Northwestern University Athletics
#NULaxItaly: Siena and Rome
9/13/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
Follow @NU_Sports
ROME -- Northwestern Lacrosse's weeklong Italian Tour has offered a little (or in most instances, a lot) of everything one could hope for on a European excursion: fine cuisine, history, culture, and new friendships. On Friday, the 'Cats added competitive lacrosse to that list. See below for all the Wildcats have seen and done over the last 48 hours:
THURSDAY, Sept. 11
For the second day in a row, the 'Cats had their scheduled morning practice canceled due to heavy overnight rains in Tuscany. But the skies had cleared in time to allow for a re-run of the difficult 3-mile mountain trail behind the Villa Valentina, and the 'Cats made the most of their second opportunity with nearly all members of the team improving on their time from two days prior.
Once atop the scenic peak, the team took a moment to pause under the morning sun and mark the 13-year anniversary of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The peaceful morning and complete quiet atop the peak, along with the rush of a difficult just-completed workout, made for an ideal setting to remember the significance of the day.
After descending the mountain for the final, NU took advantage of the green space at the Villa Valentina to hold a spirited one-hour practice. Once practice had ended, it was time to say goodbye to the villa and Northwestern's gracious hosts, Joe and Valentina Lizzio and their staff. Their hospitality and unyielding willingness to churn out delicious meals for more than 50 members of the NU travel party made the first half of Northwestern's Italian tour an unforgettable experience.
NU set off on their coach bus destined for the historic city of Siena, where the 'Cats checked into their hotel and immediately commenced a guided walking tour of the town. Siena is well-known as the home of the twice-annual horse race in Il Campo square, where 10 horses representing many of the city's political districts race through the streets in a sports spectacle watched live by 40,000 packed-in spectators.
After the tour, the Wildcats were free to roam the winding medieval streets to enjoy dinner with their teammates and eventually retire after a taxing day.
FRIDAY, Sept. 12
Friday morning brought rain to the city of Siena, but the Wildcats still managed a smooth departure for the 3-hour bus trip to the capital city of Rome. Northwestern arrived to the site of its weekend friendlies and training sessions, a well-manicured field normally reserved for a boys soccer club on the outskirts of the city.
After a 30-minute intrasquad scrimmage for NU, the 'Cats took the field against a collection of players from the U.K., predominantly Wales, and performed well in their first true lacrosse action since Monday morning in Lucca. Northwestern split its squad into two teams, each of which played one half, with the 'Cats winning the first half by a score of 16-1 and the second by a tally of 15-2. Afterward, it was all smiles as the two teams shared pleasantries and gifts and swapped stories about their respective Italian travels.
Perhaps this tweet best sums up the fight and tenacity the Wildcats displayed in their international friendly:
"The sunflowers of yesterday turned into tigers on the field." -tour guide Giancarlo after watching us play. #ActuallyWildcats #NULaxItaly
— Northwestern Lax (@NULax) September 12, 2014
Northwestern then made its way into the heart of Rome, where the 'Cats are staying at the Hotel Intercontinental de Ville in the Spanish Square. Following a morning practice on Saturday, Northwestern will set off on a guided tour of the Vatican City and the Sistine Chapel in Rome.
Throughout Northwestern's nine-day journey, fans can expect regular updates and photo galleries on all of the Wildcats' official social media channels: Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Follow the hashtag #NULaxItaly on all platforms to receive the most recent tweets and posts. There also will be recaps of the day's events via NUsports.com.
••••••
Be the first to know what's going on with the 'Cats -- Follow @NU_Sports on Twitter, become a fan of Northwestern Athletics on Facebook, subscribe to the NU Sports Express e-newsletter and sign up to receive promotional text alerts for the latest news, schedule updates and video and to interact with NU. For more information on following specific Northwestern teams online, visit our Social Media page!
