Instead of making the immediate jump directly from high school to college, Miele came to the realization that he would get more out of his college experience if he took a couple of years to further develop his skills as both a student and as a hockey player.
Growing up in Woburn, Massachusetts, Miele was exposed to hockey at an early age. He began playing when he was four years old. He continued to play through his years at Beaumont Hill school, but after getting through the traditional four years of high school hockey, Miele felt that an extra year of school would help him achieve his goal of playing hockey at a prestigious college. Because of this, Miele chose to enroll for a fifth year at the Hill School. "I went to Hill to get my grades up and work on my hockey," Miele said.
While the extra year of school paid off for Miele in terms of academics, his game still needed some refinement. He took a year off from school and spent it working and playing junior hockey. Towards that end, Miele joined a team called the Boston Bulldogs, a team that was coached by the father of former Amherst goalie Chris Addesa '99.
The team played approximately 50 or 60 games that year, mostly against other junior teams and prep school squads. While some teams belong to leagues, the Bulldogs were an independent team that traveled around North America playing in tournaments on the weekends. Miele traveled with the team to various places around the New England region and to other locations as far as Detroit and Nova Scotia. Overall, Miele said that he had a good season with the Bulldogs, racking up over 50 goals throughout the year.
Junior hockey teams like the Bulldogs are populated by an odd assortment of players, according to Miele. "Every person has their own story on the team," he said. "A lot were like me, guys looking to get into a good school. A lot had nothing better to do. Some had screwed up in school, and for some it was just something to do before college."
This mixture gave each team a unique character, but one common aspect of junior hockey was the rougher style of play as compared with the college game. "We played a lot of Canadian teams and they play a more physical game. So it's a little rougher than here, where it's more of a speed game." While this was an adjustment, Miele feels he has adapted to the difference well and now prefers the finesse of the college game.
Miele's action on the ice reflects his affinity for college-style play. He has notched three separate hat tricks so far this season. While Miele attributes his success as a Jeff to good centers who have fed him the puck, his goals have been nevertheless crucial in leading the Jeffs to a 16-4-3 record this season, including a win over archrival Williams College.
Miele's play has been a vital aspect of the Jeff offense and has helped to give the team the second seed in the upcoming NESCAC tournament. Amherst's debut in the tournament will be on Saturday, when the Jeffs will host the Ephs in Orr Rink at a time still to be determined at press time.
And while another win over the Ephs in the first round of the tournament would be ideal, for Miele achieving his goal of playing hockey at a great academic institution is already reward enough for his hard work. "I knew I wanted to go to a NESCAC or Ivy League school. I wanted a place with great hockey that was also a great school. I definitely made a good decision to come to Amherst," he said. For the Jeffs, also, it was worth the wait.