Albert Lea senior Sophie Miller was named to the Class 1A all-state girls’ soccer team for the third consecutive year and will finally get her chance to play inside the Metrodome Wednesday in the Minnesota State High School Soccer Coaches Association/Soccer Express Senior Classic.

It maybe not the way Miller envisioned ending her high school soccer career, but the standout defender has the opportunity to play against the state’s top players in one final game.

“I’m very excited,” said Miller, who is one of eight defenders who made the team. “I had a practice with the girls on Sunday and they were all very, very nice. I love when I get to play with girls like that because it reminds me that there are 100 other girls out there that are better than me. It’s very humbling.”

Miller’s spot on the team is certainly warranted after the career she put together at Albert Lea. Miller started on the varsity team as a seventh-grader and evolved into one of the state’s best defenders. As a sophomore she was named all-state honorable mention and the past two seasons she’s made the all-state team.

“She started as a seventh-grader and displayed confidence and courage throughout her entire six years,” said Tigers head coach Rick Barnhill.

There are four teams, which are coached by the state championship team’s coach. The game pits seniors on the Class 2A all-state team against the seniors on the Class 1A team and begins at 6 p.m.

Miller, a three-year captain, scored three goals and had three assists this season for the Tigers as they advanced to the Section 2A semifinals. Last season she scored 10 goals and had eight assists as Albert Lea made its second consecutive trip to the state tournament.

The Tigers allowed 15 goals this season and Miller was an important piece to Albert Lea’s stingy defense with her ability to win challenges and chase down opposing attackers.

“She was paramount to our effectiveness on defense,” Barnhill said. “She was instrumental in bringing cohesion to the unit as a collective whole.”

Miller also had a knack for aiding her team in clutch situations. In the Section 2A championship game against Willmar last season, she scored the tying goal as the Tigers went on to win their second consecutive section title.

She credited her father, Jeff Miller, for helping her become the player she did. Together the two worked on the fundamentals at an early age and improved her strength in both legs, which helped her clear balls from the defensive third of the field.

Miller, who wants to pursue a career in nursing, hasn’t ruled out playing soccer at the college level, but said she will likely attend college for purely academic reasons.