The international competition of the Winter Olympics may not be for another year, but for three ISU players, the competition is about to begin.

Junior forward Pete Majkozak, co-captains Adam Mueller and Brent Cornelius and coach Al Murdoch will all be making the long trip overseas to Harbin, China, to participate in the 24th Winter World University Games. Equipment manager Anfu Wang is also helping out.

The games will be played out from Feb. 18 to 28 with Team USA matching up against teams from Korea, Slovakia, Russia and Japan.

Despite having to miss three straight weekend series for the Cyclones, the players agree it is a tremendous honor to be selected. The players all shared a common feeling that it has been a dream to represent their country.

“When you grow up you obviously want to wear a jersey with USA on the front, it’s kind of a personal goal,” Majkozak said. “We’re just lucky enough to be able to do it. At this point in time in my career it’s an honor, and it feels great to be able to represent the country.”

The dream of playing for the team became a reality this past September when each player found out about his selection. For Cornelius, finding out proved to be a continuation to his lucky day.

“I was golfing with [sophomore goalie Erik] Hudson at Coldwater, and I just made a birdie, and I thought my day was just going to start out great,” Cornelius said. “I left my phone on because I knew that Pete [Majkozak] got a call so I was making sure just in case they called me. They called and congratulated me and I was just awe-struck, I was amazed that I was going to be able to play for the team.”

For Mueller, he initially did not find out about the selection until after Majkozak found out.

“I didn’t get the call, I might have been in class,” Mueller said. “Pete had already gotten the call, and coach had told him that Cornelius and Mueller are both going too. I walked in and had a missed call from a Rhode Island number and thought that they were either calling me to cut me or keep me. I walked into my house and Pete congratulated me and I called the coach back and I was lucky enough to be one of the ones selected.”

The Rhode Island number was from Joe Augustine, head coach from the University of Rhode Island hockey team.

For a couple of players this will be the first time they have traveled overseas. Although they are excited for the games, they cannot help but be excited about seeing a different part of the world and some of its attractions.

“I guess there’s a lot of ice sculptures there,” Cornelius said. “I don’t know how far it is from Beijing but it’d be nice to go over there and check that place out because it’s a huge city with a lot of culture there. I’d like to see the Great Wall, that’d be nice, so hopefully we get some down time we can go check that out too.”

Majkozak would also like to see the ice sculptures as well as indulge himself in Chinese cuisine.

“I heard they make these huge ice castles,” Majkozak said. “I’m going to try a lot of the food and just kind of see all the sights and just really get to know the culture over there.”

Both heand Mueller have tried to learn the language to avoid being completely lost.

“I know enough Chinese to be able to bargain with the street vendors,” Majkozak said. “I know good and bad and money. Other than that not a whole lot, just enough to get by with the street vendors.”

In order to talk to these vendors, Mueller has developed a strategy for interacting with them.

“I learned bad is [pronounced] “boo” so anytime you’re trying to deal with the street vendors, you just say that and they lower the price,” Mueller said.

Even though its an honor to play for team USA, the player are still focused on winning the  ACHA National Championship with their Cyclone teammates.

“Hopefully the USA team comes together, and I think they will, but as for these guys, I live with them and sweat with them every day so it’d be nice to see a national championship out of this team,” Mueller said.