Tina (Frimpong) Ellertson has been named to the Pacific-12 Conference All-Century Team for women’s soccer.
Ellertson, who played at Washington from 2001-04, was one of four reserve forwards named to the team, which was announced on Tuesday. The first-team forwards are Lauren (Cheney) Holiday, Christen Press and Kelley O’Hara. The other second-team forwards are Alex Morgan, Sydney Leroux and Amy Rodriguez.
“I’ve been walking around with a smile all day,” Ellertson said.
A 2000 graduate of Hudson’s Bay High School, Ellertson is the coach for the girls soccer team at King’s Way Christian High School and the Assistant Director of Coaching at Salmon Creek Soccer Club.
Ellertson is the only Pac-10/12 women’s soccer player to be named the conference player of the year twice in a row. She won that honor in 2003 and 2004.
“I was on a mission. Those were a special two years,” Ellertson said. In 2004 she had 16 goals and five assists, leading Washington to the national quarterfinals for the first time. Ellertson still holds the Huskies’ career records for goals (43) points (99) and game-winning goals (18). She also holds the UW single-season records for each of those statistics.
In honor of its founding in 1915 as the Pacific Coast Conference, the Pac-12 is naming a Team of the Century for each of its sports.
Julie Foudy, who played midfield at Stanford prior to staring for the U.S. women’s national team, was selected the women’s soccer player of the century.
Ellertson said she had no idea that the honor was coming. She said it is a reminder of the many special moments she has experienced through soccer.
Also special, she said, is having two close friends honored. Lesle Gallimore, who coached Ellertson at Washington, was named to the All-Century first team for her playing career as a defender at California. Hope Solo, who was the Huskies’ goalkeeper from 1999 to 2002, was also a first-team selection.
Ellertson was a member of the national team from 2005-2008, playing in 33 games mostly as a defender. She was a member of the 2007 World Cup team that took third place.
She scored her one international goal in her final national team game, a 1-0 win over China.
Ellertson was a defender for the Portland Thorns’ 2013 National Women’s Soccer League champions.
