The day after the Bruins’ third-round victory over Duke
last month, UCLA women’s soccer coach Jill Ellis got a phone
call from her best friend and ex-college teammate, Princeton coach
Julie Shackford.
“We’re going to see you in North Carolina,”
Shackford said.
She was right. After leading their teams to quarterfinal
victories this past weekend, Ellis and Shackford will be on
opposite sidelines when UCLA faces Princeton in the NCAA semifinals
today in Cary, N.C.
“People have asked me whether it is hard for me to play
her, but it’s not at all,” Ellis said.
“I’ve been in her wedding, I was her best friend in
college, and I’m the godmother to one of her twins. When you
play someone you respect so much, there’s no pressure at
all.”
Though UCLA and Princeton have not played since the 2001 season,
Ellis and Shackford are very familiar with each other’s
seasons. The two former college teammates at William & Mary
talk almost every day, venting to one another after disappointing
losses or sharing insights about how to motivate their players.
“She’s a source of strength for me,” Shackford
said. “We each had some rough patches during our season, but
fortunately they came at different times. When she would call me,
one of us could always give the other a lift.”
Had they not had soccer in common, Ellis said it’s very
unlikely she and Shackford ever would have met 22 years ago in
Northern Virginia. Ellis, then a shy British girl who was new to
the United States, was scared to approach Shackford, a tall,
confident blonde with a mischievous streak.
But the two club teammates in high school forged a friendship
through their love of soccer that has endured ever since. At
William & Mary, both Ellis and Shackford earned All-American
honors as a center forward and center midfielder respectively,
leading the Tribe to four NCAA Tournament appearances in the
mid-80s.
“Julie and I used to go at it on the field because
we’re both super-competitive,” Ellis said.
“That spirit will come out in their team. I know
Julie’s qualities, and I know Princeton will come out guns
blazing.”
Today’s matchup figures to be somewhat of a William &
Mary reunion for Ellis and Shackford. Former teammates have been
calling and e-mailing both of the coaches all week to say they are
planning on making the trip to North Carolina, and ex-William &
Mary assistant April Heinrichs, the current U.S. Women’s
National Team coach, is also expected to attend.
“They are both delightful young women, and I could not be
more proud of them,” said John Daly, the head coach of
William & Mary who coached both Shackford and Ellis while the
two played for the Tribe. “They were both tremendous players.
I will be at the game, wearing light blue on one arm and orange and
black on the other.”
Despite their allegiance to one another, both Ellis and
Shackford will be doing everything they can to lead their
respective teams to victory in today’s matchup. The loser,
however, will stay in North Carolina for Sunday’s match to
cheer on her best friend as she strives for a championship.
“If we can’t get it, I hope they do,” Ellis
said.
With reports from the Associated Press.