Field Hockey

Towson Field Hockey European Tour

May 29
Coach Lynette Mitzel

Tigers vs. Aachen

The past two days have been quite long and tiring! We had the opportunity to visit an underground quarry on Tuesday. The 150 miles of tunnels were once used during the war to hide the Dutch. After the liberation, many American soldiers visited and inscribed their names in the walls. It was very interesting to see names and dates from the 1940’s.

Cori then thought it was appropriate to take us to a cemetery commissioned by the Dutch and Americans. Many American soldiers who fought during WWII are buried there. It is a beautiful place. I don’t know if the girls felt as moved by it, but my parents and I definitely did.

I think Cori was even moved because she kept saying that without the soldiers, The Netherlands would not have been liberated. The Germans would have taken them over.

We hit the city of Maastricht, which is the oldest town in The Netherlands. A few of us went on a walk through town with Cori so she could show us the history. Everyone else split up and… you guessed it – SHOPPED!

Thankfully we had two men with us (my husband and my father) who wanted to stop and taste the local beverages. If I hadn’t had the chance to sit every hour or so I don’t think I would have made it! So, with lots of packages in our hands, we headed to our game.

There was a slight mix up in dates and places, and we sat for 20 minutes at one field before finding out we were 45 minutes away from where we were actually playing. Needless to say we were just a bit late! We got to the club, changed, and played. No warm up for us! Post game the girls thought we should never warm up again. I however disagreed. We were not as prepared as we needed to be and started out quite slow. The game had some highlights and good plays, but did not result in a victory for the Tigers.

Today was different! We won vs. the HC Aachen. We still received no warm up because we could not get to the field. There were roads closed, no signs directing us, etc. and we showed up at game time. Thankfully, the coach gave us 25 minutes to get dressed and run around a bit. This time it worked in our favor and we came out on top, 3-2. Go Tigers.

Time for this girl to hit the bed!

Coach Mitzel

May 29
Jessie Buckheim

Dear Jerry (short for journal),

Stained Glass in Charlemagne's Cathedral

Today we slept in until 9:00 am. Breakfast was the same – unfulfilling. Then we got ready and went to Aachen, Germany. We had a tour of the city, which was lovely and very historic. In Aachen is the oldest church (Charlemagne’s Cathedral) on this side of the Alps. The only place that has older churches is Italy.

We went inside the cathedral and it was beautiful. I lit a candle and made a wish. There were so many stained glass windows and the walls and ceilings were covered with little tiles. The tiles were in a variety of designs.

We went through the old section going in and out of shops. I am enjoying buying souvenirs for my family and friends. Next we went to the newer side of town and in a department store. We went into an Internet café for a little… it was nice to sit down.

Now we are back on the bus and heading to dinner. We are also supposed to visit a mountain and then we are off to play our game. I hope we play well again. This is one heck of an experience. Aside from the fact that I’m very tired, I’m enjoying myself a lot.

So we did go to the top of the mountain. We went to the spot where the three countries (The Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium) all meet. Then we went to the very top for dinner. It had just rained for a few minutes and we had the pleasure of a rainbow. It was very good for pictures. Dinner was actually very good and filling. I am usually very picky so my parents would be happy I am trying new foods.

Next was the game, which took a few tries to get to. Also, we were missing a few sticks due to some disorganization of the youngsters. In the end it all worked out. We won and guess what – I SCORED on the Germans! Then we went up to the clubhouse to mingle with the other team. It was fun and they were very nice.

After the game we went back to the Monestary. It was actually good fun because we went to Canaa 1 for some beverages. It was nice for the girls to just relax and have fun. But now it is time to go to bed. Tomorrow is adventure day, which should be awesome. I’m very excited for all the fun. Europe es muy bueno. Goodnight.

Jessie #15
(Bucky)