Northview's highly regarded lacrosse team returned from London last week. The girls made a rare international trip during the school year, playing two matches during the five-day English adventure. Northview coach Kathleen Archambeau kept a diary and shared her thoughts about the trip:

CHAPTER I: Across the pond

We had four busy days leading up to the trip, most importantly a home scrimmage against Centennial [won 16-2]. We flew out of Atlanta at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 15, and arrived in London at 7:25 a.m. Saturday. For some of the girls, it was their first flight ever. For many, it was their first-ever international travel.

We had 45 people, which included coaches, varsity and junior-varsity members, and 10 parent chaperones. We were met at the airport by our tour guide, who was wearing a Northview shirt. We checked into the hotel as quickly as possible because we didn't want anyone tempted to take naps, and then headed to the tourist stops.

CHAPTER II: London Bridge isn't falling down

We walked around the park across from Buckingham Palace and heard the legendary chimes of Big Ben. After taking a pizza break, we crossed over the River Thames to view the famous London Bridge we all grew up singing about.

After taking rides in an amphibious truck (goes on land and water) and the subway, we went to Piccadilly Circus, a place that resembles New York's Times Square, with blaring lights and flashing billboards. The most popular shopping items for the girls were Union Jack boxer shorts and Mind the Gap T-shirts. The first day ended after seeing the play "Wicked" in London's historic theater district.

CHAPTER III: Treasure hunt

We awakened on Sunday at 7:30 a.m. and began practice 30 minutes later at a picturesque park across from our hotel. Afterward, we did our own version of "The Amazing Race" with a treasure hunt in the British Museum. The girls, divided up into groups of five, had to search for everything from the Rosetta Stone to the Elgin Marbles. What was the prize?

Other than pride, it was wearing colorful outfits made by Northview's coaches. The girls quickly realized the better the finish, the better the outfits.

One of the last-place groups had on Toucan beaks with feather wings on each arm, and another was dressed up like Leprechauns. Even the adult chaperones didn't escape the fun, with some dressed like the Queen. It was a memorable experience for all.

Next stop was the Tower of London, built in 1078 by William the Conqueror, then hiking to the London Eye, a huge Ferris wheel with capsules on the outside of the wheel. The sun was setting into a purple and orange glow as we slowly went up to view the London skyline. The girls kept saying it was like being in a fairy tale.

CHAPTER IV: Game day

Monday was game day. We played St. Pauls' School for Girls and were completely shell-shocked during the first 10 minutes. The international game is different than ours. Most significant is the restraining line being just a formality, as the real action takes place when the ball is on the ground. Also, physical contact is not penalized unless there's intent to injure.

I called a timeout to regroup the girls, and learned that timeouts are not part of the U.K. game. It confused St. Pauls', but they granted us one in the name of good sportsmanship. We adapted our style of play, which is one of the reasons we were in England, and finished in an 8-8 tie.

We couldn't have been happier with the comeback. Both teams exchanged small gifts and chatted for about a half-hour, with St. Pauls' offering up a detailed scouting report on our next opponent, Wycombe Abbey. That was their big rival, just like Northview-Chattahoochee. It showed our girls that some things are universal, such as good old-fashioned rivalries.

CHAPTER V: Best of the best

There is no place quite like Wycombe Abbey, which is considered the U.K.'s top academic boarding school for girls. It's set in the countryside, with an ancient and majestic-looking castle surrounded by rolling hills so green they make your eyes hurt. The towering trees seem to go into the clouds. We joked we were surrounded by the Whomping Willows brought to life in J.K. Rowling's novels.

There were four beautiful grass fields and another one with turf and lights. Wycombe had a lacrosse room with several walls dedicated to hundreds of top-of-the-line sticks, and another that held cleats and practice uniforms. For lacrosse enthusiasts, this was pure nirvana.

At our request, Wycombe played its A-team, consisting of only 18-year-old girls, the reigning U.K. champions. If you combine the best players from Westminster and Milton, that is what we faced. We've never seen anything like it. We led by three at half, but Wycombe pushed it to another level and won 10-6.

In Wycombe tradition, both teams lined up after the game and picked a player of the match. The Wycombe girls, using an American accent, picked Northview junior Katie McGuire. We announced our choice in our thickest British accent.

The teams exchanged small gifts and ate dinner together, with the Wycombe girls becoming shocked when they realized that our girls actually lived with their parents. Then the Wycombe girls tried to persuade me to let our girls spend the night on the campus, and they were hugely disappointed when I said no. But it was yet another lovely testament to the bond of friendship forged by a common sport between us.

Wycombe gave us three cheers as we boarded the bus, and our girls sang for the entire trip back to London. We went to the Hard Rock Cafe for dessert, did some dancing, and listened to coach Karen Allen's rendition of "Welcome to the Jungle," which will surely appear on YouTube any moment. A few hours later, we quietly flew out of England with memories that will last a lifetime.