Heritage’s Sargent-Burns and Miliffe are Broward 7A-5A Girls’ Soccer Co-Players of the Year
Penalty-kick shootouts can be an emotional roller coaster.
American Heritage goalkeeper Jillian Miliffe has become a pro at them.
She showed that again by making multiple saves in such a situation for the second consecutive season to deliver the Patriots a state championship.
The bigger gut check might’ve been the bus ride home knowing it was the last time achieving such goals with several of her senior teammates, including her best friend, Lily Sargent-Burns.
“You’ve gotta be happy after doing something like that,” Miliffe said, referring to the repeat state championship Heritage secured a month ago after a dramatic win in PKs over North Fort Myers. “But after, every senior stayed on the bus because it was their last win. We played some sad music, and we cried and hugged and then laughed. It was our last time all together like that.”
For Miliffe, the dramatic and triumphant finish to clinch a state championship in penalty kicks wasn’t the end.
For Sargent-Burns, who anchored the Patriots’ offense throughout the season, it was one final lasting memory before she goes on to play college soccer at Florida Atlantic University.
But the two got to share one more memorable accolade together as Miami Herald Broward County Girls’ Soccer Co-Players of the Year for Classes 7A-5A.
“I was just really surprised because goalkeepers don’t really get that much recognition, but I think going back to doing the same thing I did last year [at state] and being with my bestie Lily, it’s great,” Miliffe said.
Miliffe, who grew up playing striker, said she was not very good at it although she always had a lot of energy on the field. She transferred that energy to blocking and catching balls in front of the net instead.
Miliffe, who recorded eight shutouts, delivered the key saves in goal nearly a year to the day after she made a pair of diving saves in a penalty-kick shootout win over Cape Coral Mariner that gave her team the 5A state title in 2023.
It was Heritage’s 13th overall state title, which moved it into a tie for the second-most in state history behind Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas’ 15 championships.
Following her third diving save of a PK shootout that went eight rounds (three beyond the standard five), Miliffe was right back in the middle of a wild celebration on the field.
Sargent-Burns was in the thick of that pack of players, cheering her on.
After scoring 13 goals and recording 12 assists, Sargent-Burns proved herself one of the best in the state once again.
“It was more personal for me because I went from playing much my sophomore year to becoming captain junior year, and now going back to back,” Sargent-Burns said. “It’s something I don’t take lightly and I’ll never forget.”