U.S. Olympic gold medalist Lisa Brown-Miller passes away at 58
A decorated player and one of the pioneers of the women’s game in the United States has passed away.
On May 2, former Olympian Lisa Brown-Miller died at the age of 58.
It is with a heavy heart that we share that Lisa Brown-Miller has passed away. A mainstay for Team USA from 1990-98, she played on the first-ever U.S. Olympic women’s hockey gold medal team in 1998. Our condolences go out to her family and friends.
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Brown-Miller is best remembered as a member of the famous U.S. Olympic Team that won gold at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, the first time women’s hockey was a sponsored sport at the games. The Union Lake, Michigan native was the oldest player on a team filled with stars like Cammi Granato, Angelo Ruggiero and A.J. Mleczko that stunned the Canadians in the gold medal game.
Brown-Miller’s lone goal in the tournament came in the Americans’ 7-4 win over Canada in the preliminary round finale.
That was her last tour of duty on the international stage. Brown-Miller was part of the national team since its inception, competing at the first four IIHF Women’s World Championships, taking home the silver medal each time. She also played for the U.S. Select Teams four times from 1993 to 1997.
Standing at 5-foot-1, Brown-Miller wasn’t the biggest player. However, that didn’t stop her from being a key player or a leader on any team she was a part of. That was noticeable during her time at Providence College, where she posted 154 points as a Friar. Along with being honored with All-ECAC honors three times, Brown-Miller was named the ECAC and American Women’s Hockey Coaches’ Association Player of the Year as a senior in 1987-88.
Along with her illustrious playing career, Brown-Miller coached Princeton from 1991 to 1996, posting a career record of 60-46-5. In her first season, she guided the Tigers to the Ivy League Championship, winning ECAC Coach of the Year honors.
Brown-Miller moved back to West Michigan after marrying her wife, Peggy, briefly coaching Aquinas College’s American Collegiate Hockey Association women’s program.
She’s also survived by her children, Alex, Morgan, and Sonja.