Colorado College's Lauren Milliet '19 didn't have to wait long to hear her name called at the 2019 National Women's Soccer League College Draft at McCormick Place in Chicago.
Milliet, an English major from Durango, Colorado, was picked in the second round by defending NWSL champion North Carolina Courage as the 14th overall selection. She joins Jessie Ayers '15 as CC Tigers drafted by NWSL teams. In 2015, Ayers was selected by FC Kansas City in the third round as the 26th overall pick.
With the selection of Milliet, the Courage adds a technical and dynamic player who can contribute in all phases of the game. During her recently completed senior season, the 5-foot-2 midfielder led CC with six goals and 17 points, and tied for first with five assists. She was one of three Tigers who started all 18 games and ranked third on the team with 1,637 minutes.
The two-time first-team all-Mountain West selection ranked second in the conference averaging 0.94 points per game and was third with 17 points. Milliet also tied for second with five assists, tied for third at 0.28 assists per game, tied for sixth at 0.33 goals per game, and finished seventh with six goals. Finally, Milliet tied for fourth with three game-winning goals.
Prior to her first official appearance as a Tiger, Milliet was part of the Colorado College side that competed as Team USA at the 2015 World University Games. She displayed a propensity for coming through in the clutch almost immediately after joining the CC program.
In the tournament opener in Gwangju, Korea, Milliet struck for the only goal in Team USA's 1-0 victory over South Africa. Less than two months later, she became the first CC freshman to record a game-winning goal in her first collegiate game since 2010, when she struck for the only goal in the 1-0 victory over the University of Northern Colorado.
During her four seasons at Colorado College, Milliet factored in 15 game winners, scoring eight and setting up seven. The two-time co-captain finished her career tied for 11th place in program history with 16 career assists, tied for 12th with 21 goals, and holds sole possession of 13th place with 58 points.
The NC Courage was established in January 2017 after owner Steve Malik acquired the Western New York Flash following their 2016 NWSL Championship Season and moved the team to North Carolina. In 2018, the Courage claimed a historic treble, winning the Women's International Champions Cup, the NWSL Shield, and the NWSL Championship.