The Mercyhurst women’s hockey team will travel soon to Sweden as part of an international summer trip.
The Lakers will be the only Division I women’s hockey program to head overseas this summer to compete.
From July 22-31, the team will journey to Stockholm to play a slate of games against both the Swedish national team and the Swedish developmental team. All the newcomers will join head coach Mike Sisti’s returners to gain experience as a full team before the 2023-24 season.
“This will be an amazing educational, cultural, and physically challenging experience for our team,” said Sisti in a news release. “It will be a great opportunity to exchange ideas and showcase women’s hockey. We are very excited that we were able to pull everything together for this trip to Sweden. I appreciate Sweden national team head coach Ulf Lundberg and his staff for inviting us to this unique event.”
Current Laker Thea Johansson and incoming freshman Sofia Ljung have both competed for the Swedish national programs, Johansson on the national team and Ljung on the under-18 team. Mercyhurst will have six student-athletes on next year’s roster from Europe including Nystrøm, Johansson, Ljung, Sofia Nuutinen, Sofia Skriver, and Emmi Mouruarjvi.
“We are really looking forward to welcoming Mercyhurst University to Stockholm in the end of July,” said Lundberg. “I liked their environment and their program a lot when I was over there in January. And I am sure the exchange will be a win-win both hockey wise and in the bigger picture.”
“We are looking forward to having parents, alumni, administrators, and Mercyhurst fans travel to see us in Stockholm,” added Sisti. “This year will be our 25th season and this will be a terrific way to get it started. I am looking forward to seeing how we can share information and find beneficial ways to have both sides improve our systems moving forward. It is fantastic to see the support and enthusiasm our entire Mercyhurst administration has for this endeavor.”
The Lakers team has had many notable international student-athletes, including current alternate captain Ena Nystrøm. Mercyhurst has had upwards of 30 former players who participated in the Olympics and world championships, including Meaghan Agosta, who won three gold medals and a silver medal for Canada in the Olympics. Agosta is still the all-time leading scorer for NCAA Division I women’s hockey. Kelley Steadman, Emma Nuutinen, Johannah Malstrom, Vilma Tanskanen, Vikki Bendus, and Valaria Chouinard are just a few of the many Lakers that have participated internationally for their countries.
Along with competing, the team will be exploring Sweden and learning more about the country through educational and sightseeing opportunities. They are looking forward to meeting young hockey fans in Stockholm and help grow the women’s hockey game in Sweden.
