positionGKlast_nameNilesfirst_nameValerieyearSeniornumber24highschoolBranham HScustom33LhometownSan Jose, Calif.2007 (Senior): Valerie split time in the cage during her senior season, appearing in 12 contests and playing a team-high 709:45 minutes. Niles grabbed 45 saves during the season and finished the year with a 2.27 goals against average. Niles set a new career-high with nine saves in the Tigers' 4-2 loss to Stanford on Sept. 2. In her four-year career at Pacific, Valerie appeared in 43 games and played 2,812:29 minutes in the cage for the Tigers. Niles notched three career shutouts and nabbed 194 career saves.2006 (Junior): In her junior year, Niles led the team with 53 saves in 12 games. Her save percentage was .639 in 735:59 minutes. Her best game of the season came against New Hampshire as Niles recorded her second career shutout, collecting four saves in a 1-0 win on Sept. 2. Niles notched a season-high eight saves in three different games during the 2006 season, including a stellar performance in the Tigers' 3-2 win at Stanford on Sept. 30.2005 (Sophomore): As a sophomore, Niles was the starting goalie for the Tigers in 19 of their 20 games. She logged over 1,366 minutes in goal. Valerie did a great job for Pacific, allowing on average only 2.66 goals per game as she recorded 92 saves on the season. She also had a .639 save percentage in her first season as the Tiger's starter. During the week of August 21-28, Valerie was the NorPac defensive player of the week for her shutout performance against Miami of Ohio on Aug. 28.2004 (Freshman): Valerie appeared in one game for the Tigers in 2004 as she came on in the shootout in Pacific's 3-2 (ps) loss to Hofstra.High School: Niles graduated from Branham High School in San Jose, Calif. An outstanding goalkeeper for the Bruins, Valerie was named the All-BVAL (Blossom Valley Athletic League) MVP following the 2003 season as well as the Branham team MVP. Niles also earned the team MVP award for the Bruins as a sophomore and a junior. Following the 2002 season, she earned the All-BVAL Junior of the Year Award and claimed the All-BVAL Sophomore of the Year honor in 2001.Personal: Valerie Niles is the daughter of Michael and Lisa Niles. She has one sister, Marisa (22). In her fourth year at Pacific, Valerie is majoring in theatre arts. Following Pacific, Niles hopes to pursue her creative ingenuity in the backstage aspects of the theatre.MacDonald on Niles: "Val plays with a lot of passion. She has good communication, and she fights hard to get the ball."