On August 4, 2005 – after months of fundraising and preparation – fifteen upperclassmen from the Moravian Women’s Soccer Team and Coach Eric Lambinus met at JFK International Airport in New York. From there they took a seven hour flight to Heathrow Airport in London, England and began a ten day journey through the United Kingdom that was a whirlwind of soccer, sightseeing, and team bonding.

After a short flight from Heathrow to Glasgow, Scotland, the team checked into a hotel for a three day stay. The next morning they were up early to try and work off the jet lag with their first team practice in nearly three months. That afternoon they were treated to a thrilling professional men’s match between Celtic and Dundee before a sell-out crowd of 60,000 people.
Sunday August 7 brought the first day of competition for the Lady Greyhounds, against a strong women’s professional team known as the Welfare Ladies. It took Moravian a while to adjust to the fast-paced and very physical play of the Scottish women, but in the end it was a good introduction to the style of European football. The group then spent the afternoon and evening touring the nearby city of Edinburgh.

The next morning the team was able to spend a two hour training session with Stuart Pearce of the Scottish FA, where they focused on individual skill as well as defensive tactics. After a quick lunch the women hit the road for the four hour bus ride into Bolton, England. Along the way the team made two stops in the famous English Lake District; the quaint town of Gretna Green and the beautiful Lake Windermere.

After spending their first night in Bolton, the women got up early to tour the ancient Roman-walled city of Chester. That evening the Hounds had their next match, this time against a Manchester area team. The professional training session with Stu obviously paid off as Moravian played a much more competitive game. Although they suffered a 1-0 loss, the women showed major improvement from their first game.

Wednesday August 10 was perhaps the busiest and most demanding day of the entire trip. The morning was spent taking a tour of Manchester United’s stadium and all of the surrounding facilities. The team then jumped back on the bus and headed straight to another professional training session, this time with Nigel Gleghorn, a former professional European player who appeared in over 500 matches. The focus of the session was shooting and goal scoring, in an attempt to help the ladies finally find the back of the net. They were able to put their training to use immediately, as they took on the Bolton Women’s Professional Football Club that very evening. Once again, the Hounds showed more improvement and were able to draw 1-1 in a hard-fought game.

Always on the move, the group packed up the next morning and prepared for the five hour bus ride into London. Once again, the women were able to stop along the way and see the amazing Warwick Castle, as well as Stratford-Upon-Avon, the home of William Shakespeare. Finally arriving at their hotel in London, the team was surprised to discover a local pub called The Greyhound to be right down the block. They spent the evening relaxing and singing karaoke, but still turned in early so they would be well rested for the next day.

On Friday the women were given free time to explore central London on their own in small groups. They visited Picadilly Circus, Leicester Square, and Trafalgar Square. That evening they had their final game of the tour, against the Queen’s Park Rangers Football Club, another professional women’s team. Although the Hounds were handed a 2-1 loss, they played a very strong game and were once again able to find the back of the net.

The group rounded out Saturday and Sunday with more sightseeing and a couple of fun and relaxing practices with Coach Lambinus. They had the opportunity to attend another professional men’s match, between Sheffield and Queen’s Park Rangers, on Saturday afternoon. After watching the changing of the guard and visiting Buckingham Palace on the morning of August 14th, the team arrived at Heathrow Airport for their return flight to the United States.

Overall, the team had an incredible experience in Europe, both on and off the field. They returned home with an expanded knowledge of the game, as well as a more aggressive style of play. The Moravian Women’s Soccer team’s amazing trip should only serve as a precursor to a successful season in the Middle Atlantic Conference.