For Penn senior Niki Miles, Division I lacrosse is a family tradition

Senior attacker Niki Miles is the centerpiece to the Penn women’s lacrosse team offense. But if not for her father, Glen — a lacrosse star in his own right — she may have pursued a different sport.

“In middle school, I realized [that lacrosse] is what I really love and it’s something that I can share with him,” she said.

Glen Miles played college lacrosse at Navy. He was a three-time All-American (1984-86) and the national midfielder of the year in 1986. He also was a member of the 1990 U.S. national team (an alternate in 1986), and is a member of the Navy and lacrosse halls of fame.

Growing up, Niki Miles made the most of the climate in San Clemente, Calif. She juggled sports including flag football, water polo, and basketball. In high school, she lettered in lacrosse all four years as well as two years in soccer and basketball.

“Even though I grew up in an area that wasn’t super lacrosse-dominated, it’s because of my dad that I really got introduced to the sport,” Miles said. “He coached high school lacrosse up until I came to college.”

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She might be on the East Coast now, but her connection to her father is just as strong as he still coaches from the sidelines.

“I think because of all that coaching as I was growing up, lacrosse just naturally ended up becoming what I grew a love for,” she said.

Miles’ love of the game translated well to college, and she was named a captain as a junior.

“She plays with a ton of heart and wants to win,” coach Karin Corbett said. “The will to win for her is huge, and the team is playing off that.”

Two seasons truncated by the COVID-19 pandemic led to Penn coming up short last year. With a 6-9 season, it was the first time since 2003 the program finished with a losing record.

“I think she was disappointed last year, and she came back really with the team-first mentality,” Corbett said of Miles. “And then she put the team on her back.”

Miles and the rest of the team are having a season for the books. Through the regular season, she led the Ivy League in goals (52) and points (63). This put her third all-time at Penn in single-season goals and ninth in points.

Instead of picking captains like in years past, Corbett decided the seven seniors would act as unofficial leaders on the team.

“I think that we came out fired up knowing that we had the same goals as last year, but we didn’t necessarily have the toughness,” Miles said. “We’ve been working on that in the offseason in the fall and our training, and it’s been paying off as we continue to work each week toward our goal of an Ivy championship.”

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The unorthodox approach to the leadership structure is working. After a disappointing 2022 season, the Quakers are back to their winning ways this year. No. 14 Penn (11-4, 7-0 Ivy League) went undefeated in league action for the first time since 2013 and will host the Ivy tournament this weekend. Top-seeded Penn will face No. 4-seed Harvard (8-6, 4-3) on Friday (7 p.m., ESPN+) in the conference semifinals. A win would pit the Quakers against No. 2 Yale or No. 3 Princeton in the title game Sunday (noon, ESPN+).

“The team this year is what’s really allowed us to have so much success,” Miles said. “It’s extremely rewarding, knowing we earned it.”