Aug. 14, 2001

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The Maryland women's soccer team will depart for its 10-day journey to Europe this Wednesday afternoon. The Terps are taking the program's first-ever excursion overseas for a preseason training trip.

Maryland will play five exhibition games as part of the experience, which will also include tours of some of Europe's greatest sights.

"It will be a wonderful experience for our entire team," said head coach Shannon Higgins-Cirovski. "Our players will get to train at some of the top facilities in the world and take on some of the top international teams."

Maryland will spent its first four days of the tour in Heidelberg, Germany touring the classic city. The Terps will also visit the famous Schloss Heidelberg on the hill overlooking the city on Aug. 17.

The Terps will play their first game on Aug. 18 against German Bundesliga Damen National Klub Champion team FCC Frankfurt.

After another day in Germany, the Terps will transfer headquarters to Kerkrade, Holland on Aug. 20. That night Maryland play its second game against the Belgian Club National Champion Eendracht Aalst.

On Aug. 21, the Terps will check out Valkenburg, a beautiful tourist village in Holland. Later that day, they will adventure through the underground caves of Valkenburg.

Maryland will head to Maastricht, a Dutch city on the River Maas founded by Roman legionnaires over 2,000 years ago on Aug. 22. After an afternoon of sightseeing and shopping the Terps will take on ODC Boxtel in an evening match.

On Aug. 23, the Terps will have a full day beginning with a return trip to Germany to check out the city of Aachen. The team will visit the DOM, the spa and sample Printens, a German delacy. Later that evening the team will transfer to Duisburg, Germany for a match with perennial contender and 2000-01 Bundesliga runner-up FC Duisburg.

The Terps will venture back to Belgium to tour Antwerp, the capital of diamond trade on Aug. 24. After a guided tour of the city, Maryland will return to Holland to take on Oost Kapelle in the final game of the tour.

Maryland will return to the United States on Aug. 25 flying out of Brussels and returning to Baltimore/Washington International Airport on the evening of the 25th.

Daily updates will be provided on umterps during the tour and senior Debbie Lieberman will provide an exclusive diary to kick off her "What's Up With Women's Soccer" journal of 2001.