2017 Ohio Northern Women's Trip to Europe
July 21-31, 2017
Switzerland / Austria / Germany / The Netherlands
Tentative Schedule
Day 1 - July 21 - Team flies overnight to Zurich International Airport
Day 2 - July 22 - Free time in Zurich. Travel to Munich, Germany.
Day 3 - July 23 - Tour city of Salzburg, Austria and visit the birthplace of Mozart. Walking tour of Carillon, Mirabell Palace & Gardens.
Game Day in Bergheim v FC Bergheim - | Photos |
"We got to see the garden where they sing "Do Re Mi" in The Sound of Music, and a house that Mozart lived in, along with the house he was actually born in," said senior Hailey Martin. "We got lunch on our own, and headed to our game in Bergheim to play against FC Bergheim, an Austria club team. Our game ended up in a 2-0 loss but we gained an awesome experience playing in Europe. We had a cookout with the team and after some socializing, headed back to the bus for our ride back to Munich."
Day 4 - July 24 - Bike tour of Munich. Guided tour of Allianz Stadium, Home of 1860 Munich & Bayern Munich Fussball Clubs - | Photos |
"We went on a bike tour around Munich," said senior midfielder Mary Kate Munz. "We saw the royal palace "Platz" where there was a large church and the place where Hitler gave a big speech in 1923! We also rode the bikes to the Royal Gardens which used to be hunting grounds. We were able to see dogs play, other tourists, and even a bride taking pictures for her wedding! Along the path we were pleasantly surprised with some surfers on a small river! Later after lunch we bussed to the Allianz Arena where Bayern Munich plays along with the German National Team. We were able to experience the teams locker room and walk down the steps the players do when coming out to the pitch! We all went to the Bayern Munich mega store to get all our tourist knick knacks! After the stadium tour we rode the bus back to the city center in Munich to have dinner and finish up our shopping! It was a great day in Germany!"
Day 5 - July 25 - Guided tour of Rothenburg ob-der-Tauber. Depart for the city of Heidelberg - | Photos |
"We all enjoyed lunch and shopping along the Christmas-filled cobblestone streets," said sophomore Hannah Martin. "After a few hours we returned to the bus to continue our travels to Heidelberg. After arriving at the RH hotel, we had dinner in the hotel restaurant."
Day 6 - July 26 - Guided tour of the Schloss Castle University of Heidelberg.
Game day in Speyer v FC Speyer 09 - | Photos |
The Polar Bears defeat FC Speyer 09, 4-3 in a friendly matchup.
"We started with a tour of the Heidelberg castle where the Wittelsbach family ruled," said senior All-OAC defender Hannah Reich. "We walked through and around the castle viewing beautiful sites of the ruins and balconies over looking the city. We also viewed their treasured wine barrel that held 200,000 liters of wine! We finished our tour in the city learning about the University and the city itself! After our tour we had 4 hours to explore all the shops and grab some lunch before we headed to our game! We played a German team, FC Speyer, their ages ranging from 15-32. We won 4-3 against FC Speyer and then stayed at their club house to enjoy dinner with them! We mingled with the other team during dinner learning about each others cultures. Usually we snooze on the bus rides due to the jet lag but we decided to mix it up because of our victory and do some bus karaoke!! With a large range from players, coaches, parents and siblings stepping up we had fun singing along and dancing to various songs on our trip back to the hotel!"
Day 7 - July 27 - Cruise along the Rhine River from Kaub to Kamp Bornhofen. Visit the largest Gothic Cathedral in the world in Cologne, which is over 1,000 years old.
"Today we boarded a huge boat and cruised down the Rhine River where we saw a bunch of beautiful castles and landscape all around us," said junior midfielder Sarah Puntel. "Then we boarded the bus and headed to the city of Valkenburg where we saw the local professional team, V.V.V. Venlo play a team from Spain in the first division. Venlo ended up winning the game 2-0. Then we went back to the hotel to get some rest for another busy day tomorrow."
Day 8 - July 28 - Enjoyed Alpine Day in the marlstone Valkenburg Caves. Visit the American World War II cemetary in Margraten in the Netherlands. Travel to Aachen, Germany.
Day 9 - July 29 - Compete in four tournament games and posted a 1-2-1 record.
The Polar Bears attended a professional futbol game in Belgium, which featured KRC Genk and W. Beveren. The contest ended in a hard-fought 3-3 draw.
"Today we traveled to Amstenrade and played in a tournament versus four different European teams," said sophomore Annie McArn. "It was really great getting to play against the different styles of soccer each team played. After the tournament we returned to our hotel in Valkenburg and enjoyed dinner in our hotel before heading to watch a professional game in Belgium. We watched KRC Genk and W. Beveren play in an exciting match that unfortunately ended in a tie. It was a very competitive game though as both teams scored 3 goals each. It was incredible getting to be a part of the crowd and watch the fans of Genk really get into the match."
Day 10 - July 30 - Depart for Frankfurt, Germany and enjoyed the last evening in Europe.
Day 11 - July 31 - Team and staff return home.