As the Ivy League prohibits the use of institutional funds to pay for international travel, funding for the trip came from private donations and team fundraising activities.
Prior to the 2008-09 season, head coach Bob Gaudet '81 had expressed enthusiasm for the opportunity to travel abroad during the rigorous winter schedule.
"It's very rare for a Division I college hockey team to have as long a break as we have in December," Gaudet said, according to DartmoutSports.com. "This is a chance to get some good hockey in, as well as see another part of the world and experience a different culture. It will be interesting to see how other hockey players train and play."
After a six-hour flight, the Big Green men arrived in Copenhagen, Denmark, where the team was greeted by with the spirit of holiday festivities and a welcoming Northern European atmosphere, players said.
In the Danish capital, the team had its first taste of international competition, facing the ICG Stars. The Big Green won the game handily, 9-2. Led by captain Rob Pritchard '09, the Big Green went on an offensive shootout early in the third period en route to the opening victory.
The team also made visits to several prominent landmarks, including the royal palaces of the Queen of Denmark, the Copenhagen National Museum and the world-famous Tivoli Gardens, where a nightly spectacle of Christmas lights appropriately capped off the team's last evening in Copenhagen.
The second half of the European excursion began with a five-hour train ride to Stockholm, Sweden. Upon arrival, the team did not hesitate to explore the city's rich cultural and historical offerings.
"There's so much history behind everything," Pritchard said. "It's a completely different world."
Among the notable features of Stockholm's backdrop visited by the team was the island of Stadsholmen, home of the Stockholm Cathedral, Nobel Museum and Royal Court. The Big Green also visited a 17th century warship called the "Vasa," one of Sweden's most prized treasures.
In addition to visiting these cultural attractions, the Big Green also found time to practice and compete against several renowned hockey clubs of Stockholm.
Before the trip, Gaudet had stated confidentlythat facing the European teams will be a challenging yet beneficial experience.
"Sweden has always produced highly skilled players and it's going to be fun to play against one of the top hockey playing countries in the world," he said according to DartmouthSports.com.
Before taking on its Swedish opponents, Dartmouth was presented with a rare opportunity to hold two of its practices at an outdoor rink, where the AIK semi-professional hockey team usually trains.
Pritchard said that the outdoors practice session, held in an Olympic-sized rink, which is 13 feet wider than the NCAA regulation-sized rink, provided the squad with the chance to train more intensely.
"We definitely had to move around more than we're used to," he said. "When we were playing the first and second-tier European teams, there was more skating and less fighting."
Altogether, the Big Green had three matches against three different clubs in the Stockholm area. The squad performed up to speed in all three outings, with its toughest competition coming from Djursgarden, an elite hockey club that played evenly with the Big Green throughout the game.
In the physical and fast-paced matchup, in which neither team would back down, the two squads were tied 2-2 at the end of regulation. Although Dartmouth outshot its opponent in overtime, Djursgarden's tough defensive perimeter prevented the Big Green from clinching the win.
The Big Green did manage, however, to secure an overtime victory over the under-20 AIK squad. Trailing 3-1 in the third period, the team rallied behind goals from Doug Jones '12 and Pritchard. Carrying its momentum into post-regulation play, the Big Green quickly won a faceoff and Jones connected with Andrew Owsiak '11 to complete the comeback win.
On its last day in Stockholm, the Big Green concluded its European journey with a final match against AIK's under-18 squad. Taking advantage of multiple powerplay opportunities, the team ran away with the score, boasting a six point lead by the final period. Dartmouth would finish with a 6-1 victory and a 3-0-1 record for the trip.
When asked to reflect upon the importance of the trip, Pritchard cited team bonding as the main priority and focus.
"We have a small senior class, so there was a chance [for seniors] to get to know the other guys better," he said. "It's just a chance to do something together."
Coming off last week's two-game road trip where the Big Green shut out Princeton and fell to Quinnipiac University, the Dartmouth men will be squaring off against Yale and Brown Friday and Saturday nights, respectively. Both games scheduled for 7 p.m. at Thompson Arena.
