Ellen and Nick met while playing on the same adult league soccer team in Sacramento, California. Ellen was the team's star defender, and Nick was the team's goalkeeper. Some have said they were the best backfield the central valley has ever known. During one game, while standing on the sidelines during halftime, Nick had stated that he had been skiing in Tahoe by himself since moving to Sacramento, as he did not yet have many friends in the area. He had been looking for people to go skiing with, and had hoped that someone on the team may be interested. Ellen immediately stated that she ALSO had just moved to the area and was looking for friends to ski with as well. The following weekend, they proceeded to pack into Nick's 2007 Honda Accord and head to the mountains together. And the rest is history.