Aug. 11, 2001

Stony Brook, N.Y. - For the first time in the program's history, the Stony Brook women's soccer team will begin a season on international ground. On Tuesday, the team will fly to Amsterdam for the beginning of a 10-day European tour that see them spend five days in Holland before heading to Speyer, Germany for the final part of the trip. While in Holland, the team will stay in the town of Valkenswaard, a town about an hour southeast of Amsterdam and right outside the city of Eindhoven. The Seawolves will train twice a day (in the morning and in the evening) and play four games against national club teams. The afternoons will be spent taking in many of the beautiful sights of Holland and Germany.

Head coach Susan Ryan is excited to take her Stony Brook team overseas for the first time. "We're excited not only about the benefit of gaining international experience and growth on the soccer field, but their education off the field as well", Ryan explained. "The memories and life lessons that this trip will impart upon the players will last a lifetime."

Stony Brook hopes this is just the beginning of a special season as the Seawolves begin their first year as a member of the America East Conference. The upcoming trip and a chance to play for a conference title gives the players a lot to look forward to. "We hope this will be a great start to a great season," co-captain Kerri McCabe said. "It is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and we want to enjoy every minute of it while working very hard to get ready for the upcoming season."

The team departs John F. Kennedy International Airport in the early evening hours on August 14 and will return to the United States on August 25.

For daily updates and the latest news from the European tour, log on to the Seawolves web site at www.goseawolves.org.