Cole Missimo led the way offensively on Sunday against Cal-State Fullerton with three shots on goal, while Joey Calistri, Elo Ozumba and Mike Roberge also tested the Titans netminder during the afternoon. The field was tipped in the Wildcats favor for much of the contest, as the visitors not only outshot Fullerton 6-4, but also had a 10-3 advantage in corner kicks.

A senior from Woodbury, N.J., Miller has been a stalwart in the Northwestern net since he arrived on campus in 2011. He earned his first shutout on Sept. 1 of that freshman season against the No. 7 California Golden Bears at Toyota Park, home of Major League Soccer's Chicago Fire. Miller started 19 contests in his debut season and posted nine shutouts, at the time the second-highest total in a single season in program history.

The two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree followed that up with ten clean sheets as a sophomore in 2012, and notched eight more last season in an injury-shortened campaign. All told, Miller's three seasons have produced three of the four highest single-season shutout totals in Wildcats history.

This year Miller was named to the MAC Hermann Trophy watch list for the second consecutive season, just the fifth Wildcat to be cited as a preseason candidate for the most prestigious award in collegiate soccer. He has also been identified as one of 30 national candidates for the 2014 Senior CLASS Award.

The Wildcats return to action on Sunday, Sept. 14, when they kick off the Big Ten Conference schedule against the Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus. The contest is scheduled for 12 p.m. CT and will be broadcast worldwide on Big Ten Network and on BTN2Go.