In The Nest: Fifth-Year Falcons Miller, Reuber Continue to Cultivate Championship Culture
Presented by Medical Mutual
9/22/2022
The BGSU women’s soccer team captured the Mid-American Conference regular-season and tournament titles in 2018. Two members of that team, Alexis Miller and Mackenzie Reuber, are still with the program, and have helped the Falcons capture league titles and advance to the NCAA Championships in each of their first four seasons.
Q: First, a few non-soccer questions. Where is the most interesting place you have been?
Reuber: I would say Hawai’i, with the team (in 2018). That was a lot of fun.
Miller: I’d say Grand Cayman. I went with my family, and it was really cool. It is beautiful there.
Q: Did you make any fun trips or do anything fun this summer?
Reuber: I went to California to see my family. I’m originally from California. We went to the Santa Monica area.
Miller: I was in nursing school all summer, so I didn’t have a lot of free time. But, I did get to go to New Hampshire over the Fourth of July weekend to see my grandparents.
Q: When did you start playing soccer and how did you know that was the sport you wanted to continue playing?
Miller: I started playing when I was around four. There were a bunch of girls who were the same age in my neighborhood, and we all started playing. At some point, I realized I was more into it than a lot of the other girls. The losses really got to me (laughs). That’s when I knew that I was serious about it, and I knew that I wanted to play soccer in the future.
Reuber: I was also four. I just knew it was my thing. My mom would dress me in bows, and I’d go out on the field and start slide-tackling people.
Q: Do you have any pre-game superstitions or routines?
Miller: My brother and I share a playlist, and I always try to listen to that playlist on the way to the locker room before games.
Reuber: I like to drink a coffee in the morning, and I’ll try to take a nap before the game if it’s a night game. And, I also have a pregame playlist that I listen to.
Q: When and how did you first become aware of BGSU women's soccer?
Miller: I’m originally from Colorado, and I had never heard of Bowling Green until (former BGSU coach) Matt Fannon called me one day. I really could tell the passion he had for the team, and once I came to visit, that passion and intensity was infectious. I knew that this was where I wanted to play college soccer.
Reuber: My dad made me come to an ID camp here, and I had no idea where I was (laughs). But I ended up falling in love with it. I was originally recruited by (former coach) Lindsay (Basalyga). When I came here on my visit, I fell in love with BGSU and knew it was the place for me.
Q: What made you decide that you wanted to attend BGSU?
Miller: When I was being recruited, I could tell how excited Matt was about instilling a championship culture, and I knew I really wanted to be a part of that. I knew I had a chance to help build something, and be a part of something special here at BGSU. That really influenced my decision.
Reuber: Like she said, I just knew I had a chance to make a difference, and to be a part of a championship culture and a championship program.
Q: In your freshman season of 2018, the team won the regular-season and tournament titles. Then, of course, you did it again … and again … and again. Does it add any pressure knowing that you are the hunted rather than the hunters?
Miller: I think we have a very good culture and an intensity. We don’t let our level drop. We always have a chip on our shoulder and we feel like we have something to prove. We are never going to let up, and I love to be a part of a culture like that.
Reuber: I feel like there is a little bit of pressure, and I love it. We know that in every game, we are going to get our opponent’s best effort. We know they are going to treat it as a championship game, and we go into it with that same mindset.
Q: The last two years obviously turned out a little different than you might have expected, due to COVID-19. What was it like being a student-athlete during a pandemic?
Miller: It was different, for sure. It took a lot of perseverance on the part of student-athletes, and I’m proud of the way our team was able to get through it.
Reuber: It was definitely difficult to be in your own bubble all of the time, but we also knew that was what we needed to do to get through it and be able to play a game again.
Q: What is your major at BGSU, and what made you decide to study in that field?
Miller: I’m a nursing major. Ever since I was young, I knew I wanted to go into a healthcare-related field. My grandfather was a doctor, and I’ve always looked up to him. I knew that nursing was the field for me, and once I got into the clinical phase, I fell even more in love with it.
Reuber: I was undecided when I came to BG, but my family has always been a business family. My mom owns her own business, and my dad works in the automotive industry. I got into marketing, and I feel like marketing field is so broad that there are a lot of opportunities there. Eventually I would like to work for a marketing agency and take on the world from there.
Q: What is your go-to restaurant and/or meal?
Reuber: My go-to is burgers. Everyone knows I’m obsessed with burgers. My go-to restaurant would be either Inside the Five in Perrysburg or Becketts.
Miller: I really like Mexican food. Back in Colorado there are a ton of Mexican restaurants that I like to go to. Here in BG, it’s always fun to go to ‘El Zap’ (El Zarape) with teammates.
Q: Who inspired or encouraged you the most athletically growing up?
Miller: Both of my parents were college athletes, so I was really influenced by both of them. And, my dad is a college coach, so he’s had a big impact on me; just seeing his relationships with players and his championship mentality. He has won a number of championships, and I have really looked up to him and tried to emulate that in my soccer career.
Reuber: I have two older brothers, and I’ve always looked up to them. They both played sports, and when you grow up with older brothers … you can take your anger out on the field (laughs). They really pushed me to be the best player I can, and I thank them every day.
Q: How would you describe your style of play?
Miller: I’m definitely more defensive minded. I feel like I read the play pretty well. I’m not necessarily a dribbler; I feel like I’m a good distributor and I move the ball well, but I’m definitely more of a defensive-minded player.
Reuber: I would say I’m more attack minded. I started off as a forward when I came here, and I was converted to an outside back. Every chance I get, I’m looking to go forward and put a cross in. I always want to put pressure on the other team, put a good ball into the box for my teammates and maybe get an assist and help us get a goal.
Q: Where is your favorite spot on campus?
Reuber: I would say the business building. I’m obviously there a lot because I’m in business classes, but it’s such a beautiful building. They have a Starbucks there, it’s very clean-looking and it’s a great place to go and study. I just really love the atmosphere there.
Miller: As a nursing major, I don’t spend a ton of time in the business building, but whenever I need a good place to study on campus, that’s where I go. Like Kenzie said, it’s super clean, and it’s just a really nice place to relax and get some work done in a quiet environment.
Q: Who is the funniest player on the team?
Miller: I would say Lacee (Bethea). Whenever I’m having a bad day and I come into the locker room, she is always able to make me laugh or put a smile on my face.
Reuber: I’ll say Lili (Berg). She’s just low-key funny. She will make a comment, and you’ll just be dying, and no one else will have heard it and no one will understand why you’re laughing.
Q: Describe Coach Walker in one word…
Miller: Passionate.
Reuber: I was gonna say that! I’ll say intense.
Q: What is your favorite thing about being a part of the BGSU women’s soccer program?
Miller: I just love spending time with my teammates and cultivating an environment where winning championships is the standard. I think it’s really special to be a part of that here.
Reuber: Definitely. We have fun on and off the field, but when we get down to it, we know how to play together as a team and build off of each other. I just love being a part of that culture of winning.
Q: We are entering the MAC portion of the 2022 schedule. What are your goals, both individually and for the team, for the remainder of this season?
Reuber: Personally, I just want to contribute both offensively and defensively and have the best season I can. For the team, I definitely want to win the MAC, get back to the NCAA and win a game there. That’s been a goal of ours for the last few years, and I really want to be a part of the first team in program history to win an NCAA game.
Miller: Coming off of injuries over the past two seasons, my biggest personal goal is to make an impact wherever I can, and just be a really good teammate. I just want to make the most of the time I have on the field. As a team, obviously we want to win the (MAC) regular season, win the tournament and like Kenzie said, we want to go and do what’s never been done before – help BG women’s soccer win an NCAA game.
