Ellie Shen Goes International: Athlete Spotlight

In 2024, Sacred Heart’s very own Ellie Shen traveled all around the globe to compete as a member of the Chinese Taipei National Women’s Lacrosse team. During her time on the team, Shen has tried delicious ramen in Tokyo, eaten tasty snacks in Taiwan, visited the beautiful beaches of the Sunshine Coast in New Zealand, and of course, played a lot of high-level lacrosse in different settings.
Shen began playing lacrosse between the ages of nine and ten after being introduced to the sport by Sacred Heart juniors Katie Pepper and Lily Selcher; she shared that she immediately fell in love with the sport for its “fast pace” and its combination of “hand-eye coordination and field vision.” She has since become a very talented and versatile player, even reporting that she has experience in “every lacrosse position, including goalie!” Additionally, Shen committed this year to continue her lacrosse career at the collegiate level. As Shen heads into her final season of lacrosse at Sacred Heart, playing on the Chinese Taipei national team provides a great opportunity to elevate her game before stepping up to the collegiate level.
Shen discovered this opportunity from a teammate on her lacrosse club team, who also plays on the national team. In addition to her high skill level in lacrosse, Shen also possesses familial roots in Taiwan — her grandparents grew up in Taiwan before immigrating to the United States — making her eligible to play on the team. This past summer, she became an official member and began participating in practices and competitions with her teammates.
However, playing at an international level for the first time introduced some challenges for Shen: namely the language barrier. Shen is fluent in Chinese, but it is not her most comfortable language; she mentioned that “when [she was] on the field and adrenaline [was] running high, it [was] hard for [her] to think in Chinese and comprehend” everything while also focusing on the game. Additionally, on a more technical level, Shen discovered that each nation “has their own spin on the sport and plays it differently.” She had to learn that Japanese players “capitalize on their speed,” whereas New Zealand players slow things down to keep control of the ball. Not only did she have to adjust to the strategies of her opponents, but she also had to learn the playing styles of her Taiwanese teammates. Overall, the switch to an international playing field came with many unexpected adversities that Shen had to overcome.
Nevertheless, Shen has also experienced a great deal of success in her time on the team. In their most recent tournament, the Chinese Taipei National team beat the Korean and New Zealand teams in a major upset, earning a spot to compete in next year’s World Championship for the first time. What’s more, in their game against Korea, Shen “added two goals to the tally and earned Player of the Game honors for her all-around stellar performance” (World Lacrosse). Looking back, Shen attributes her success to a mindset of “capitalizing on every moment [she] had to make an impact,” playing with a lot of confidence, and “pushing on transitions.” Shen has already achieved great success on this team, and she will have many more opportunities to continue proving herself in next year’s international championships.
On a more personal note, Shen shared that she has greatly enjoyed the community of Taiwanese players she has found on the team, and she felt their bond was particularly evident in an awkward moment they shared at a game in New Zealand. At the start of the game, the stadium accidentally played the Chinese national anthem instead of the Taiwanese anthem; given the current political tensions between China and Taiwan, this was a major oversight by the stadium staff and had to be rectified. The Taiwanese team rose to the occasion, and many of Shen’s teammates started singing the Taiwanese national anthem themselves. As a fellow Taiwanese lacrosse player, Shen was able to experience this moment of connection with her teammates that she described as “incredibly emotional.”
Ultimately, through this incredible opportunity to play internationally, Shen has gained valuable playing experience, achieved significant accomplishments on her team, and discovered a community with a shared heritage and passion for lacrosse. In the coming years, Shen will have many more chances to continue advancing her game — in her final season of high school lacrosse, her team in college, and at the international championships in 2026.