Stockton University women’s soccer players Amelia Shappell, Mia Caruso and Riley Schoka all have a common pregame ritual — their dads’ tailgate greets them as the team bus pulls up.

“They are always the first people in the parking lot,” Mia, a junior, said. “So, when we pull up, they’re already there screaming and cheering.”

But these get-togethers for Scott Shappell ’94, Billy Caruso ’90 and Bob Schoka ’94 are more than just an opportunity to cheer on their daughters. They are mini reunions for alumni who played soccer together at Stockton.

“One of my favorite parts is reconnecting with these guys and hanging out on the sidelines and cheering our kids on and telling nine million war stories from our days back at Stockton,” said Billy, who played defense from 1986 to 1989 and then was an assistant coach in 1990 and 1991.

Amelia’s dad, Scott, started the get-togethers two years ago.

None of the dads knew ahead of time their daughters would play soccer together at their alma mater. It just worked out that way. Once Amelia and Mia agreed to play for Stockton, Scott and Billy reconnected with Bob Schoka, whose daughter, Riley, graduated this spring with a degree in Social Work.

“It’s so awesome for me just to be able to play there and then my daughter play there, and then all of a sudden reconnect with these guys,” said Bob, who was a midfielder in 1990 and 1991. “It’s freaking awesome the experiences we’ve had getting together and tailgating before and after games. It’s grown into something I never would have thought we’d have when she decided to go to Stockton.”

While all three dads said they didn’t push their girls to go to their alma mater, they each admitted they didn’t shy away from displaying their Stockton pride. Scott said Amelia has been “wearing Stockton swag forever.”

“Honestly, the amount of Stockton merchandise he has in the house is so funny,” Amelia said. “It’s definitely ingrained in my DNA, the love of Stockton since the beginning.”

Amelia, a junior, said she wanted to distance herself from Stockton initially because she wanted to do her own thing.

“But as I got older, I grew to appreciate his love for it. Hearing stories about all the fun he had with the team and with his friends. It definitely influenced me wanting to explore Stockton,” she said.

Soccer truly is life for the Carusos. Billy has been the women’s soccer coach at Brick Memorial for 36 years, and he coached Mia and her twin sister, Lexi, through high school.

“I was basically playing before I even came out. When we were in my mom’s stomach, he would talk about how he couldn’t wait to be our coach and share his love and his passion for the game with us,” Mia said.

Now through the tailgates, Mia said she feels like her dad and the other parents can reconnect to that passion for Stockton. And Amelia said the tailgates have helped the current team become closer as well.

“It’s helped all the parents buy into the culture a little bit. It’s not just coming to see the soccer game. People want to come early and socialize. And now all the parents have become friends, so then the girls become closer,” Amelia said. “Now, everyone asks me, ‘When’s the next tailgate? Did your dad send an email?’"