St. Paul
United Hockey Players Cool Off with Italian Ice
The Visitation/St. Paul Academy United girls varsity hockey
team embarked on the hockey road trip of a lifetime, departing for Italy and France on Saturday, July 26. Veterans of two previous European hockey
tours (Sweden in 2006, Finland in 2007), the Vis/SPA hockey team will travel to
the foot of the Alps, where they will challenge their on-ice peers halfway
around the globe.
“I think that this is a truly unique experience for a Minnesota High School hockey player,” said Ted
Cheesebrough, the team’s head coach. “We
get to play in two cities that hosted the Winter Olympics. It’s the ultimate out-of-town tournament.”
As part of their travels, the Vis/SPA girls will play in Chamonix,
France, the site of the first-ever Winter Olympic Games in 1924, as well as in
Torino, Italy, the home of the most recent games in 2006. Their opponents will consist of high
school-aged girls teams, high school-aged boys teams, and senior women’s teams.
“We’re constantly seeking to reinvent our program and make
the high school hockey experience more memorable and enjoyable for our kids,”
Cheesebrough said. The team hatched an
ambitious plan to play in Sweden two summers ago. “After pulling off [playing in] Stockholm, we
looked for new adventures,” Cheesebrough added.
In addition to being the first girls high school varsity team to compete
in Europe, the Vis/SPA United squad also participated in the first-ever girls
high school hockey game to be played outdoors, playing a game on the Lake of
the Isles in 2005.
“How many people can say that they faced international
competition with their high school teammates?” asked senior co-captain
Catherine Quinlan. “We’re lucky to be
able to do it – it’s going to be a great time.”
In addition to being on the ice for five days during their
week-long journey, the team also intends to visit Milan and the Italian Riviera.
The Visitation/SPA girls finished the 2007-08 season among
the state’s Top 20 Class A Hockey teams as ranked by Let’s Play Hockey.
