Senior Dakota Mills leads the offense
When women’s soccer Senior Forward Dakota Mills stepped onto campus at St. Joe’s, she knew it was where she wanted to be. She would go on to spend the next four years at Hawk Hill becoming one of the top scorers in program history.
Mills’ soccer career began early. Her father helped foster her love of the game.
“I started playing in fourth grade,” Mills said. “I played rec and I got really into it.”
As Mills continued to work, she started to get recruited. A multitude of colleges reached out to Mills, but only one stood out when she visited.
“There wasn’t really a specific reason,” Mills said. “The first time I came on St. Joe’s campus, I just loved it. I knew it was going to be my home.”
Once she got here, Mills has a singular focus on the field.
“Just go and score,” Mills said. “I don’t really have a style of play, I just always think my first option is to go and score.”
When St. Joe’s needs a goal, Mills is usually their first option.
“She is a great finisher,” Senior Forward Hannah Racis said. “She is super fast, very good technically. She scores most of our goals. When she is on fire, she is on fire.”
Mills’ scoring ability led to an exceptional start to her college career. During her freshman season, she was selected to the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team and was second on the team in points.
Her breakout season came during her sophomore year. She set school records for points and goals in a season while also winning both A-10 and Eastern College Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year awards.
Unfortunately, things came to a sudden halt during her junior season. After playing in only two games, Mills suffered an ACL injury that sidelined her for the rest of the season.
“It was definitely hard,” Racis said. “She scores most of our goals. So we were going into our games with a missing piece. We had to realize we didn’t have her and had to play a different game. We definitely missed her last season.”
Now, Mills is back for her senior season with one goal in mind.
“I just wanted to get back into the groove of things,” Mills said. “I didn’t have a goal for a certain amount of goals or assists. I just wanted to get back and play with my best friends.”
Mills’ return doesn’t just give a boost to the St. Joe’s offense. On the field, she leads the way with character.
“She gives it her all,” Racis said. “Her tenacity is amazing. She is also positive, good at talking, good at directions. She has the tenacity that brings everybody else up, it is like a domino effect.”
Despite the lingering effects of her injury, Mills has helped lead St. Joe’s back to the A-10 tournament. She is ready to finally capture the title that has motivated her throughout her collegiate career.
“It feels great to come back,” Mills said. “I can be with the team and win the A-10 championship. There is a lot of pain after games. Other than that, I feel like I am ready to go out and win the championship.”
