“To come again to Bentley right after all these several years is a at ease feeling,” mentioned Miller, a 1987 inductee into the university’s Athletic Hall of Fame and receiver of Bentley’s Edward J. Powers Award as the school’s top senior scholar-athlete in 1980.

“The exact same motivation to leadership in the classroom, on the area, and in the neighborhood that attracted me many yrs in the past,” he stated, “is continue to central to the way Bentley operates currently.”

A tennis captain in substantial faculty, he also was initially off the bench on the basketball workforce at guard. But it was as a soccer goalkeeper, a posture he initially performed in the Marlborough youth program, that he blossomed.

As a senior in 1975, he manufactured 17 will save for the Central Mass. champions in a 1-, double-extra time, victory more than Eastern Mass. counterpart Belmont Superior in Marlborough’s initial vacation to the state semifinals.

Throughout a new discussion, his coach, John Ludgate, referred to as it “Rick’s greatest video game. He constantly experienced wonderful anticipation, distributed the ball to the proper player, and was like a further mentor on the subject for me from day one.”

Miller’s efficiency that late November day, at a packed Morgan Bowl in Hudson, prompted Globe reporter Barry Cadigan to produce “credit the Marlboro earn to goalie Rick Miller who employed his height (6-foot-1) and agility to the very best attainable edge. He produced 3 nearly unattainable will save during the two 5-moment additional time intervals.”

Miller, who claimed he experienced earlier in no way played right before so numerous enthusiasts, caught the eye of Bentley assistant (and afterwards head) mentor Dwight Scandrett, who recruited him just times right after the Belmont match.

“I recall my very first practice at Bentley,” Miller recalled. “We acquired on a mini-bus and drove to a discipline in Waltham where there ended up no nets. I stood between two orange cones. It was a bit of a shock, but we made the best of it.”

But by his sophomore 12 months, he reported, “We truly clicked as a crew.”

The Falcons, a Division 2 squad, had been 7-3-1 that ‘77 season, and allowed much less goals than any other school team in the state. They performed Boston College or university to a – tie and defeated Providence Higher education, 1-, both of those Division 1 groups.

Close friendships ended up fashioned, including one that endures to this working day with fellow 1979 senior workforce captain, Dave Doucette, a sweeper back again initially from Waterville, Maine.

“Rick was a phenomenal goalie,” said Doucette, “and a chief from the to start with second he stepped on the area.”

Bentley is celebrating the 50th year of men’s soccer this 12 months and Miller attends lots of property video games, from time to time with Doucette and other previous teammates.

Following graduating with a management diploma and attending Columbia Business enterprise College, Miller originally worked as a computer profits rep with Sperry Corp. in Wellesley.

He subsequently held senior positions that incorporated president of AT&T Worldwide Providers, and has been a visitor lecturer at enterprise colleges and is a leadership mentor.

He has written two textbooks: “Be Chief: It is a Option Not a Title,” and “Casey’s Kite,” which presents leadership classes for youthful people today and is named for his daughter.

Proceeds from the previous e-book go to Easter Seals and the latter to Household Access, which presents economic aid to households with young children who are most cancers sufferers. Miller, 63, is a most cancers survivor.

“My earliest leadership classes were being handed down from my father, Ken, a previous human assets government,” stated Miller, who resides in Marblehead.

Miller’s brothers also ended up higher education athletes: Ted was a placekicker for the Bentley football staff and Jeff was a basketball participant at Williams Faculty.

“I was blessed to perform on teams with talented teammates who have been inclined to do the job tough and play together. We made each individual other much better,” Miller mentioned. “Now that I’m instructing, I operate with learners who are willing to do the exact same issue.”

Whom need to we capture up with? Call Marvin Pave with suggestions at [email protected].