HOUGHTON - The Michigan Tech hockey team has begun preparations for its upcoming trip to Germany.
The trip, which begins with a flight out of Marquette next Wednesday, includes trips to three different cities and a total of five games over the 10-day stretch.
Once the Huskies arrive in Germany, they will travel to the town of Kaufbauren where they will practice on Thursday and play games over the following three days. Tech will then travel to St. Polten on Monday, Aug. 16 for two more games against the Vienna Capitals and Klagenfurt.
All five teams the Huskies will face are members of the Elite League.
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The clubs are made up of professional players, so Tech will be competing against some of the top players in Europe.
"It's going to be a challenging with the caliber of players and teams we'll be facing," Tech coach Jamie Russell said.
Still, the trip to Germany is not all about hockey. It's also a chance for the players and coaches to immerse themselves in a different culture.
"I think what Jamie wanted to make happen was an experience the kids would gain from," Tech assistant coach Pat Mikesch said. "We wanted to make sure trips like this will be available for all the kids (on the team).
"It (the trip) kind of separates Tech from other (college) programs."
The trip should also help Tech's recruiting efforts in Europe. The coaching staff, which has brought in a couple of players from Sweden over the past three years, feels having excursions like this could lure some of the top foreign players to Houghton.
"We're hoping this gives a little extra incentive to the (foreign) kids," Mikesch said. "That they realize we're going to do everything we can to get them back home to play."
Mikesch, who played professionally in Germany, was in charge of putting the logistics together for the trip. And his familiarity with the country proved invaluable as he put the itinerary together.
"My comfort level was set in place right away," Mikesch said. "I knew the right teams to play and also had the cultural experience."
One thing Mikesch didn't have to worry about was the financial aspect of the trip. All of the money for the excursion was raised by donations to the program.
Two of the players' fathers, Dave Baker and Greg Royer, were two of the most significant contributors. With all the money raised through private donations, the trip won't cost the university itself a single penny.
"We're not using any general fund dollars from the school," Russell said.
With all the plans made, and all the money raised, all that's left for the players and coaches to do is enjoy the trip, a trip Russell thinks will help unite his team.
"It's the ultimate team-building experience," Russell said. "It's a huge benefit in starting the season in terms of team chemistry."
K.D. Warvie can be reached at kwarvie@ mininggazette.com.
