July 29, 2009
World Cup Photo Gallery
WASHINGTON - Marching into The SK Slavia Praha Sport Centre this past June, Georgetown University junior attacker Allie Hubschmann followed the red, white and blue flag. However, this flag was void of stars and stripes. Instead it was the national symbol of the Czech Republic, hosts of the 2009 Federation of International Lacrosse World Cup.
Hubschmann joined players from around the globe in the sixteen-team tournament which featured a number of familiar faces. The Canadian, Australian and American squads featured some of the best players in NCAA lacrosse including two Hoyas in assistant coach and former GU defender Michi Ellers and Georgetown Head Coach Ricky Fried.
Playing on an international stage is an experience many players dream of, but for Hubschmann it was even more special because of her many ties to lacrosse within the Czech Republic dating back to 1967.
Her father, Dr. Otakar Hubschmann, defected from his native Czechoslovakia in 1967 coming to the United States. After reconnecting years later, he began working to bring the sport of lacrosse to his homeland, now known as the Czech Republic.
In 2000, Dr. Hubschmann's three sons Otakar, Andrew and Brian put together an American squad to travel to the Czech Republic to challenge its national team in an exhibition game and the Prague Cup was born. Otakar and Andrew, both Georgetown grads and former Hoya lacrosse players, had spent previous summers in the Czech Republic playing the game and younger sister Allie traveled back as well.
The event became both a men's and women's annual tournament and strengthened the ties between the Hubschmanns and Czech lacrosse.
Holding dual citizenships and returning to the Czech Republic often, the family was eligible under FIL rules to play for the national team and in 2006 the three brothers joined the squad in the men's World Cup held in Canada. After watching her brothers for so many years, the following summer, Allie joined the nation's U-19 team and eventually made the women's national team.
Last summer, the Prague Cup served as a trial run for the 2009 World Cup and Hubschmann's brother and the Georgetown coaches were there.
Finally, the event was upon her as Hubschmann marched into the stadium with the Czech flag flying.
"This was an awesome experience for me," said Hubschmann. "The amount of Czech fans that came to every single game was amazing. Our stands were filled and the fans were heard throughout the entire game."
The attacker had known she made the team the year prior but was unable to travel back and forth to train with the team. Therefore, it was a bit of an adjustment to learn to play with 11 new faces after working out with Georgetown over the past year.
"The biggest challenge was getting to Prague before the games making sure that my style of play flowed with the other girls' styles," she said. "I needed to learn my teammates' tendencies quickly."
Adding to the transition was the language barrier. Although Hubschmann speaks Czech, she admits that she can get rusty when out of practice.
"My father speaks Czech and I try to pick things up when I can," she said. "The girls were all understanding and used English when I needed it and translated when I didn't understand things. On the field there were easy words and phrases that I learned and used when we played."
Another factor that helped her feel more comfortable on the Czech team was the presence of her brother Andrew on the sidelines as an assistant coach.
"Andrew coached for the U-19 and the national team both times I've played," she said. "He has coached me throughout my life in lacrosse and he's the best coach I've ever had. I would say that getting the chance to play for him was one of the best experiences I had this summer."
As the games began, the host squad knew it had its work cut out for it with both Australia and the United States in the mix. The Czechs were entered in Pool B made up of Wales, Scotland, Germany and New Zealand. They went 2-2 with victories over Germany (8-4) and New Zealand (15-3).
Hubschmann and her squad earned the ninth seed entering tournament play and went 3-1 to finish 5-3 in the event for a ninth-place finish. The American led the Czechs in scoring with 15 goals and 10 assists along with five ground balls and six draw controls. She notched three goals and as many assists in the final game of the tournament, a 15-5 victory over Germany.
"One of the main reasons I led the team in scoring was because of the other girls on the team," she said. "Everyone set each other up and I wouldn't have had as many goals if it wasn't for the other girls on the team. There were many different leaders on the field and it changed from game to game."
Although the host-Czech Republic didn't make it to the championship game, Hubschmann felt a sense of familiarity watching that final game.
"I didn't get to play against any familiar faces but I was able to see Michi (Ellers), Ricky (Fried) and Mr. Ford (father of current Hoya Molly Ford) throughout the tournament," she said. "I got to watch Michi play and she did an amazing job throughout the tournament. It was fun watching her play because I get to play with her in practice every day and to see how great she performed in the World Cup was amazing."
With the Czechs still working to become a presence in international lacrosse, Hubschmann is likely to be a part of that for years to come. The team had players ranging from 18 to 35 making her one of the youngest on the squad.
With another World Cup in 2013, and current GU Head Coach Ricky Fried as the new head coach of the U.S. national team one can be certain Hubschmann has plans to come back and get another crack at the world's elite. However, for now she'll go back to being a mild-mannered college lacrosse player just trying to make the most of her summer vacation.
"I don't really have any big summer plans, but my brother Otakar's wife is having a baby girl and is due the first week in August," she said. "It's really exciting for my family because it's the first grandchild/niece, so I'm looking forward to spending a lot of time with my family."
