Blog Entry #10: Invaluable Experience Comes to an End
Unfortunately, today was our last full day in this beautiful country. It was an open day for us, so we all got a chance to go back to some sights or to find new attractions. I’ve found that this city is so expansive that it would be hard to take everything in even if you lived here. My parents made the trip, so this morning, they were sure to wake my brother and I up for church. The Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore was right around the corner from our hotel. This mass was a bit different compared to the Newman Community service in the chapel with Mark Shiner. Sure, I missed the pizza and wings afterwards, but the mosaics, statues, and architecture were more than enough to hold me over.
A few guys spotted a public pool during our tour yesterday, and it was a popular destination to return to today, as the temperature reached 100 degrees. Others went back to the Coliseum for a tour around the inside, while Jack McNamara and Mike McCann were spotted firing two coins at a time over their shoulders into Trevi Fountian. As Sinzy mentioned in yesterday’s blog, if you throw one coin over your left shoulder, there is another trip back to Rome in your future. We also found out that if you throw two coins, you will find love. Apparently, Jack and Mike decided spend the rest of their per diem money there today.
We also had our departing dinner tonight. It was a great way to say thank you to Brad, Sergio, and the coaches for showing us an unbelievable time. We are also extremely appreciative to the donors and other supporters that made this trip a reality. Due to our demanding schedule, no one on our team is able to go abroad for a semester, but this trip gave us an opportunity to see an amazing part of the world. The athletic portion was a great experience and should help the team this season, but culturally, the trip allowed us to visit things and places that we’ve only read about in textbooks. It was truly an incredible and invaluable experience.
Ciao,
Kevin McNamara
The team with the Challenge Cup trophy they won during the trip.
Blog Entry #9: Touring and Learning About Rome
Yesterday began with a relatively short walk from our hotel to the Coliseum, where we met our tour guide, which would then begin our 3-hour walking tour of Rome. I think everyone would agree that the word remarkable does not do the day justice. The entire city is filled with incredible buildings, fountains, and statues. Our tour began at the famous Coliseum. It certainly is not the same as it was in its prime, but it was incredible to see it up close and learn a bit of its history. The next stop was Benito Mussolini’s monument to King Victor Emmanuel II, referred to as the “wedding cake” by local Italians. From there we went to the Trevi Fountain. A traditional legend says that if you throw a coin with your right hand over your left shoulder into the fountain then you are ensured a return visit to Rome. So, I guess we are all coming back to Rome.
After the Trevi Fountain, we toured the Pantheon and finally ended our 12-mile walk at Vatican City. Here we were free to see the Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museums on our own. It is impossible to describe how amazing the tour of the Vatican was, so I won’t even try. I will just say it was well worth the 15 euros. Once we completed our tour I immediately looked for the nearest metro station, as my legs were throbbing from the long day of continuous walking. The rest of the evening was free for us to explore Rome and attempt to see as much as possible before returning home.
It is sad that our euphoric trip is nearing its end. Every bit of our journey has been amazing and spending our final few days in Rome is a great way to cap it. I know I will be returning for another visit. Who knows, maybe someday it will even be to play a full season.
Nathan Sinz
The team infront of the Pantheon.
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From left to right: Austin Mayer, Mike Leidl and Christian Long, with the Roman Coliseum in the background.
From left to right: Billy Rivellini, Nathan Sinz, Kurtis Bartliff and Robbie Bourdon at Trevi Fountain.
From left to right: Jack McNamara, Mike McCann, Alex Evin, Matt Firman, Chriistian Long, Chris
Wagner, Austin Mayer. Infront is the team's tour guide, Claudia.
From left to right: Austin Smith, Matt Firman, Nick Prockow, Jeremy Price, Chris Wagner with the Vatican behind them.
Blog Entry #8: Rest and Arriving in Rome
Coming off the excitement of our Challenger Cup Series victory, we were relieved to have a little bit of rest today. It was mostly a travel day, as we ended our leg in the northern part of Italy and headed south to Rome. Most of the guys were able to sleep for some portion of the trip, making it go by much faster. Chris Wagner, Nathan Sinz, Alex Evin and myself had an intense 3-hour game of monopoly to pass the time. Al slowed the game immensely with his lengthy decision-making, a strategy that eventually led him to victory.
We arrived in Rome around 8pm and then unloaded our gear here and checked in. My roommates for the next few nights are Eric Mihalik and Chris Wagner. It’s been quite the bonding experience for the team, especially for those of us who have been lucky enough to have a triple rooming assignment. All theee beds are in contact with each other in a very cozy manner. Luckily for us the air conditioning is in full force after a sweaty walk around the city.
We took a stroll around town with a bunch of the guys. We toured around through the hotel district and shopping district for a little while, and we eventually found our way to the Travi Fountain, a world famous tourist destination of Rome. The square the fountain was in, was absolutely packed with tourists from all over the world. We hung out in the square for about an hour, enjoying a Gelato of course - a must have at all times. Tonight the combination was banana and chocolato, my latest recommendation. It was amazing to take in the beauty of the fountain, along with the detail in the sculptures. It was also a prime opportunity for people watching at the same time – one of my favorite hobbies.
The rest of the trip will be centered out of Rome, starting with a tour of the Coliseum tomorrow morning.
Jeremy Price
Blog Entry #7: A Visit From the Polizia and Winning the Challenge Cup
After returning back from the Dolomite mountain ranges around 3:30 am, Coach Vaughan graciously moved breakfast to 10:30 am. At breakfast we discussed where we could dry our equipment out from our game last night. The Hotel Belvedere must have gotten wind on the permanent stink that we left in a ballroom of The Grand Hotel of Como, because they wouldn’t let us bring our bags inside last night. We found a plot of grass across the street that suited our needs. The grass was a simple 20-yard stretch that looked harmless enough, so we dumped the contents of our Colgate hockey bags across the public property.
Some guys volunteered to stand guard by the equipment and work on their tans. Suddenly, the local law enforcement pulled up along with a news crew. We quickly found out that they didn’t come find us for interviews on our latest victory. Apparently, the innocent patch of grass that we scouted out was a little more important to the townspeople than we had assumed. The grass was actually a memorial. Trying not to irritate any more people than we may have already, we began pushing everything off of the grass as quickly as possible. When the police and news crew realized we weren’t from the area and meant no offense, they had a good chuckle and went on their way. We eventually decided that it would be best to just leave the equipment on the bus.
We had some time to kill before our pregame meal and trip to Asiago, so many of us took in more of the sights. Kurtis Bartliff, Jeremy Price, and I were excited to see the tents and vans of a flea market scattered throughout the town square. Kurtis talked a big game in regards to his haggling ability, but we quickly lost him to an actual store and never got to see him in action. I have been looking for a fedora since arriving, and I finally found one that fit my oversized head at a vendor’s tent. The price was a little steep for me, so Jeremy and I tried negotiating with the local man. I believe it was Jer, dressed in his usual sleeveless attire, who eventually intimidated the man into selling the fedora to me for 3 Euros.
Asiago turned out to be another amazing little town. The streets were crowded with tourists and many of them turned out for the game tonight. Unfortunately, we got off to a slow start, and we found out that it is impossible to make any sort of comeback when they cancel the game halfway through it. The summer heat clashed with our winter sport, when a football-sized chunk of ice came loose around the red line. Players and refs quickly noticed that the crater showed right down to the grey cement underneath the ice. Rink staff tried their best to fill the opening with slush, snow, and the carbon dioxide from a fire extinguisher, but nothing could save the game. We had to decide the champion of the Challenge Cup, so in N.H.L. fashion, we faced off in a five-man shoot-out. After the first five shooters on each team, Team Italy and Colgate we were knotted at two. Eric Milhalik (still without his Speedo) made a key save on the sixth shooter, so we sent in the silent assassin to finish off the Italians. Kurtis Bartliff glided down the ice, shut his eyes, and hoped for the best. He was aiming low left corner, but the puck must have hit another crevasse in the ice, as it found its way in the upper right hand corner. It would have been nice to finish the game, but it is always good to get the win.
We’re off to Rome tomorrow, and everyone is looking forward to seeing Jason Lefevre dust off his loincloth and shield to battle a few gladiators at the Coliseum.
Kevin McNamara
Bassano del Grappa town center. The market Jeremy Price, Kurtis Bartliff and Kevin McNamara went to was around the corner.
Jeremy Price (Left & w/o sleeves) and Kurtis Bartliff at the market
Kevin's caption: Can you spot the memorial?... Neither could we.
Blog Entry #6: 4-2 Win Over U-26 Italian National Team
Today we awoke in Bassano del Grappa, Italy. As Jeremy posted yesterday, I love this small city as well, which is certainly a change of pace from Milan. Following breakfast, several guys on the team proceeded to get some extra sleep before our 1:30 pm pregame meal, while others took advantage of the free morning to explore the city. Nick Prockow and I decided to check out some of the local shops and found a winner that was in our price range with some pretty cool stuff.
At 12:45 pm, our team met for a light jog in a nearby park. The heat led to a shirts optional dynamic stretch, and everyone was severely blinded by Austin Smith’s pasty white skin. For our pregame meal we had lasagna. I must say it did not fail to impress. It was the best lasagna I have ever tasted (besides my mom’s of course). Wade Poplawski, a dessert connoisseur, certainly enjoyed the tiramisu. He enjoyed it so much that he ate his entire slice along with mine and a few other untouched plates. He really pigged out.
Due to a last-minute scheduling change on the venue for our game this evening, we had to leave at 2:45pm for a 3-hour drive to Canazei, Italy. Not many guys on the team were looking forward to the long drive prior to our 9 pm puck-drop, but once we started the steep climb into the Alps, we all quickly lost track of time. The initial climb was on a treacherous highway that wound tight to the mountainside. The road then followed a river through a series of ski villages bustling with summer tourists. We finally arrived in Canazei for our faceoff against the Italian Under-26 National Team.
The game proved to be very competitive. Billy Rivellini scored the first goal of the game from a great effort and pass by Wade Poplawski. Team Italy scored two powerplay goals, while Matt Firman and Austin Smith each buried to put the score at 3-2 leading into the third period. Austin Mayer scored the final goal of the game, which rounded out to a goal a piece for every line and a 4-2 Colgate victory. In addition, a shout out is in order for Al “The Cat” Evin for his solid performance between the pipes.
It was another fantastic day in Italy and we are looking forward to playing another great contest against Team Italy in Asiago tomorrow evening.
Nathan Sinz
On the side of the highway on the way to Canazei. From left to right back row: Billy Rivellini, Kurtis Bartliff, Mark Nasca, Mike McCann,
Nick Prockow, Matt Firman, Kevin McNamara, Robbie Bourdon, Thomas Larkin. Front row: Christian Long, Austin Smith,
Chris Wagner, Wade Poplawski, Jack McNamara, Sergio Mercati (the team's tour guide).
Blog Entry #5: On the Streets of Milan
Last night was a quiet night following an exhausting day out in the sun at Tom’s house. That meant most of the boys were pretty tired and went to bed fairly early. This morning most of the guys decided to take advantage of a lighter day and got a workout in. Corbin McPherson, Kevin MacNamara and Nathan Sinz and I went for a run along the shores of Lake Como into town. It was amazing running with such incredible views of the mountains to look at the entire time. We followed that up with the famous “Body by Corbin” workout routine, run by #4 himself.
We grabbed a quick breakfast at the hotel before packing up and checking out of the hotel for our next leg of the trip. We toured the city of Milan, visiting the Castello Sforzesco, a beautiful castle in the heart of the historical district. We also checked out the Duomo of Milan that was absolutely incredible in both size and detail. At both sites we were introduced to the persistence of the local hagglers, who on many occasions forced bracelets on our wrists. Jaime Helibron eventually gave in and accepted the ‘fine’ piece of jewelry.
From there we had a few hours to stroll through the streets of Milan. It was interesting to see the differences in stores’ products that we also have back in America such as Foot Locker. We also checked out one of the most famous streets of Milan, the capital of the Fashion Week. Unfortunately, these stores were slightly over our budget, such as the original Prada store, Gucci, and Louis Vuitton.
We arrived at our hotel for the next few days, the Belvedere, which is located in Bassano Del Grappa. Personally, I’m a huge fan of this small little town. There were many unique local bakeries and a very popular downtown square. We couldn’t pass up the opportunity for more gelato to finish up the night – with my personal recommendation of Stracciatone and Chocolata. It should be another quiet night as we prepare for our second game of the trip versus the Italian National U-26 team, a much superior opponent to our first.
Currently about half the team is hanging out in the lobby using the Internet to keep in touch back home, a pretty funny sight. The guys continue to take many pictures ensuring that we savor these memories for a long time to come. Somehow, Chris Wagner has managed to place himself in about 75% of the pictures taken. The sights are absolutely incredible, and continue to impress everywhere we visit.
Jeremy Price
Picture of the team in front of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan. (Left to Right: Matt Firman, Robbie Bourdon, Chris Wagner, Austin Smith, Jeremy Price, Billy Rivellini, Jaime Heilbron; In Front: Alex Evin and Nick Prockow).
Blog Entry #4: A Visit to the Larkin's Compound
As Sinzy mentioned yesterday, it was exciting to wear the Colgate sweater with the boys again. We’ll shoot to win big like that a few times this year. It will be great for the win column and for Goals For Good, the charitable project that Colgate is starting up this year (Check it out at
facebook.com/goals4good). It’s never a bad time to blatantly plug a good cause, right?
Today was a national holiday in Italy, and we were told that all stores, restaurants, and most unfortunately, bakeries were closed. The Larkin family was kind enough to invite our entire crew to their house for the day. Before our departure, we had another delicious breakfast at The Grand Hotel of Como. The Italian croissants, meats, cheeses, and yogurts have been a good replacement for my usual morning breakfast sandwich. Brian Day would be surprised to here this, because he is one of a select few that could attest to my sensational talents in the kitchen. With our bathing suits in hand (thankfully, Eric Mihalik has not been able to find a Speedo boutique), we loaded the bus for Cocquio Trevisago.
Mr. Larkin immediately greeted us at the front gates of his beautiful compound and showed us to the spread of pasta, breads, meats, and cheeses. I would’ve been completely happy with this as our meal for the day, but there was plenty more to come. While a few of the older members of our group fired up the grill, Tom led us through a maze of grape vines to his family’s pool. (Italian Lesson #2: Real grapes have pits in them.)
At the pool, there was an international dive/flip/belly-flop contest. Despite the outstanding efforts of Robbie Bourdon, Mike Leidl, and “Wild” Bill Rivellini, Rhea Dexter showed why she is the best athlete in her family.
For dinner, there were hamburgers and an assortment of sausages, but the hidden gems of the meal were the grilled cheese patties. The idea sounds interesting, but these white puck-shaped cheese slabs were incredible. After putting them on top of my burger and sausages, I completely understood why Tom named his dog, Tomino, after the cheese.
The entire group fell into a food coma, but Tom’s grandmother was unfazed and brought out trays of homemade desserts. The desserts were too good to let any go to waste, so we polished off the assortment of pies, brownies, and cakes and rolled back onto the bus. The hour-long bus ride went by quickly due to heated debate between CFL Legend Joe Poplawski and Brad Dexter (who, as I mentioned isn’t even the best athlete in his family) over what sport has the best athletes in the world. This clash somehow caused Austin Smith to challenge Jeremy Price to an athletic decathlon (No date has been set).
Everyone is currently cooling down and looking forward to our next adventure. I believe we head to Milan tomorrow, and at the recommendation of my good friend, Steve Solomon ’76, I will be on a hunt for some vitello a la limone. I have no idea what that is, but I trust a Colgate Alum wouldn’t steer me wrong.
Ciao,
Kevin McNamara
Mark Nasca (left) and Matt Firman at the Larkin's
Nathan Sinz (left) and Robbie Bourdon at the Larkin's
Billy Rivellini's best swan dive or belly flop.
Blog Entry #3: 10-1 Win and a Visit to Lugano
After fighting jet lag for two days, we were finally able to sleep-in only to be awoken by the early Sunday morning cathedral bells. It was not until 12:15pm that we made a trek to Tom & Jerry’s Ristorante for our pre-game meal. By the looks of Bartliff and Mayer, they decided to sleep until 12:14. The walk was an easy 15 minutes, but given that most Italians drive through the stone streets like it’s the IndyCar Series, we had to be sure to look both ways before crossing.
The bus departed at 2:15 for a 5:00pm puck-drop against GDT Bellinzona. The rink is set in a beautiful mountain valley near Lake Lugano, Switzerland, which was around an hour drive from our hotel in Lake Como, Italy. The game ended in a 10-1 victory for the good guys.
Following the game, we boarded the bus for a short drive to Lugano. Lugano is a spectacular vertical city built upon the steep mountains surrounding the lake. We were all able to explore the city on our own for a couple hours before returning to Lake Como. I had a great pizza with a few of the boys overlooking the lake. The views were jaw dropping and the walk up and down the steep mountainside led to overwhelming perspiration. All in all it was another great day of hockey and sightseeing in Europe. Ciao.
Nathan Sinz
Players with Lugano in the background. From left to right: Nathan Sinz, Mike McCann, Robbie Bourdon, Billy Rivellini, Kevin McNamara and Jack McNamara.
A faceoff during the game against GDT Bellanzona in Switzerland. Photo by Rhea Dexter.
Blog Entry #2: Getting on the Ice, Swimming and Helping a Stranger
Today was the first day we were able to get on the ice – it was nice to get out there and get a little bit of the jet lag out of our system. We skated in a small town called Bellanzano in Switzerland. The drive out there was incredible as we were surrounded my mountains the entire time. The ice is Olympic size so there were a couple of adjustments we were trying to figure out in terms of shot angles and defensive zone coverage.
After our practice we stopped for a quick lunch at a Kebab restaurant. The food was absolutely delicious. From there we took a boat shuttle – the apparent ‘fast boat’ up to Bellagio. Once again, the views we’re stunning being on the water of Lake Como surrounded by huge mountains and interesting towns that were built on the slopes. Many of the guys took this time for a much needed nap, myself included.
In Bellagio we walked through the city for a little while, visiting the local shops and stores, with the final stop at an unbelievable pastry shop and it was the obvious winner. We spent much of the afternoon in the water, jumping into the water and partaking in a marathon of a swimming adventure – luckily all of the boys made it. As we were preparing to board our boat back to Como, a man across the street unfortunately fainted. Luckily our reliable coaching and training staff were there to assist the gentleman until the ambulance arrived.
On the way back to Como we took the ‘slow boat’. This time we were able to enjoy the views much better sitting atop the boat, enjoying the breeze and the beautiful scenery. It was pretty interesting to be on the water where movies such as Oceans Twelve and 007: Casino Royale were filmed. After finishing up a long day we all split up and went for dinner on our own, enjoying the fine pizza and pastas of Italy. It should be a pretty relaxing night as we look forward to our first game tomorrow evening.
Sides Notes: Matt Firman has been especially pleased with his introduction to the European tradition of the buday, something he feels should become a more common practice in the USA.
Jeremy Price
Blog Entry #1: Happy BDay Wade, George Clooney and Wrong Pepperoni
First of all, I’d like to wish Wade Poplawski a happy 39th birthday today. We’re not sure if he’ll be able to keep up on the ice in his old age, but he is a resilient old man, so he should be fine.
Now that I got that out of the way, I feel like I can properly start our blog. Nathan Sinz (everyone’s favorite Alaskan), Jeremy Price, and I will be sending in posts to keep Raider Nation updated on the team’s European escapades. The bus ride to New York City and the red-eye flight to Milan was the easiest part of the day. Avoiding naps to beat the dreaded jet lag was the tougher portion. Our liaison for the trip, Brad, met us at the airport. He played hockey at the University of Minnesota and came to Italy to play and coach after school. Brad never left, and the scenery we saw as we drove towards the Lake Como region was a clear indication why.
Our tour guide, Josephine, explained that Como is located along the Swiss boarder and in the foothills of the Alps. She also informed us to stay on the lookout for George Clooney and his lake front villa. They say his good looks are only rivaled by Colgate lacrosse great and Italian, Dave Tucciarone. Josephine guided us through the narrow stone streets and alleys of Como before lunch. The ancient Romans created the town, and much of the same infrastructure remains the same today. If I can find a connecting cord for my camera, I’ll be sure to upload a few pictures for my next entry.
We eventually stopped for lunch at a pizza café. The team learned an important lesson here. Apparently, if you order a pepperoni pizza, you will get a pizza with peppers on it. After lunch, we were all happy to make it to the Gran Hotel Di Como. Coach gave us the rest of the afternoon off to unwind, check out the area, and blog. We’re headed off to dinner now, but it was definitely a successful first day in Italy.
Arrivederchi
Kevin McNamara
