Pictures!

Here's a small sampling of some of the fun that the Pipers documented in Europe:

When in Rome ...

When Scott Bell and I took over at Hamline Hockey only four years ago, we developed and articulated a specific vision to guide us as we built the program.  A huge part of that vision was to create a Hamline Hockey family, and to help our players grow in all aspects of their lives. Accordingly, a key to this European tour was to expose our players to something completely new, to immerse them in European and Italian history and culture for eight days.

They have seen and done much the last three days, to be sure, and another day awaits!

 

We spent New Year's Eve in Torino, and the celebration was like no other.  A wild crowd that may have been as big as 50,000 jammed the City's biggest square, and the fireworks celebration was unbelievable - like a grand finale that lasted thirty full minutes.  It is hard to overstate the infatuation with firecrackers in Torino - unlike Minnesota, large firecrackers are readily available, and a local custom seems to be tossing lit M-80's into the feet of unsuspecting Americans as they walk.  We also visited the Duomo San Giovanni, a Renaissance cathedral noted for the Chapel of the Holy Shroud.

Yesterday we moved to the Renaissance city of Florence, visiting Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge) dating back to the 10th century, Giotto's Belltower,  Signoria Square and a leather factory that still gilds handmade leather with Italian gold the old world way, with open flame and embossing tools to hand press press gold flake.  We stayed in Montecatini, and the boys spent the evening exploring the quaint little town.

All through the trip, Rome had beckoned.  Everyone could point to something they couldn't wait to see in Rome - well, today we arrived, and started to see it all.  A bus and walking tour of the City today served as an appetizer for tomorrow.  Photos were taken outside the Colosseum, of players and families tossing coins in Trevi Fountain (over the left shoulder for health and luck, over the right to foretell return), climbing the Spanish Steps, or in the Roman Forum. Tomorrow begins with a tour or St. Peter's Basilica, and Coach Disch has promised to perform in the Colosseum ("Are you not ENTERTAINED?!").  We'll try to post the photo.

The players and coaches and families are speaking a little Italian (mostly ciao! (hi or bye) or buongiorno (good evening), or maybe grazie (thanks) and prego (you're welcome) but every now and then someone tries something more substantial (I swear I heard Justin Hanna ask an upscale shopkeeper "Q'uant'e, per favore?" (How much does this cost?), and everyone is having a great time.  When we leave Sunday to return, it will be too soon.

Idyllic European Hockey

The Hamline Hockey phenomenon is now international - after three games in three different countries, the Pipers are fan favorites in Italy, Switzerland and France.

The hockey portion of the foreign tour proved absolutely idyllic.  Each of the three games were played in unique settings that each gave the Pipers a dynamic international experience.

Game One, played the very same day the team arrived in Italy, was played in Ascona, against "HC Ascona Selection."  Nestled against the foothills of the Alps outside Lugano, the home team's rink, "Siberia," was a gorgeous, old-school outdoor venue.  Four foot high boards wrapped around the smallish ice surface, which was impeccably maintained and painted with both ice hockey and curling markings.  Only the ends of the rink to the goal lines sported glass; the rink side boards were bare.  Overhead lights were suspended from wires stretched lengthwise above the ice.  Along one side, fans enjoyed the game from covered wooden bleachers.  The players dressed in locker rooms under the bleachers, but the team benches were simple, uncovered wooden benches outside the boards.  A Swiss Chalet coffee shop was build on the opposite side of the rink overlooking the home end blue line.  A light snow began to fall during the game, played in 5 degree Celsius temperatures as the night turned from purple to black.  It was pond hockey turned Norman Rockwell in the Swiss Alps.  "How awesome is this rink?" asked the smiling players after warm ups.

Along the uncovered side of the rink, a group of young Ascona fans chanted, clapped and sang throughout the entire game, soccer-style.  While the Pipers easily prevailed in a lopsided game, the home fans never stopped singing and cheering.  After the teams exchanged post-game handshakes and took on-ice photos together, the band of fans began to clap and chant "Min-ne - so-ta" in a Swiss accent, and the Piper players skated over to the fans to bump fists.

HS Ascona was a wonderful host for the friendly game - they brought the Pipers hot orange sweet tea to drink on the bench during play, and between periods they brought buttercream scones to the locker room for the Pipers to munch on.   After the game, Ascona hosted a post-game party for the Hamline players and coaches, featuring nutty Swiss cheese melted on homemade bread, grilled sausages, and homemade finger foods.

Game Two, played the next day outside Milan, matched the Pipers against the Rapperswill-Jona Lakers, a Swiss Jr. A Elite Under-20 club.  Played in a pro-style arena, the game was the fastest, best-played game of the trip.  Hamline earned a 6-3 win over the hosts; after the game, the players exchanged jerseys (so did one of the referees!), and took a two-team group photo at center ice, with referees and zamboni driver included.

Game Three was played high in the Alps outside Torino in the stunning ski villiage of Morzine, against the Morzine-Avoriaz French Elite Strasbourg Club.  Responding to posters all around town advertising "Hockey Sur Glace," 700 fans paid 10 Euros each to watch the visiting "Hamline Universite Americaine" team in a friendly game.  The big crowd cheered wildly and sounded air horns whenever the home team scored, but they "ooohed" and "aaahed" with appreciation whenever a Piper worked his stickhandling magic or blasted a hard slapper.

The games were truly played international style - friendly but competitive.  The Hamline Pipers played well and hard, but more importantly they represented themselves well on and off the ice, dazzling the European spectators and opponents but making international friends and memories as well.

More tomorrow, as the team enjoys New Year's Eve in Torino, and moves on to Rome.

Still stateside, but showing up in the Stribe

The Pipers haven't departed from MSP, yet, Coach Ostroot is still promising a long-awaited post on trip preparations (nothing like a little peer pressure to send someone to the computer), and Jared Hummel is making the news even though the team hasn't played a game in nearly two weeks.

As you make the careful drive home through the icy streets of the metro area tonight, stop and pick up a copy of today's Star Tribune to read the article entitled "End of the recruiting rainbow isn't always gold." It features the Pipers' very own sophomore defenseman, Jared Hummel. And a guest media appearance from one of this blog's followers!

Or, if you can't bear to get out of the car in the frigid temperatures, you can read the article online by clicking here!

Piper hockey to blog from Europe

From December 27, 2008, to January 3, 2009, the Hamline University men's hockey team will travel to Switzerland and Italy to play a series of games.

Prior to their departure, Piper coaches will give fans a taste of what they are doing to prepare for the trip. While in Europe, coaches and players will blog to share their experiences with their fans.