RocJocks: Doug Miller led local soccer renaissance
The biggest star during Rochester's pro soccer renaissance, Doug Miller, spent eight seasons playing for the Raging Rhinos. During the team's inaugural season, Miller led the A-League with 18 goals and helped lead the team to both the league and U.S. Open Cup finals.
Miller is the only player in team history to ever win league MVP honors, winning in 1997, and scored arguably the team's biggest game-winner in the 1999 U.S. Open Cup championship. He retired after the 2006 season as the Rhinos all-time leader with 75 goals.
Before coming to Rochester, Miller was an indoor soccer star, playing for the Baltimore Blast, Harrisburg Heat Cleveland Crunch, and Buffalo Blizzard. From 1991 to 2001, the forward scored 367 goals in 316 games.
Miller returned to play indoor soccer with the Rochester Lancers in 2011, and was named Most Valuable Player of the Major Indoor Soccer League in 2013.
He also runs a popular youth soccer academy and the Doug Miller Sports Dome in Spencerport. He is also involved with trying to keep the Lancers franchise afloat in Rochester.
Each week, we recognize a great sports figure from the Rochester area. See the complete list and read more about each figure and their accomplishments online, at RocDocs.com/RocJocks.
Many readers wrote in to nominate Miller, including Jenn Doran and Chris Blaine.
Whose name should we add next? Send an email to slahman@gannett.com with your suggestions, or share your ideas on our Facebook page.
SLAHMAN@Gannett.com