Senior Miliucci plays lead role for Golden Panthers

By: Anthony Guivas / Staff Writer

When senior Victoria Miliucci decided to take her talents from Canada to Miami in 2008, success quickly followed her and the Golden Panthers.

With three successful seasons under her belt to go along with an All-Sun Belt Conference Second Team honoree award just a season ago, Miliucci has proven to be an invaluable member of the Golden Panthers.

Miliucci has also been the definition of consistency for the Panthers. Miliucci started 17 out of 19 games in her freshman year and followed that up by playing every minute of every game since then.

“I played soccer at a high level since I was young….I love it and its fun, but I have taken it really seriously starting from a young age and being committed to the schedule and the discipline has been kind of second nature,” Miliucci said.

But Miliucci did not just show this kind of work ethic on the soccer field, as she was a multi sport athlete coming up in high school, playing volleyball and performing gymnastics.

“I did gymnastics when I was younger and I quit for soccer basically, so maybe I would have continued with that or volleyball, I played volleyball in high school too,” Miliucci said.

But thankfully for the Panthers, Victoria chose soccer and has been a permanent fixture that helped guide the Panthers to the semi finals of the Sun Belt Conference in 2010.

She also has a lot to do with the Panthers being in contention this year, as they stand with a 5-5 record thus far to go along with a 2-0 record in conference play.

“I’ve always felt that the last couple of years we have fallen short, not really done as well as we should have,” Miliucci said. “We have a lot of potential and I think we are coming together earlier this season than we have in other seasons, so hopefully by the time the tournament comes we’ll have built momentum.”

Victoria who was born and raised in Ontario, Canada, and has parlayed the time she has spent as captain of some of her teams in Canada to what she now does here at FIU.

That experience has earned Miliucci the respect of her peers as she, along with Kelly Ann Hutchinson and April Perry, forms the trio of captains for the Golden Panthers.  So with Miliucci’s constant drive, determination and passion for the game of soccer, it is evident that leadership is embedded in her.

“Yeah, I mean, obviously I am not as great of a leader as I want to be, there are always things to work on, but I think being a leader comes natural to me ever since I was young,” Miliucci said.

So as her Panther career comes to a close at the end of this season, she is only worried about the present moment at hand and helping guide the team once they hit the pitch.

“We want to do the best we can and take it one game at a time, but ultimately we really want to get a ring to win the conference tournament,” added Miliucci. “I try to get us pumped up and stay focused and try to remember what we have been working on.”

So regardless of what this season has in store, it is clear that Victoria Miliucci has left her mark here at FIU.