WILLIMANTIC, Conn. - Soon after the final horn sounded on May 1, 2008 -- signaling the end of a standout collegiate lacrosse career -- four-time All-Little East Conference defenseman Jon Snedeker (Southington, Conn.) of Eastern Connecticut State University was invited to compete with an amateur US Team in the “Down Under Cup” in Melbourne on the continent of Australia.

Previously held only for women, the 2008 tournament attracted 11 men and women’s teams from the US, Japan, and Australia and was held from May 30 through June 2. Led by coaches Richard Dommer of Herkimer Community College, and Michael Brand of Misercordia University, Snedeker’s US Red team took home the silver medal, finishing with an overall record of 3-1-1 after losing to the U19 Australia National team in the fourth overtime of the championship game.

“With everything going on in the world today, it’s imperative that sport provide international goodwill among nations, and continue to offer opportunities furthering friendship and camaraderie,”” said Snedeker, a four-year starter at Eastern and a 2008 USILA Scholar All-America Team selection.

After games, teams would trade their equipment and give out gear to one another. “It got interesting since a few teams didn’t speak any English,” noted Snedeker.

After the tournament, the two men’s and two women’s teams enjoyed themselves off the
field by relaxing in metropolitan city of Melbourne, located in the southeastern area of the country. In Melbourne, the Americans headed to the Queen Victoria Market to pick up souvenirs and Australian items. They also took in an Australian Rules Football game between Geelong and Carlton.

Following their stay in Melbourne, the teams traveled to Brisbane and stayed in the heart of Surfers Paradise for more relaxation. Here they went surfing and went sightseeing on the famous Great Ocean Road, Apollo Bay and Byron Bay. Byron Bay, Australia’s most eastern point, has a history of attracting great sights as there were dolphins and whales off of the coast of the lighthouse. The USA teams saw koalas and kangaroos at the world-renowned Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary as one of their final visits in the land down under.

Along the trip, Snedeker tasted kangaroo, shark, sushi, japanese, and Thai food.

After logging more than 40 hours in the air in order to reach and return from his destination, Snedeker indicated that he was glad to be back in Connecticut, where he settled in to continue his employment search after graduating with honors with a degree in business. Snedeker praised his donors for their generous contributions of nearly $6,000 that made this once-in-a-lifetime adventure possible.

Q & A with Jon Snedeker

ECSU: Prior to this trip, what other parts of the world had you experienced?

JS: I’d been to Canada and the Bahamas.

ECSU: What was the most memorable part of the trip?

JS: The fourth overtime of the championship game against the U19 Australian National Team was most memorable. Everyone was so exhausted from playing four days straight, we had to give it everything we had. The crowd was cheering us on with a U-S-A…U-S-A chant! At that point, it almost felt like our whole country was watching, even though there were only a few hundred people. We ended up giving up the game-winning goal during a penalty, but everyone was pulling for each other to get the job done and no one expected we would go so far.

ECSU: What were some of the things that you learned from the trip?

JS: I began to learn about the historical indigenous Australians (Torres Strait Islanders and the Aboriginal people). This aboriginal culture is associated with boomerangs and didgeridoos (a musical wind instrument described as a “natural wooden trumpet”). We saw beautiful landmark sightseeing spots such as the Great Ocean Road and Byron Bay. It was great to learn about the animals that are endemic to the country, such as kangaroos, koalas, and dingos. I also learned that the United States has such a significant influence upon Australia, in respect to music, food, and movies.

ECSU: What was the most educational part of the trip?

JS: The most educational part was learning how to deal with the differences between Australia and the US. For example: driving on the left side of the road instead of the right (with a full trolley in-between the lanes), adjusting to measuring heat in celsius instead of fahrenheit, and gauging mileage in kilometers instead of miles. Even the terminology was different: ‘tucker’ instead of ‘food’, ‘chemist’ as opposed to ‘pharmacy’, and ‘stubbie’ in place of ‘drink’ was difficult getting used to.

ECSU: Do you think you made any long-lasting friendships?

JS: I met a few great locals over in Melbourne and exchanged contact information. It would be great to go back. Many teammates have been in contact through networking sites online. Since players from throughout the country represented the US team, it’s nice to know that you have someone to contact when you go on vacation.

ECSU Were there things that you wished you could have done on the trip that you did not do?

JS: Not once did I get to relax on the beach! Our itinerary was so packed that we were always on the move. If we weren’t playing our tournament games, we always had somewhere to be. Extra time outside of games included sightseeing, surfing, going to the Aussie rules football game, sanctuary visits, and experiencing the great restaurants and nightlife of Surfers Paradise.

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