Hockey had fun in Finland, a sweet time in Sweden

Author: James Kerrigan

Within hours of checking their luggage and going through customs after a red-eye flight across the Atlantic, members of the women's hockey team were lacing it up with a Swedish squad. Six time zones, 15 degrees of longitude and one long plane ride separated the two teams, but once they all stepped on the ice, the geographic division seemed smaller than Middlebury's goals against average.

As Coach Mandigo organized and explained drills, it became apparent that soccer is not the only international game. Both Middlebury and Swedish skaters shared many laughs while linking passes and playing in unison in a country in which most of the Middlebury players had never stepped a foot or a pair of Bauer skates.

The language barrier was, of course, a minor issue. Looks of utter confusion characterized many Swedish faces as coach Mandigo diagramed certain drills, but it was all smiles for the Panthers.

"Listening to [Mandigo] talk was enough to put our whole team in hysterical laughter," said Assistant Captain Shannon Tarrant '07, who leads the team in assists and is tied for the team lead in points. "We were on no sleep and they couldn't speak English very well, but the whole practice was awesome."

Practices were far from the only activity the team engaged in over the holiday break. They played three games and went 1-1-1 in Sweden and Finland, but the success of the international journey was not measured in wins and losses.

Before any passport was stamped, puck dropped or any Swedish dictionary opened, months worth of planning and coordinating on the part of Coach Mandigo, were done to make the trip smooth and easy. His laborious efforts allowed the team to fully enjoy the experience and reap all the benefits of the cultural immersion. Without him, this trip would not have happened.

"We are all grateful for Coach Mandigo who spent countless hours organizing," said Tarrant. "He didn't have to let us go, but he thought that a trip to Europe would complete our Middlebury career."

In fact, it may have done more than complete a Middlebury career, which includes three consecutive national championships. The trip's impact was profound. Tarrant said, "It was really an unforgettable experience and was a highlight of my time at Middlebury."

One of the trip highlights was Pear, the team's tour guide for the week. As the team bus traveled through Sweden and Finland, Pear frequently abused loud speaker privileges and offered countless personal stories and tidbits about Sweden. According to Tarrant, the lovable conductor is still the talk of the locker room.

The trip helped unite the team in an unprecedented way. After spending 24 hours a day with each other for a full week, few secrets remain.

Both on and off the ice, the team learned about and gained confidence in one another. It sure showed as the Panthers traveled a mere 309 miles to Colby and then 52 more miles to Bowdoin on their way to outscoring the Maine rival schools 9-3 and improving their record to 8-1 for the season.