University of North Carolina Athletics
Carolina Lacrosse Team To Visit Tokyo For International Friendship Games
June 5, 2006 | Men's Lacrosse
June 5, 2006
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The 2006 University of North Carolina men's lacrosse team will debark from Chapel Hill on Thursday, June 15 for an eight-day trip to Japan where Coach John Haus' Tar Heel team will compete in the International Friendship Games.
Thirty-nine of the 43 players on the 2006 team, including all but two of the graduating seniors, will be making the trip to Japan where Carolina will play three games in eight days. The tour is being organized for UNC by Zag Lacrosse of Princeton, N.J. Similar tours have been made in recent years by the Princeton University lacrosse team, the English National Team and the Japanese National Team. Countries that have been visited in the past under the auspices of Zag Lacrosse include Australia, Great Britain, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Germany and the Czech Republic.
"I think it is a great opportunity for our team to go away and get the chance to play against international competition, most importantly the chance to play the Japanese National Team," said Haus. "That team will be only a month away from competing in this summer's World Lacrosse Championships."
"I also think this is a great opportunity for our team to start building on team chemistry heading into the 2006-07 campaign which at this time I think is critical in the growth of what will be a young team next team."
The UNC entourage, which will include players, coaches, trainers and administrators as well as parents and family members of the players and staff, will leave Raleigh-Durham International Airport on June 15 at 10:02 a.m. After changing planes at O'Hare Airport in Chicago, the UNC group will leave the Windy City at 12:40 p.m. June 15, arriving inTokyo at Narita Airport on June 16 at 3:30 p.m. The Carolina team will be in Japan until June 23 when it will leave at 12:50 noon, arriving at RDU at 4:25 p.m. later in the day, connecting through Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. The Tar Heels will cross the International Date Line twice during the course of eight days.
In the eight-day trip, UNC will take part in a host of cultural events in addition to playing the best of the Japenese teams on the lacrosse field. UNC will begin its game schedule on Saturday, June 17 with a game against the Under 21 Japanese National Team at Rinkai Field. At 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, UNC will attend the trip's official welcome reception.
On Sunday, June 18, Carolina will attend the opening ceremonies of the International Friendship Games at Edogawa Stadium before playing the Japanese National Team at 2:30 p.m.
The final game of the tour will be played at June 22 against the University of Tokyo.
The Tar Heels will also be taking part in a number of cultural events and sightseeing tours throughout their week in Japan as well.
