Day 5 - Innsbruck, Austria
Game vs. FC Koblach

By Jess Drda, Sr, D, Richmond Heights, Ohio

After a quick breakfast at the hotel, the team traveled from Austria to Switzerland. The plan was to visit three different cities along the beautiful Rhein. The stops were short, around 45 min in length, as the night game was only hours away.

The first stop was to visit Rheinfall, the biggest waterfall in Switzerland. Drastically different from Niagra Falls, the Rheinfall appeared to have more beauty than power. We then followed the Rhein to Schaffhausen. After a semi-strenuous climb to the top of Munot, the fortress in Schaffhausen, we were rewarded with the amazing view of the Rhein and the surrounding Swiss villiage.

Continuing along the path of the Rhein, our last stop was the "Stone on the River," Stein am Rhein. Here we were able to take a leisurely walk among the town or cool our feet in the ever-present Rhein. We then headed back to the hotel for a late lunch and much needed rest.

The game began at seven, and it was easy to see that our opponent, FC Koblach, was ready to challenge our abilities. In true ONU form, we came out strong and dominated the beginning of the match. However, after a cross to one of FC Koblach's outside midfielders, the score became 1-0 FC Koblach.

We recovered quickly as Emily Davies answered with a shot into the right corner of the net. The first half ended 1-1.

The second half began with equal intensity as the first for both teams. After a run to the upper right corner, Kaitlin Sanders passed it to a waiting Erin Stapp at the near post. A combination of skill and finesse made the score 2-1 ONU.

To solidify the lead, Taylor Garber fed Erin Stapp the ball and a quick turn and touch past the keeper resulted in a 3-1 ONU lead. Still dominating, Jenn Klag won the ball in midfield and skillfully passed it to Diana Smith. Diana was then able to improve the lead for a final of 4-1 ONU.

After a late dinner and some socializing with the FC Koblach team, we returned to the hotel and ended day five of our European adventure.