January 14 , 2005

GENEVA, N.Y.—The Hobart College ice hockey team rang in the New Year with an array of new experiences both on and off the ice. While their rivals were grinding out practices on empty college campuses throughout the region, the Statesmen were busy taking in the sights on an eight-day European Tour in Germany and the Czech Republic.

Arranged by GoPlay Sports Tours, Hobart was able to not only learn about the culture and history of Germany, but it also got the opportunity to test its hockey skills against four local European teams.
Returning to Geneva unbeaten in their four games, the Statesmen had to adapt not only to different language and food, but also to a different style of hockey.

“It was a great new experience,” junior forward Matt Garman said. “It was interesting learning a different style of play [since] the rinks were larger and there were a lot more skilled players. It was a lot different from our normal quick and aggressive style of play.”

Hobart made the adjustments seamlessly, defeating previously unbeaten Klatovy and the local Deggendorf team in its final two games of the trip.

“I think our style of play complemented us and helped us out. It was easier for us to adjust to a more finesse game than for them to get used to our physical game,” senior co-captain Stephen Mitacek said.

Despite being unable to communicate with many of the players, the Statesmen always felt welcome by the fans, while the atmosphere at the rinks provided them with some of their most memorable experiences.

“The atmosphere of the rinks was amazing. There were guys with drums and cheers going during the whole game,” Mitacek said. “You could tell [the players] were excited to play us and [the fans] would cheer for us at the end of the game.”

The Hobart players also enjoyed the many kids and their enthusiasm at the games.

“The little kids at the games were a lot of fun. They were really excited to cheer for us and talk to us after the games,” junior forward Colby McVey said. “The even wanted our sticks and jerseys at the end.”

For Garman, the game in the Czech Republic was one he’ll never forget.

“It was smoky and loud,” Garman said. “There were guys yelling at you and you didn’t know what they were saying. It made the game exciting.”

“For me it was awesome to hear the national anthem at the games. We couldn’t communicate with the other players but we all could get on the ice and play hockey and that was a lot of fun,” junior center Will Brame said.

While Hobart enjoyed its time on the ice, the Statesmen also enjoyed soaking up the history and the culture of Germany. During the first half of the trip, the players got to see places like Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany’s most famous castle, and the 700-year old Benedictine Abbey of Ettal.

“Seeing an actual castle for the first time was pretty amazing,” McVey said. “Just seeing how royalty lived back then was something I’ll always remember.”

While sometimes the historical aspect of the sights can sometimes be hard to follow and truly understand, Hobart’s tour guide, Philip Broadbent always found a way to captivate the players.

“The history aspect of the trip was interesting,” Garman said. “We had a great tour guide. He added some humor to the trip, brought it to our level, and kept things exciting.”

Perhaps the most sobering and eye-opening part of the trip for the Statesmen was visiting the concentration camp, Dachau, as a reminder of the atrocities that took place in Nazi Germany during World War II.

“It was a cloudy and cold day when we visited and there weren’t a lot of people around,” Mitacek said. “It gave being there a weird and eerie feel.”

“[The Holocaust] is something we’ve always studied in school, but being there and seeing everything in front of us made it so much more realistic,” McVey said.

After eight days of sightseeing and playing hockey, Hobart headed back to home with memories that the players know will last them a lifetime. Although words can’t fully describe the overall success of the trip, Head Coach Mark Taylor was very impressed with how the Statesmen learned from the various aspects of the tour and looks forward to doing it again in four years.

“I’m very pleased with the performance of the guys,” Taylor said. “On a trip like this you tend to burn the candle at both ends and I felt like the guys dug deep at the end of each game to get it done.

“I’m very proud of how they handled themselves and took advantage of the opportunity of visiting a foreign country. I was complimented by the flight attendants about how well our guys conducted themselves and represented the school. This to me speaks louder than the wins.”

After spending this past week getting back to a normal daily schedule, the Statesmen are ready to build from their overseas success and start the second half of the regular season.

Hobart will play its first game of the New Year on Jan. 14, traveling to SUNY Cortland for a 7 p.m., faceoff.