NORTH KINGSTOWN, RI (WPRI) — This week’s Cardi’s Furniture & Mattresses Hometown Sports Hero is Ellie Bishop.
The North Kingstown Sophomore scored a pair of goals in the Skippers 3-1 D-I Championship game win over LaSalle, earning her Tournament MVP while helping North bring home their second straight State Title.
“When Ellie gets that ball and shifts into that gear, you sit on the bench and say, ‘There she goes,” said Skipper Head Coach Mark D’Arezzo. “It’s like sit back and get your popcorn, like an ESPN Films goal. It’s just beautiful and she’s really amazing to watch, fun to watch. She’s an amazing person, most of all. Very coachable, very humble, very dedicated.”
Bishop doubled her goal scoring output from 14 as a Freshman to 28 this season. All the offense coming after she switched from goalie to forward last Fall.
“There was already a Senior goalie, so Mark ended up putting me on the field as a forward, and then being a forward, it just kind of stuck with me,” Bishop said. “And it just kind of took off from there.”
Ellie will play basketball for North Kingstown this Winter and sail in the Spring, but Soccer is the sport she hopes to pursue at the college level. Continued success with the Skippers should give her plenty of options when it comes time to make a decision.
“I’m extremely excited to keep playing with my team and future teammates,” Bishop said. “It is hard losing the Seniors because they are such a big impact on this team, but I think whoever comes in, is going to step up and I do believe we can win this for a third time.”
“Whatever Ellie wants to do, Ellie is going to be able to do it,” D’Arezzo said. “Her work ethic is second to none. She’s going to put the work in, she’s going to put the time in and she’s going to get the job done. And it’s not just getting the job done with her. Ellie wants to be the best.”
If you have a Hometown Sports Hero you’d like to nominate, email sports@wpri.com.
