Since high school and Kishwaukee College, I have played the role of a leader. For me, being a leader isn’t just about barking orders at the team. For me, being a leader is about motivating, supporting and sharing my passion for soccer with my fellow teammates.”

Lizbeth Milan

Former Rochelle soccer standout Lizbeth Milan has been a leader since she first earned her starting defensive role with the Lady Hubs during her freshman season. A two-time Interstate 8 All-Conference honoree at RTHS, Milan continued her academics and her soccer career at Kishwaukee College, where she once again emerged as a leader for the Lady Kougars.

“Since high school and Kishwaukee College, I have played the role of a leader,” Milan said. “For me, being a leader isn’t just about barking orders at the team. For me, being a leader is about motivating, supporting and sharing my passion for soccer with my fellow teammates.”

Despite a shortened freshman season and a tough sophomore season, Milan worked to motivate and support her teammates, starting all of the team’s 17 matches over her two years with the Lady Kougars. Milan will once again take her talents and her leadership abilities to a new level, as the former Lady Hub will transfer to Chicago’s Saint Xavier University in the NAIA.

“I chose Saint Xavier because it offers one of the best speech pathology majors in the state and the women’s soccer team has been very good these past couple of years,” Milan said. “I’m looking forward to the competitiveness that the NAIA has to offer. The NAIA has a variety of players with different talents and skills. I’m hoping to bring my competitiveness to the team.”

Milan started four games on defense during her freshman season with the Lady Kougars, dishing out one assist as Kishwaukee College finished with a 1-3 record before the remainder of the season was canceled due to a myriad of injuries. Despite the shortened season, Milan and the Lady Kougars returned in 2023 with a full roster that featured multiple former Rochelle athletes. Milan remained a starting defender as a sophomore, appearing in all 13 matches.

“I think I have improved in both the tactical and technical sides of soccer,” Milan said. “I have always been able to read the game of soccer only a couple minutes into the match. I have gotten a lot stronger and I’ve become more confident in the way I play… I hope to get stronger and more confident in my soccer skills. The NAIA has many skillful players and many of those players also transferred in from the JUCO level. I’m excited to play at a higher level.”

Milan will be majoring in communication sciences and disorders while playing soccer at Saint Xavier. She said she intends on earning her bachelor’s degree at Saint Xavier before moving on to complete a master’s degree in speech pathology. With her education, Milan said she aims to become a bilingual speech pathologist and work either in a school setting or her own practice.