Cougars hit the road, prepare for second match in Italy

PADUA, Italy – Tuesday was “moving day” for the BYU women’s soccer team, which left its lakeside headquarters at Stresa, on Lake Maggiore in northwest Italy, and traveled east through Verona to Padua, where the squad will take up residence until Thursday morning.

After a mid-day lunch break in Milan, the afternoon stop in Verona introduced the players and travel party to one of the most historic and charming towns in Italy—the traditional setting for Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.” The picturesque town square and cobblestone streets surround some of the country’s most notable ancient sites north of Rome, highlighted by the Arena di Verona, a coliseum built around 30 A.D. that to this day hosts cultural events for crowds upwards of 15,000.

City gates and centuries-old fortress walls underscore Verona’s historic signature, while the winding River Adige and many shops and museums accentuate the town’s attraction to tourists and natives alike. The BYU group enjoyed a brief guided tour of the central district, terminating at “Juliet’s Balcony,” before getting free time for browsing and sightseeing. An enjoyable team dinner (Lasagna, veal, bread, salad and Tiramisu) followed the walkabout, then it was back on the buses to complete the journey to Padua, just west of Venice.

“This is our fifth (international) trip, and it has been quite an adventure,” said BYU soccer head coach Jennifer Rockwood on Tuesday night. “I think things have gone great so far, really smooth. We’ve been traveling a lot, but you’ve got to travel around to see a lot.”

Following a 3-0 win on Monday night over an Italian Serie B squad in Milan, BYU will play the second game of its four-match playing tour on Wednesday night, north of Venice, against Serie A side Permac Vittorio Veneto. Kick is scheduled for 9:00 a.m. MDT (5:00 p.m. local time).

“We get to spend a day in Venice, then the girls will go straight to the game,” said Rockwood of Wednesday’s itinerary. “I think we put in at least seven and a half miles (of walking) today, and we’ll probably do the same thing tomorrow, but that’s what you’re here for.”

“In our last game we didn’t know what to expect, but I think knowing now that we’re going to play an even better team than what we saw before, we’ll be quite motivated.”

***

PLAYERS’ PERSPECTIVE  

Junior forward Carla Swensen-Haslam:

Day 3 of our Italian adventure included a trip to the beautiful city of Verona, widely known as the setting for William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.” After a quick goodbye to Milan’s city center and cathedral, we headed off towards the vineyard-covered countrysides into Verona, a beautiful city with tall terrace apartments and centuries of history. It was here that we learned about “La Arena,” a coliseum-like structure where gladiators of old would fight for fame and fortune. But nothing got the girls more excited this trip than our walk through the “love tunnel”—an arched hallway where tourists tape love letters to the walks. It was here that we wrote cheesy letters to those we left at home. The packed hallway led to “Juliet’s Balcony”—surrounded by gift shops holding valentines and heart-shaped lockets.

Full of love and good feelings, we then explored the city, exhibiting the original graffiti art-engravings into the local apartments that were then painted in the late 16^th century. Art, romance and a bit of rain pushed us into a fine Italian dinner. I’ve come to enjoy the Italian customs when it comes to dining. It reminds me of my second country of Colombia, where meals are focused on people instead of food. The process moves slowly, but each course comes with an assortment of finger foods like bread, inviting guests to interact, enjoy and put their elbows on the table (another acceptable practice in both countries).

Junior forward Nadia Gomes:

My favorite part of today was in Verona, when we got to see “Juliet’s Balcony.” It was a dream come true. People wrote on a wall where many love notes are contained. It was really cool to see all these letters in different languages and being able to write a little love thing on the wall myself.

After that, I walked around the little souvenir shops and went in some stores. When it was time to go, we walked to a pizzeria and had dinner. We ate lasagna, which was really good, and then they brought some salad and bread, and for dessert, we had Tiramisu.  

After dinner we walked back to the bus and went to our hotel. Looking forward to seeing more places tomorrow! 

***

Continue to follow BYU's Italian tour on the BYUCougars.com women's soccer page, and via the team's Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.