Lake Como
Last year's Team USA on the beach at Lake Como in the Italian Alps
A group of Americans lead by Euro Tours out of Minnesota is headed to Italy this week to take in some sights and play teams from around the country. Eight of the players are from Minnesota: Brevin Sass-Loken (Winona), Isaac Glasrud (Delano), Cory Byrnes (Eden Prairie), Collin Soderholm (Maple Grove), Griffin Streeter (Minnetonka), Preston Thelemann (Wayzata), Sam Rhode (Burnsville), and James Miller (Minnetonka). A really nice group of skaters from the Twin Cities will likely make an impact for this team.
While in Italy, they will tour the Italian countryside visiting cities in the Italian Alps and take tours of historic landmarks and see such great cities as Milan and Venice.
On Wednesday they will take on HC Fassa and HC Alleghe in Alleghe. Following those games they will head to Venice for a tour of the famed city where they plan to take in the sights of St. Mark's Square, Doge's Palace and the Rialto Bridge on Thursday.
On Friday, the team will head to Cortina d'Amprezzo where they will play two more games. Their first game is against HC PIeve di Cadore at Noon and their final game will be against HC Cortina.
On their final day they will spend time in Lake Como (just south of Switzerland and north of Milan)...in one of the world's prettiest regions before returning back to the states on Sunday. A great trip for a group of really lucky kids (and adults).
Last year, Team USA took on HC Asiago