"Never been outside Canada, no. I didn't even know Jack had been there before, so I'm happy about that."

Lopes' forward Hunter Schmitz won't need a GPS in Italy – although his possible tour guide, teammate Jack Thomas - will be of only limited assistance.

"I actually went last summer on a cruise all around Italy, but I've never been to Torino, so it should be a pretty fantastic experience," said Thomas.

Luckily, they'll have plenty of help to get around. The two stars for the Grand Canyon University D1 Men's Hockey team are currently home for the holiday break, but will take an extra week or two away from their team and American Collegiate Hockey League play after being named to the 2025 United States Men's National University Team. The team will compete two weeks from now in Torino, Italy, in the 2025 Winter World University Games, facing off in Group A against international teams from Poland, Japan, Slovakia and Ukraine to qualify for the championship rounds January 19 through 22. The two are the first-ever GCU players chosen for the prestigious honor.

"I was shocked when I got the call, to be honest," said Thomas. "I had an injury over the summer, but I heard from the coaches that they were going to submit my name. I was just honored and beyond thankful to be selected to represent USA in a great opportunity to prove something to every other country."

"Since joining the D1 level of ACHA, it's been a goal of ours to see a GCU player get this opportunity to play on this team and represent their country," said Lopes' Head Coach Danny Roy. "To have two of our guys doing it on the same team? That's amazing."

While Thomas and Schmitz will be the only Lopes on the trip, they'll have plenty of familiar faces around them, since one of the national team's assistant coaches is University of Arizona Head Coach Chad Berman, who will have two of his Wildcats' players with him as well as two members of WCHL rival UNLV. In addition, the Lopes' final game of the semester saw Thomas score the winning goal over defending ACHA National Champ Minot State, with the national team's other assistant coach, MSU Head Coach Wyatt Waselenchuk (and two Minot players who are national team-bound), looking on.

"We've been meeting about once a week, so it was obviously an odd feeling (playing against them), but there's a reason that that coach is coaching on the team, and those players are playing, so I'm excited to be playing with them," said Thomas.
"Hockey is one of those sports where growing up, you'll always know someone on the opposing team," said Schmitz. "I don't necessarily know those (Minot players) yet, but we know we're going to play together soon."

While it's the 15^th time overall that the United States will field a team at the Games, it's the first time in six years that this team (consisting solely of ACHA players) will be shooting for a gold medal when they face Poland on January 12.

"I've heard it's a really cool experience – something we haven't experienced before," said Schmitz. "I'm just going to try my best to enjoy it and not be too nervous about it."

Yeah, the nerves are there – especially since both know they'll have to adapt quickly to learn their roles on a team stacked with talent.

But it helps knowing there's a familiar face right across the way feeling the same way.

"When JT told me he was coming, too, I was very relieved," said Schmitz. "I'm excited, but I'm also nervous, so knowing that helps a lot."

"'Schmitty' is a great friend and he deserves this - hands down," said Thomas. "He's a great player, and I'm just so excited to be able to go to Italy with him."