In Jamaica, soccer is king and Machel Millwood was one of its most loyal subjects.

"It's like the No. 1 sport with, maybe, cricket," said Millwood, whose speed, skills and athleticism have made the Towson University forward one of the Colonial Athletic Association's premier players.

"You go to a high school soccer game there, you'll have more people than at a MLS [Major League Soccer] game here."

When Millwood left Kingston for College Park in 1996, he was a member of the Jamaican under-17 national team and so advanced in the sport that the high school game in Prince George's County was easy pickings.

"At first, it was just a waste of time to me," said Millwood, who played at Parkdale High. "I played seven or eight games and scored 20-some goals. The level of competition just wasn't there. But the second year in high school, I just hung in there and played through it."

That decision led him first to Prince George's Community College, where he scored 40 goals and had 11 assists in his second season, became a junior college All-American and finished second in the voting for National Junior College Player of the Year.

And then he arrived at Towson for more challenging times ... but not too challenging. The second-leading scorer on the school's first NCAA tournament team last fall, Millwood is far and away No. 1 on the roster this season (10 goals, 10 assists) and leads or ranks second in the CAA in goals, assists and scoring.

As the Tigers try to clinch a league tournament berth in their final two CAA games this weekend, Millwood will be drawing a lot of attention from the opposition. He always does.

"He does some things in practice that stops the practice," said Towson coach Frank Olszewski. "He's dangerous enough to defenders with his size [6 feet 3], but he also has the speed to go by them and leaping ability that is off the charts. He's very coordinated and smooth."

Loyola coach Mark Mettrick said, "He's a game-changer."

Last year, with Millwood supplying two goals, Towson - then in the America East Conference - beat CAA member James Madison, 4-1, in its first NCAA tournament match. The Tigers lost to eventual national champion North Carolina in the second round and finished as the 25th-ranked team in the country.

Now, they are striving to become CAA champions, and Millwood's effectiveness this weekend in home games against Virginia Commonwealth today and UNC-Wilmington on Sunday and later, probably, in the conference tournament will be a big factor in their chances.

Millwood chose Towson over some bigger suitors because, "I wanted to go somewhere away from home, but not too far away. Connecticut and Indiana were just too far."

He finds the CAA more competitive than the America East because "the players are better overall. In the America East, each team might have two or three good players, but the CAA has more down the line. And I think there is more scouting going on.

"We had confidence we could go well in the CAA, but I guess a lot of people didn't believe in us. We haven't surprised ourselves."

Towson is 9-5-2 overall and 4-2-1 in the league.

Millwood said he's been a marked man with Towson.

"They knew off the bat I was the one scoring," he said. "But ever since I've been doing my best to do what I have to do to make sure they have a couple guys to stop [particularly midfielder Randy Tolson, who has seven goals and seven assists]. If they feel they'll pay when I pass, I'll get my scoring chances."

Millwood has pro aspirations, but is also determined to finish requirements for a business degree.

"I think he knows the importance of that," said Olszewski. "Coming here, he knew he could get his degree and play at a good program."

In this good program, Millwood is the king.