On Saturday, March 9th, around 9:00pm Central Standard Time, a plane somehow effortlessly touched down at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, amidst howling winds and swirling snowfall.  On board that flight were sixteen weary travelers, whose journey home had begun roughly 34 hours earlier on the other side of the planet.  (And yes, thanks to the miracle of time zones, it had been March 9th that whole time. Longest. March 9th. Ever.)

In a time of the year when many college-age individuals are shipping off to locations filled with sand and palm trees, this group, (made up of mostly college-aged females) had just completed an early-March excursion to a decidedly atypical “Spring Break!” destination: Siberia.

That’s right.  Rather than toting suitcases full of bathing suits, flip-flops and suntan lotion, this posse was rolling with heavy, (but miraculously under 50 pounds!) bags full of jerseys, skates, and a healthy serving of Advil.  This was not your conventional group of spring-breakers; this was the US National University Bandy Team.  And, as relaxing as a week on the beach would have been, none of these ladies would have traded their experience in Siberia for anything of the sort.  These young ladies came home that night with memories that will last a lifetime... (And also maybe a few bruises to boot. Hence, the Advil.)  Additionally, they came back knowing that they were part of history.  What they had just done will forever be etched in the annals of international sport, and they can rest assured that their efforts will undoubtedly pave the way for opportunity for others in the future.  They accomplished an international bandy “first”.  And they did it well.

It almost didn’t happen.

The World University Games, or Universiade, is a bi-annual international multi-sport event, second only to the Olympics in terms of number of participants and shear grandeur.  Like the Olympics, this competition features both summer and winter versions, but unlike the Olympics, participation is reserved for only the best collegiate athletes all across the globe.  The lovely city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, earned the right to host 2019’s winter edition of this massive celebration of sport, and for the first time ever, bandy was included in the program.

Amidst a valiant worldwide campaign taking place to get bandy included in future Winter Olympic Games, having the sport become a part of the Universiade was a momentous step in the right direction.  Furthermore, bandy is king in Krasnoyarsk, and there was never any doubt that this tournament was going to be the hottest ticket in town, once the games began.  Indeed, when word came out that bandy was in the Universiade, traditional women’s powers such as Sweden, Russia, and Norway undoubtedly began sifting through the myriad of available college-aged players in each of their respective countries, putting together young super-squads, who were ready to compete on what would be – to this date – the sport’s biggest stage.

And then there was the fourth country that would be involved in the women’s bandy competition: The United States.  As it turned out, though, most of the bandy-playing women in the US were too old to compete in the Universiade.  You see, in America, bandy is typically a sport that retired college hockey players pick up as a means to continue to quench their competitive thirst, once they are done skating at the collegiate level.  Unfortunately, after all stones were unturned, it was found that only one player with National Team experience had eligibility to compete in the 2019 Universiade, and she hadn’t played competitive bandy since the 2014 World Championship, when she skated with the National Team as a high schooler.  She had since spent the past four years playing Division I hockey for the University of Maine, and when first asked to come to Krasnoyarsk to play some more bandy, she was unsure of whether she could take that much time off of school.

Speaking of school... Math can be a tricky subject, but it was easy to see that there simply could not be a tournament with only three teams.  If the US couldn’t find a way to field a squad for the Universiade, the women’s tournament would have to be cancelled, and bandy would take a huge step backwards in its quest for Olympic recognition.

Enter Magnus Skold.

Of course it was Magnus who saved the day.  For those keeping score, he’s basically the reason that both the USA Bandy program and the women’s world championship competitions exist.  And you’d better believe that Magnus was determined to make the women’s bandy Universiade competition happen, so that his beloved sport would continue to grow and ultimately move towards finally gaining the Olympic recognition that it absolutely deserves.

Long story short: Beginning in the summer of 2018, Magnus pushed the players on the US Women’s National Team to recruit everyone and anyone to participate in the 2019 Universiade – and in doing so, become a part of bandy history.  Oddly enough, trying to convince college kids to travel to the other side of the planet with a bunch of people whom they didn’t know, to play a sport that they’ve never heard of was not exactly an easy task.  But somehow it happened.  They came out of the woodwork to represent their country.  And with the help of Team USA super-manager, Katie Lundquist Swor tackling seemingly endless amounts of credentialing paperwork, in the eleventh hour there was a US National University Bandy Team down on paper.  In late December – just two months before the Games – the roster was complete.

Now they just had to learn how to play bandy.

The US National University Bandy team met for the first time on February 27th... Not at a practice...  Not even in Minnesota, where the USA Bandy program is located... Nope.  The team met for the first time in New York, at the John F Kennedy International Airport, en route to the 2019 Winter Universiade.  And, by the way, it featured several players who had never even played bandy, (aside from a few pickup games and/or trainings on hockey rinks).  AND there were only eleven skaters on the roster and one goalie, meaning that there would be only one substitute.  You know, so if anyone got hurt, everyone would be playing the entire 90-minute game.  And if the goalie got hurt..... (Yeah, not even gonna go there.)

There are underdog stories in sports... And then there are tales of teams that don’t even really fit the “underdog” category because it’s like, they aren’t even dogs.  They are like, dolphins, trying to compete in a competition that doesn’t even involve water.

Idk.

Bottom line is that, looking at what was down on paper, not many people in the worldwide bandy community were giving this US team much a chance going into the tournament, based on the amount of collective bandy experience that this group had... (Or didn’t have.)  HOWEVER, this was a team of very accomplished athletes, and that was certainly worth something.  And moreover, what people couldn’t see on paper was the incredible size of heart and character that this little team of twelve collectively had.  Yep.  The world was about to see something very special.

So, after meeting in JFK – ten players, two parents, two coaches, one FIB official, and Magnus came from Minnesota, and were joined in New York by two players from the East Coast – the team jetted off to Moscow.  Sleeping on planes is never fun, and as the squad finally arrived in Russia after their overnight flight, it seemed like a cruel joke that they still had several hours of travel ahead of them.  During a lengthy layover prior to the final leg of the journey – which was a four-hour flight to Krasnoyarsk – Team USA got together to talk a little strategy.  After all, they were playing Sweden in the morning, featuring a roster full of reigning World Champions, including the MVP of the 2018 Women’s World Championship: Matilda Svenler.  Nbd.

It was also at this time that the captain of the first-ever US National University Bandy team was named.  I was along on this trip as an assistant coach, and since I’m a current US National Team captain, I had the honor to hand over the “Kaptain” (That’s Swedish for “Captain”) armband to my pal, Ellie Cardinal.  Ellie was a natural choice to lead this team, as she was one of the few players on the squad who had been playing bandy consistently for several years up to this point, and she also had been doing a ton of work to help run the ABA First Division Loons team all winter.  She also is an accomplished international bandy referee with immense knowledge of the game, and perhaps most importantly: at age 23 she was one of the elder stateswomen on this squad.  It was an honor that was well deserved.

With the captain named and a game plan in place for the following morning, Team USA at long last boarded the final plane of their very lengthy Minnesota-to-Siberia travel itinerary and took off for Krasnoyarsk...

Upon landing, it was GAME ON.  Everywhere you turned in the Krasnoyarsk airport, there was a logo of the 2019 Universiade, as well as the warm smile of a volunteer, ready to assist you... And OMG, suddenly, there was Laika.  Laika was EVERYWHERE.  And thank goodness, because he was SO CUTE!  (Editor’s note: Laika was the Siberian husky mascot of the Games. Figured I probably should explain that.)  But I digress... Even despite traveling for about 40 hours, one couldn’t help but get immersed in the whirlwind of energy that was omnipresent as everyone grabbed their gear at the baggage claim...  Suddenly it was all so real.  We were in Krasnoyarsk.  It was happening.

The team finally arrived to the Universiade Village, (the dormitories where all athletes and team leaders were housed, located on the campus of Siberian National University) around 11pm that night.  Unfortunately, there wouldn’t be too much time to settle in and get cozy, because there was some pretty big business to attend to, bright and early...

Team USA was up at 7am and ready to take on mighty Sweden on March 1st.  Yep.  It was March 1st, but most players on the team had absolutely concept of what day and/or time it was.  (Like, did February 28th even happen, this year??)  This sort of thing tends to happen on these international bandy trips.

Bandy trips are also often defined by several “little moments”... Meaning: you don’t entirely appreciate them as they are happening, but when you look back on them, they REALLY stand out.  When the girls arrived to the rink for the first time, that morning... THAT was one of those moments.  Yenisey Stadium has got to be THE premier venue in the world for bandy.  It is brand-new, constructed for this very event, and it is an absolute palace.  It even smells like a palace... (You know, that “new house” smell that just makes you feel clean and important to be like, in that house? Yeah. THAT is what Yenisey Stadium is like.)  Watching the players of the US National University Team walk into their locker room for the first time, (full of beautiful brand-new wooden stalls!) and through the door on the other side of that room, out to the actual arena, (full of over 5,000 seats and THE biggest jumbotron the world has ever seen!)... Their excitement was as tangible as the table full of delicious Russian dark chocolate sitting near the entrance of the room.  These young women were about to pull on a USA jersey and compete in a spectacular venue, in front of the greatest bandy fans in the world!  The smiles on their faces in this moment – brimming with anticipation and awe – is a moment that will forever be frozen in time.

The outcome of that first game against Sweden was not ideal.  Sweden won.  By a lot.  But what was the important takeaway here is that not one... (NOT ONE!) player on Team USA was defeated by the lopsided loss in the first game of this highly-publicized international bandy competition.  And for seven of these US players, who bravely competed in this jet-lagged opening match against a squad featuring some of the best players in the world, (not just at the collegiate level; at ANY level) this was their FIRST-EVER taste of international bandy.  They would get better in their next game.  And in the game after that, they would get even better... Yep.  From the ashes that settled in the aftermath of this pummeling rose a mantra: Better Every Day!  All that mattered to Team USA was that they would be playing at their very best exactly one week from now, when there would be a chance to come home from this adventure with a medal.  THAT was their focus; not what was in the past.  This first game was over.  It was done forever. 

Bye, Matilda.

The squad held their heads high, as they left the stadium that afternoon and returned to Universiade Village, where – for a lack of a better description – things got weird.  After eating lunch in the enormous athletes’ cafeteria, several of the players decided to check out some of the displays and small interactive cultural events taking place on campus.  While approaching a cute little log cabin, they were greeted by a man dressed up as a woman, who proclaimed boisterously, “Beautiful girls! ... It is my house.”  He then lured them into the little cabin, where he introduced his male counterpart – who was dressed in traditional Siberian men’s clothing – as “Russian Superman”... The man in a dress then told everyone that he was a vegan.  Nobody on the team knew what was supposed to be happening in this moment, (and much less how this was “cultural”) but in any case, the scene ended with the “homeowner” asking to take a selfie with Team USA.  (Please note that this photo is on our USA Women’s Bandy social media accounts... If you’re not following us yet, you definitely should! There’s good stuff on there. Like this.)

In addition to whatever that aforementioned experience was, Team USA also enjoyed feeding reindeer, painting clay art, and especially petting dogs at the on-campus cultural celebration that afternoon.  Nothing eases the sting of a tough loss like being around animals!  (Several members of the US National University team – including this writer – are maybe more than slightly obsessed with their pets!)

After a WONDERFUL night of sleep – finally! – the US National University Team awoke on Saturday, March 2nd with the gift of a day off. ... So, naturally, the team chose to fill it with activity.  The first thing on the agenda was a trip to Universiade Park, a massive interactive cultural experience full of traditional Siberian food, dance, and ice sculptures.  What should have been a 20-minute bus ride across town to get there turned into an epic 90-minute joyride, featuring not one, not two, but three incredibly impressive daredevil-esque backing-up maneuvers through heavy traffic on the part of the fearless, and amazingly talented bus driver.  (All the result of the giant bus not being able to fit under bridges along the route that the driver’s GPS was directing him to go.)  It was intense.  Once the squad finally got to Universiade Park, they had just enough time to explore what could in many ways be likened to a frozen version of the Minnesota State Fair.  It was full of great people-watching, delicious food, and fun souvenirs to purchase, and it involved a TON of walking.  (One note on those souvenirs... Several members of the team went to the park hoping to come home with a 2019 Universiade hoodie, or t-shirt, or something of that nature. However, those type of items were not for sale. Conversely, one could purchase a frying pan with the tournament insignia. ... Unexpected.)

The afternoon at Universiade Park was a great experience, but it was just an appetizer for what would come later that evening.

After the team rolled back to the athletes’ village, (unfortunately sans any awe-inspiring backing-up maneuvers on the return trip OR cool Universiade hoodies) it was a quick turnaround for Team USA to mobilize for what many considered to be the most-anticipated event of the 2019 Winter Universiade: The Opening Ceremonies.  (Spoiler alert: There are not enough superlatives in the English – or Russian – language to describe how incredible this event was!)

The experience began with a moment that felt very “Olympic” in nature, as athletes and team representatives from each US sports delegation gathered together in preparation to travel as a full “Team USA” to Platinum Ice Arena, site of the Opening Ceremonies.  Everyone was wearing their matching official USA gear, (and also sporting huge matching smiles!) in anticipation of the magic that was to come, later that evening.  One player on the US bandy team, goalie Natalie Baker, notoriously came down with a freakishly intense nosebleed at this moment, so she accessorized her team-issued US outfit with a sponge hanging out of her nostril, for added flair.  It worked.

After much waiting, finally it was time: Team USA marched as one, up the hill from the athletes’ dormitories, across the campus of the Universiade Village, to a fleet of coach busses.  There, everyone boarded the busses and was escorted by police cars to Platinum Ice Arena, which was aglow with LED lights and set against the backdrop of a more natural glow: a beautiful sunset reflecting off of the Yenisey River.  It was one of those moments, where you just had to stop and take it all in.  And then, (after a bit of waiting) came another moment that nobody on this team will ever forget: the march into the arena.

Everyone who was a part of the US National University Bandy Team had undoubtedly watched several installments of Olympic Opening Ceremonies on television in their lifetimes.  The incredible rush that must be felt when one enters into a cheering stadium, marching alongside the entire US contingent of athletes, all wearing matching team-issued gear.  What a dream it must be!  Well, now these young ladies were living it.  And after they completed their glorious march around the arena, waving to everyone – and some waving, um, quite uniquely so as to be noticed by family members watching live, back home – they then found their seats, and settled in to witness an unbelievable spectacle produced by the Krasnoyarsk organizers.  First, Russian President, Vladimir Putin stepped up to the arena podium and declared the Games officially open.  (Like, OMG... Vladimir Putin! Seeing a world leader, live, is just not something that happens every day!)  Then, on the arena’s video boards, a cosmonaut offered a live word from space, regarding friendship and world peace.  From there, over 1,000 artists took spectators on a whimsical journey through Siberia’s history.  From the hunting and gathering days to the industrial revolution, the area’s culture came to life through music, dance, and remarkable costumes and props.  Laser lights, pyrotechnics, and larger-than-life teacups dazzled the audience over and over again for nearly sixty minutes. 

Then, just when you thought this night couldn’t possibly get any cooler, it did.  Suddenly, the stage rose up to reveal the ice rink that was underneath it the whole time.  The stage then transformed to become a bridge, which was suspended up over the ice, and as figure skaters fancifully twirled below the structure, the Universiade torch made its grand entrance into the stadium via the bridge which suddenly came into existence.  The torch passed through the hands of several outstanding Russian athletes... Former Olympians, World Champions, and professional competitors.  Legends from Siberia, who were here tonight to be a part of bringing this fabled event to life.  Everyone in the arena wondered who would be the one to officially light the Universiade Cauldron – and how would the giant flame be ignited?

It could not have been done better.  Especially if you’re a fan of bandy.

After taking a victory lap around the stadium, the torch was finally passed to two-time Olympic champion gymnast, Svetlana Khorkina... Who then mysteriously ran out of the arena.  ... Waiting outside was none other than international bandy legend and Krasnoyarsk native, Sergey Lomanov, standing atop a glowing pedestal, holding his bandy stick.  Khorkina touched the flame to the ground in front of Lomanov and fire encircled a bandy ball, igniting the ball.  Lomanov then wound up and launched the ball deep into the Siberian night, where it splashed down into the Yenisey River.  Fireworks shot out of the river, one by one, lighting up the night sky and ultimately creating a starlit path straight to the Cauldron, where it burst into flame, amid thousands of cheers – both inside and outside of Platinum Ice Arena.  It was a moment and a night to remember.  Forever.

*** NOTE: This is Part One of a two-part article about the US National University Bandy Team's experience at the 2019 Winter Universiade. Check back soon to see how the story ends! ***