W-League Feature
Thursday, May 8, 2014
After earning All-America selection, and playing a role in the most successful spell of University of California Santa Barbara’s women’s soccer program, Laurie Hill was willing to go wherever the game would take her.
As it turned out, the place where she would find the biggest satisfaction was close to home. A native of California, Hill was a standout for the Southern California Nitemares as a teenager. When she returned home after playing for a year in Japan, with the Nitemares set to compete in the inaugural season of the W-League in 1995, the chance to reunite with some of her old teammates and friends was a easy decision.
“What I remember most about that year is the passion and energy I had to play the game and play it well,” Hill said by email recently. “I had just returned in April from playing in Japan and I was very anxious to play with some of my old teammates and friends. We had amazing talent in Southern California from a decade earlier and a lot of those players were still around.
“Though my year in Japan was one of immense personal growth, the soccer was not at the standard that I had been used to playing at UCSB. So I came back to California almost driven to play high quality soccer again and I think that showed on the pitch.”
Indeed, Hill shone throughout the season as she led the Nitemares to top spot in the Western Division. The side’s free-scoring attack, which averaged more than three goals-per game, edged it ahead of the San Francisco Wings through the league’s bonus-point system. For her efforts, Hill was named the first Most Valuable Player in W-League history.
“It means a great deal to me to have been voted league MVP,” Hill said of the honor. “I have always tried to give 100 percent in training and matches and in everyday life with whatever I do, but I think that year I just had that something extra to give.”
The Nitemares would fall one win short of capping their remarkable season with a championship as they fell 2-0 to the Long Island Lady Riders in the championship game, but Hill’s performance put her on the radar for international duty. She twice came close to selection for the U.S. Women’s National Team, but with the 1999 World Cup drawing near, and a place on the U.S. team not forthcoming, Hill took an alternate route to be part of the event. With her mother a native of Mexico, Hill became part of El Tri’s national team, and was eager to compete at the highest level.
Unfortunately, her dream quickly turned sour.
“For most people, playing in a World Cup would be the peak of their soccer experience,” Hill said. “For me, it was different. To be honest and frank, it was not a very positive experience but probably one of the most challenging and difficult times of my soccer career.
“Within the team I found there to be a lack of dialogue, respect, and professionalism. My strongest memory, unfortunately, is of warming up before our first World Cup match in New York and finding out about an hour before the match began that I wasn't starting.”
Hill would earn playing time at the tournament, bring brought on at halftime of the opening game against Brazil, starting against Germany, and coming on again as a substitute against Italy as El Tri failed to advance from its group. There was a silver lining to the experience, though, as Hill was invited to compete against the U.S. in a series of indoor exhibitions following the United States’ victory in Pasadena.
“That was an amazing time and I met and played with some really fabulous people,” Hill said. “The folks helping run the tour across the nation were really good folk.”
Hill continued to remain active in the game, but as she entered her 30s, real life began to take precedence over soccer. Drafted by the Philadelphia Charge in the 15th round of the inaugural WUSA draft, Hill arrived at training camp with her mind elsewhere.
“At this point, I had just met my future husband, had started nursing school, and was moving on to the next chapter in my life,” she said. After spending some time at training camp with the Charge, Hill left the team before the start of the league’s inaugural season.
“My heart was not in it 100 percent. I was ready for my next adventure in life. I married Johnny in the summer of 2001 and we moved to Ireland soon after.”
Ireland remains home for Hill and her family to this day. Now the mother of three children, she continues to work in nursing having completed a Master's degree in Health Promotion at University College in Cork. Soccer also remains part of her life to this day as she works as a volunteer coach at the local soccer club.
“I am excited to give back and pass on to others some of my knowledge and skill,” Hill said, “But most importantly, I hope to share my passion and feelings for the game of soccer.
“My former collegiate coach, Tad Bobak, has had the greatest impact on me regarding soccer and life. He always told us that we, as players, were out on the pitch to put on a performance for the crowd/fans and to enjoy ourselves while doing it. It is even hard to put into words, but he brought feeling and magic to the game and I hope I can do the same with my coaching.”
Twenty years on from her summer in the sun, Hill is now opening the pathway for others to follow in her footsteps, the same way that the league she starred in continues to do.