SAINT PETER, Minn. - The Gustavus Adolphus College women's hockey team turned the recent holiday break into a memorable international experience, traveling through Austria, Germany, and Italy on a nine-day European tour.

"What a great experience for the young ladies, their families and our coaching staff," said Mike Carroll, head coach of the Gusties. "It's something we've done every three-four years during the time I've been involved with the program. It's a great opportunity to get the team, go abroad, work on some teambuilding, see the sites, learn the history, and play a few exhibition games."

On the ice, the Gusties opened the trip with a 5–1 victory over the Slovenian Women's National Team. A couple days later, they posted a 5–1 win against the Austrian U19 Women's National Team.

Away from the rink, the team immersed itself in European culture and history. Players explored traditional Christmas markets, enjoyed European cuisine, went sledding at an Austrian ski resort, while taking memorable day trips to Salzburg, Innsbruck, and Zell am See, Austria; Bolzano, Italy; and Munich, Germany.

"I think the favorite memory was the tobogganing down the mountain, that was super cool, super fun and it just felt surreal," said first-year Talia Domschot.

"I really liked our trip to Bolzano," said senior Lily Mortenson. "We went their my freshman year, overall, a really pretty city, really good food also; so the Christmas markets in Bolzano is going to my favorite memory."

Senior Kayla Woytcke said, "I have to say the favorite thing for me would be going to the top of Innsbruck, seeing the sunset and also seeing all the girls' smiles going down the sledding hill. It was pretty comical."

The trip also included a powerful, yet somber educational experience with a visit to the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site.

The Gusties capped off the journey by ringing in the New Year together in Munich.

The European tour provided the Gusties with a unique blend of competitive hockey, cultural exploration and education, and shared experiences that they will long remember after the season concludes.

"It was incredible. We had so much fun, it was great for team bonding, we got to do some many cool and amazing things," said junior Avery Braunshausen.