Princeton University Athletics
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Tigers Return Home After Nine-Day Trip to Sweden, Norway & Denmark
August 26, 2005 | Women's Basketball
Aug. 26, 2005
The Princeton women's basketball team arrived back in Philadelphia about an hour and a half behind schedule Wednesday afternoon, but that delay did nothing to dampen the spirits of the Tigers after an outstanding nine days in Sweden, Norway and Denmark.
From Aug. 15-23, the Tigers visited four Scandinavian cities, played six games against quality competition and experienced the culture and attractions of some of the most beautiful and historic countries in the world.
"This was a truly remarkable experience for everyone on the trip on many different levels," said head coach Richard Barron. "The opportunity to compete against some very good and seasoned teams was tremendous, but the benefits went way beyond just basketball. The opportunity to experience the different cultures of Scandinavia and to see such elegant and historic cities was very enriching."
"We are deeply indebted to John Rogers '80 and the parents of our players who were so generous in their gifts to make this trip a reality. John has been such a loyal and gracious supporter of our program, and our parents are our best fans and care deeply for the program. To all of them, thank you."
Princeton arrived in Copenhagen in the early afternoon Aug. 15, then took the eight-mile long Oresund Bridge over the Baltic to Malmo, the third-largest city in Sweden. The Tigers spent three nights in Malmo, getting acquainted with two large town squares, the Stortorget and the Lille Torg, biking around the city's parks and picnicking on the grounds of Malmohus Castle.
The Tigers played two games against the Danish National Team back across the bridge in Denmark during their stay in Malmo, defeating the Danes 64-55 on Aug. 16 before dropping a tough overtime decision, 76-71, the next night. Meagan Cowher scored a team-high 16 points in the win, while Becky Brown had 16 points in the overtime defeat. In between those two games and a two-game series against the Norwegian national team in Oslo, Princeton visited Goteborg, Sweden's second-largest city. The highlight of that visit came on the night of Aug. 18, when the Tigers enjoyed time at Liseberg, the biggest amusement park in Scandinavia.
The Tigers then arrived in Oslo on Friday in the early afternoon, just in time to see the ceremonial changing of the guard at Norway's Royal Palace. Later that night, Cowher scored 32 points and added eight rebounds, but Princeton fell to Norway by an 80-73 score.
Cowher then had another big game the next night, scoring 26 points, but Norway pulled away in the fourth quarter for an 89-69 win. Earlier in the day, the Tigers took a tour of Oslo, which included a trip through the Frogner Sculpture Park and a visit to the Holmenkollen, the most famous ski jump in the world with a spectacular view of the city of Oslo. Princeton also got to experience the weekend crowds on the Karl Johans Gate, the main street of Norway's capital.
Speaking of spectacular views, the Tigers got to see another one the next day when their boat, the DFDS Pearl of Scandinavia, sailed from Oslo harbor for an overnight trip to Copenhagen. The ship, which featured three restaurants, a dance club, a movie theater and an internet cafe, was a unique way for Princeton to get to its final destination in Denmark.
In Copenhagen, Princeton took a guided tour Monday morning before heading to the city's suburbs to face Horsholm, a Danish club team. The Tigers pulled away in the third quarter and held on for a 64-62 win, getting 22 points from Cowher and 12 points from Ali Smith, all on three-point shots.
Later that night, the Tigers visited the world-famous Tivoli Gardens, directly across the street from their hotel, seeing a nighttime show on the famous Danish fairytale writer Hans Christian Andersen.
On their final day in Copenhagen, Princeton took advantage of the beautiful weather to visit the sites of the city, including the pedestrian street (Stroget) and the New Harbor (Nyhavn), a 400-year-old street along a beautiful canal.
A few hours later, Princeton had five players score in double figures on the way to a 77-66 win over Horsholm that left them at 3-3 in their six games in Scandinavia. Following the game, the teams had a joint pizza party, where players from both teams got to know each other a little better.
"There are so many things that none of us will forget," said Barron. "Dinner on the square in Malmo, the cruise out of Oslo, Alison Williams and the players on the rides in Goteborg, the pizza party with the Horsholm team, or the countless interactions of 11 players, two managers, four coaches, a trainer, an administrator and her very amusing husband, a professor, a sports information director, a tour guide and a bus driver. These memories are priceless."