Did You Know?
That the Penn State Behrend women's soccer team conducted a European tour during the summer of 1999. An account of their adventure is provided below.
After months of planning and fundraising the
women's;s soccer team arrived in Erie on August 7 for a team meeting and a cookout at coach
Dan Perritano's house before the 5:30 a.m. departure for Europe the next day. When Sunday, August 8th arrived,
seventeen players, three coaches, two parents and one friend of the program were ready and
willing to embark on the day's journey. The first leg of the journey was a van
ride to Toronto airport, then a flight to Boston, another flight to Limerick,
Ireland and then on to Dublin.
When the team arrived at the Limerick Airport on Monday the International Sport
tour guide, Kent Dunston and son Dillon were waiting along with a motorcoach to
take the team to Dublin. The two-hour ride across the countryside let everyone
see the remote areas of Ireland, along with its green pastures and to catch up
on some sleep.
Upon arrival in Dublin we checked into the Jury's Inn Hotel, where everyone freshened up and took to the town. Some people went out for a traditional Irish meal, corned beef, sauerkraut, and potatoes, while others went out shopping and got a quick bite to eat at an American "diner." As the evening became late everyone meet in the hotel restaurant to hang out and talked about the day's events and what the next day would hold.
Tuesday came quickly and a walking tour of Dublin was planned with historical guide, Patrick O'Connell. He told us the tale of Dublin from the Ice Age up to present day.The tour included: The Christchurch, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Trinity College, The Book of Kells, Dublin Castle, James Joyce's statue, and many other historical sites along the way. A practice was planned so the ladies hit the pitch that evening to get ready for the next day's match against the Benefica Football Club in Waterford County. It was a very busy day that everyone enjoyed, but they left all tuckered out.
There were no plans for that evening so the majority of the group went back to the hotel, showered, and went down to the
lounge to watch a "football" (soccer) match on television. We departed for Waterford County at 8:30
a.m. and made a stop along the way at the Kilkinney Castle. The group had a guided tour of the castle and learned the
history, about the royalty that once lived there, their culture and the decor,
it almost made you faint it was so beautiful. After the tour a brief stop for
food was squeezed in and we headed to the Waterford Crystal Factory. When we
arrived there we were given a tour of the factory and taught about the different
stages that crystal goes through, the glass blowers and the amount of time it
takes to become a "master blower," After the tour we headed to the grounds for
the team's first match.
The moment the women were waiting for finally arrived and they were pumped up and ready to play. The pre-game festivities and picture taking allowed the women to relax and meet with the Irish team, which included a few Irish National Team members. The whistle finally blew and the match was under way. Behrend came out strong and held fast until the thirtieth minute when Benefica scored their first goal from a corner kick. Benefica came out strong in the second half and rolled to a 4-0 victory. After the match, which held no hard feelings, both teams went out for sandwiches at a local pub.
Thursday was the last day in Dublin and our second match of the tour against the Shamrock Rovers. No plans were made for the day so everyone went their separate ways. Several members of the team went shopping for souvenirs, some went to see more of the sights, while others chose to take a tour of the Guinness factory. The ride to the match took us along the coastline and the opportunity to see the cliffs of Ireland.
We arrived at the pitch knowing our opponent was going to give the team a tough match, with several Irish National players on their roster. The warm-up went well, but then the game began. Behrend held tight for a while and had some moments of glory scoring our first goal of the tour, but the Rovers proved to be a strong team. The halftime score was 4-1 and ended with a 6-1 score, as the Behrend Lions picked up the defensive pressure in the second half. Following the match was more camaraderie with the Irish players before our ride back to Dublin.
The next leg of our journey to London began early as the 5:00 am wake-up call caught everyone off guard on Friday. The flight was a short one, and we arrived at London's Heathrow Airport at 10:00 am ready for another day. Everyone played a little handball and climbed on buildings as we awaited the arrival of our motorcoach for a tour of London. The tour took us for visits at Buckingham Palace, which included some spiritual advising, the Tower Bridge, St. Paul's Cathedral, where Prince Charles and Lady Diana were married, Westminster Abbey, and to the House of Parliament and Big Ben. All this before we finally got to check in at the Cumberland Hotel. The evening was free, and everyone decided to go to Piccadilly Circus, a hub for nighttime activity, and then go their separate ways from there.
The team's next match was not until Sunday, so instead of playing on Saturday the team opted to go watch an English Premiere League match between Tottenham and Everton. The stadium was packed and the grudge match on the field was a game no one would soon forget. Tottenham, the home team, won the match in stellar fashion as the crowd chanted and celebrated throughout the battle. After the match the team once again went their own way and did everything from shopping, hanging out with the locals, going to a play and even sleeping!
Sunday was the team's first match in London and they were ready for a win against Denham United. Both teams came out strong and played a very physical game; Behrend got on the board first with a goal off of a nice cross to a Behrend Lion knee. The final score was 5-3 and the team got what they wanted. It was as if the goal was ten inches higher than normal with all the scoring that went on for both teams. After the match our tour group headed back to the city for team dinner at a local Italian restaurant. The women then hit the nightlife and checked out some of the discos.
The final day in London and last match of the tour arrives too quickly for everyone. Monday starts out as a rainy day as we head out for a game against Slough Town Football Club. The team is excited about the previous day's outcome and is hoping to go .500 for the trip. Slough scored first after a bad kick by a Behrend defender, but the team ties it up quickly on a strong shot from 25 yards out. The match ends in a tie and the women were anxious to get back to the hotel to pack, shower and spend their last night in London, before the journey back to the States on Tuesday.
The trip home was a long one, but everyone was excited to get home. It took about twenty-four hours with layovers, transfers and one long van ride from Toronto to Erie before the team met their parents at Erie Hall. It was a trip enjoyed by all, memories were made that will not be forgotten and friendships were made.
The Behrend women's soccer team will make their next international trip during the summer of 2002 to a destination yet to be determined! Feel free to call if you would like to join the team on this trip.