W. hockey prepares to take Europe by storm with dual mission in mind

"I'll be home for Christmas, you can count on me."

In addition to well-loved crooner Bing Crosby, members of the women's hockey team can probably claim the above lyric to be true of themselves. What they cannot claim, however, is that they will be home the day after Christmas.

The Tigers embark on an eight-day European trip on Dec. 26, returning to campus Jan. 3. Princeton's travels will take the team through several cities in Germany before winding up in Prague to usher in the New Year.

While Princeton will play four games against European teams, the focus of the trip is cultural rather than athletic.

"I think that is really important — the diversity that the school preaches in our everyday mission statement between athletics, schoolwork and just being a complete person," head coach Jeff Kampersal '92 said. "That's the biggest reason for this trip, to learn other cultures and appreciate what you have and what you're learning about."

The Tigers will land in Munich on the evening of Dec. 26, spending the following day taking in the sights. In addition to the famed Glockenspiel — the beautiful clock that towers 800 feet above an open plaza — Kampersal cited the architecture of Munich as one of his favorite parts of the city.

The next day the team will head to Bad Tolz, a medieval town at the foothills of the Alps, before paying a somber visit to Dachau, former site of one of Nazi Germany's deadliest concentration camps.

"The trip to Dachau is one of the most important elements of our trip," Kampersal said. "We've all learned about some of these concentration camps, so it will be good to actually see it firsthand."

Following the first game of the trip, the Tigers will then head to Memmingen, a German winter resort, on Dec. 29. Here Princeton will see a familiar face line up on the ice in the team's second game. In this contest, however, she will not be lining up with them.

Former captain Nikola Holmes '03 and members of the German national team will host Princeton in what should prove a stiff test for the team.

The pace of the trip will slow down somewhat after this. The Tigers head to Prague on Dec. 30 and take in the old-world beauty for four days.

"Prague is one of the few cities that wasn't destroyed by Hitler, so it is supposed to be amazingly beautiful," Kampersal said. "We're going to visit a crystal factory and celebrate New Year's Eve there in the old town square."

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The Tigers will also play two games in Prague to complete their four-game European schedule. Princeton's games are organized by a company specializing in matching Americans traveling teams with squads in these regions. Additionally, Princeton organized the game at Memmingen merely through contacting Holmes herself.

No pressure

These games, played without the pressure of a postseason berth beating down on Princeton's neck, should allow the team to experiment with its game a little.

One difference from the start will be the larger size of the European ice surface. The extra room should open up the ice for the fast skaters, but will be an adjustment for Princeton.

The attitudes of the players can also be very different, something Kampersal noticed on the team's last trip abroad four years ago.

"The last time we went over there we played this one team, I think they were all over 30, and they were smoking in between periods, which our girls got a kick out of," Kampersal said.

While the attitudes of the international players the Tigers take on may be different from their normal experiences, Princeton's attitudes towards its games will change as well.

"It will be great because we can roll our lines and the kids can have fun," Kampersal said. "It will almost be like playing pond hockey as kids without the pressure of winning and not have the pressure of some lunatic standing over your shoulder yelling at you."

And while the games played are important, the emphasis of the trip remains the things that the team will gain off the ice.

"The emphasis is definitely cultural, historical, but also team bonding. When we did this trip four years ago it really brought all the pieces together for us, and was probably the kick-start for all the success we've had over the last four years. We learned to fight for one another there, we learned to gel, and it was an awesome experience."