Lehigh soccer teams strengthen bonds and skills overseas

The Lehigh men’s and women’s soccer teams trained, bonded and documented their experiences during a spring break trip to Munich.

Members of both teams volunteered through Lehigh Athletics to post daily content from the trip. The blog features photos and stories from their flights, training sessions, sightseeing and professional soccer and basketball games. 

Women’s soccer junior defender Elliot Forney said the decision to document the trip for friends and family at home was made by the coaching staff. She said the blog aimed to show how the team’s culture grew overseas.

“Playing soccer at home is fun, and doing small things with the team in Bethlehem is good, but having a big trip like that is really influential to becoming more of a team off the field,” she said.

Forney said the trip was made possible by alumna and former women’s soccer coach Gina Lewandowski, whose experience playing for FC Bayern Frauen helped make the opportunity a reality. 

Women’s soccer coach Lauren Calabrese said the trip was one of many ways both programs have built a strong community culture. 

“Our bigger goal is to think about soccer, just not as men’s and women’s soccer, but Lehigh soccer,” Calabrese said. “When we can collaborate, we’re going to collaborate as much as we can, and I think it creates a bigger community and really an awesome opportunity to celebrate being a part of Lehigh and Lehigh soccer.” 

Between sightseeing — including visits to Neuschwanstein Castle and BMW Welt, as well as a professional European basketball game — both teams also competed internationally. 

Men’s soccer associate coach Ryan Hess said each team played two friendlies against German clubs. The men’s team faced FC Kirchheimer and FC Ismaning, while the women’s team played FC Wacker München and FC Stern.

He said the opportunity to face international competition was invaluable.

“We haven’t played somebody else since November, so to get opportunities to play against teams from the other side of the world, clubs and players that maybe are stylistically a little bit different — trained a little bit different — is always valuable from a sport perspective,” Hess said. 

Forney said she enjoyed the challenges of competing against FC Wacker München and FC Stern, especially navigating the language barrier. Although referees and players didn’t always understand one another, she said they still formed connections.

“Trying to chat with (the referees) a little bit was cool, because some of them spoke English, so it was nice being able to bridge a connection there,” Forney said. “We don’t really speak the same language, but we play the same sport.”

The trip also offered an experience many student-athletes don’t typically have, as training schedules often limit opportunities to study abroad. It marked the program’s first joint international trip since traveling to France in 2017.

Hess said the experience was special for Lehigh soccer. When planning the trip several years ago, he said coaches Dean Koski and Calabrese intended for both programs to travel together.

Men’s soccer junior defender Landon Bealer said the experience broadened his perspective. 

“I encourage people to get out and explore different countries and different cultures,” he said. “Being able to travel with great friends and great family is a wonderful thing and an opportunity I am extremely grateful for.”

The trip also helped build stronger relationships across both teams.  

With seniors graduating in May, Hess said it’s especially important for the teams to rebuild and develop trust ahead of the fall season. 

“Trips like this can be really valuable,” he said. “We as a group are trying to discover what kind of team, what kind of leadership we want without our graduating seniors, and then trying to develop and compete for results in the spring.”

Although the teams have just returned, Bealer said that trust is already forming. 

“We’ve already seen how much closer we are together on the field as well as off the field, and how the chemistry formed on that trip,” he said.