USA Players in Russia

[LLL]

Ex-Gophers defenseman Maggie Souba is playing hockey in Russia. She has found it a very strange place but has fallen in love with its people.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/12522096.html

[RStarr]

Ex-Gophers defenseman Maggie Souba is playing hockey in Russia. She has found it a very strange place but has fallen in love with its people.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/12522096.html

"In addition to her semi-nude bike ride, Souba and three other American players had seen their Moscow Region Tornado teammates take smoke breaks during training runs; enjoyed a padded bench at the rink because of a Russian fear of sitting on cold surfaces..." :eek:

"If I saw a monkey driving a car full of orphans down the street, I wouldn't be surprised,'' said Souba.." :D


Souba and Grace Hutchins, a former Wisconsin forward from Winnetka, Ill., will return to Russia in January to finish the season. Defenseman Caitlin Barnes, who played at the University of Vermont, and goalie O'Hara Shipe, a senior at Brown University, completed their run with the team earlier this month.

[brookyone]

:cool: Good article...the damage is already done of course...but please...no more whistling.

[LLL]

http://www.gophersports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=38864&SPID=3323&DB_OEM_ID=8400&ATCLID=1353285

"Souba was a member of the Gophers' 2004 and 2005 national championship teams. She earned the 2005 Ridder Award, which is given to the Gopher that does the most within the community. She was also a two-time WCHA Scholar Athlete, which is awarded to players with a 3.50 or higher grade point average."

[ARM]

"Souba was a member of the Gophers' 2004 and 2005 national championship teams. She earned the 2005 Ridder Award, which is given to the Gopher that does the most within the community. ..."She also won the GWH Award in 2006, given to the player who best embodies the ideals of Gopher Women's Hockey.

[Redhead'sDad]

What an incredible story. I think O'Hara Shipe was majoring in Russian studies at Brown. A tremendous opportunity for her and all of these young women.

[sheba]

What an incredible story. I think O'Hara Shipe was majoring in Russian studies at Brown. A tremendous opportunity for her and all of these young women.

WHAT a WAY to realize a dream of playing "professional" women's hockey and travel abroad!! $1200 month salary plus expenses - just for the chance to play the sport you love and experience the Russian culture! :)
very interesting article!! Does this mean Ohara has to forego her senior year to play hockey per NCAA guidelines??

Unlike other pro clubs in North America and Europe, where women pay a fee to participate, Tornado offered a $1,200 monthly salary plus free housing, food, plane tickets and equipment.
The four made it through a tryout in August. They returned in late October and moved into apartments in Dmitrov, a city of 61,000 located 40 miles north of Moscow. It recalls the Soviet era in its plain, gray buildings, but its well-stocked supermarkets, abundant advertising and stores full of imported goods speak to the new Russia.

However, many customs from the old Russia linger like the stale cigarette haze in the arena. Most of the Russian women on the team smoke, and they stop during training runs to light up. They asked that a pad be placed on their metal bench at the rink because of a Russian belief that sitting on cold surfaces impairs fertility. The Americans are discouraged from whistling, because their superstitious teammates say that will cause one to lose money.

[Redhead'sDad]

I believe Ms. Shipe left the Brown hockey team at the end of last season. It is great to see that she can still use her hockey skills while pursuing her degree.