ORONO -- The passports belonging to Gustav Nyquist and Theo Andersson bear plenty of stamps. As tourists from Sweden, coming to North America was nothing new for them.

Nyquist had skied the Rockies and walked the streets of Boston while Andersson had been on the beaches of Florida and atop the skyscrapers of New York.

But as freshmen forwards for the University of Maine hockey team, Nyquist and Andersson took a different route than many Europeans who choose to play hockey on this side of the Atlantic Ocean. This time, Nyquist and Andersson brought their hockey equipment to North America.

Before this fall, neither was familiar with America's college hockey landscape, and neither had been as far north as Orono -- a far cry from beaches and concrete jungles -- before visiting the Maine campus on recruiting visits.

Playing college hockey is not a common path for European hockey players. Many choose to play professionally in the Swedish Elite League or, if they're skilled and talented enough, have the chance to play professionally in Sweden or in the United States.

"I've always had the dream, and everyone's dream is to play in the NHL," Nyquist said. "I was really excited to come over here. The rink's much smaller here, and I wanted to come over and find out what it was like (to play hockey). I want to see how the game is here and how much it takes to get to the NHL."

Maine's roster includes 13 American-born players and 12 Canadian-born players. But NCAA Division I academic eligibility rules require that foreign students must meet high school graduation and core curriculum requirements, have a GPA of 2.0 (on a 4.0 scale) and meet minimum scores on the ACT or the SAT (taken in English; the NCAA has different test score requirements for each country).

"It's very challenging to recruit in Europe, and it takes a lot of work in helping (Europeans) get eligible academically, simply because they did not grow up planning to go to college here," Maine coach Tim Whitehead said.

"The NCAA clearinghouse has very strict regulations and does not give any special treatment to foreign players. It's very difficult to qualify academically, no matter how good you are. Europe is not an area where we think we'll get a lot of players every year, but this opens the door for a couple more prospects. And we're pleased with the two we have."

Nyquist and Andersson are adjusting to North American hockey -- a brand that's more physical, as opposed to the more finesse European game.

"You have a little bit more time with the puck and we don't hit as much as they do here," Nyquist said. "They go harder to the net here, and in Sweden we search for a nice play or a nice pass. Here, there's more shooting and going right to the net."

The Detroit Red Wings took Nyquist in the fourth round (121st overall) of this year's NHL entry draft after he scored 11 goals and 20 assists in 24 games with Malmo, a team in Sweden's top junior hockey league, despite missing six weeks with a shoulder injury. But he felt needed to hone his game and become more physical against bigger, stronger college players.

Andersson had 17 goals and 24 assists in 41 games with Frolunda, a junior team that has produced NHL players such as New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist, Ottawa right wing Daniel Alfredsson and Toronto center Alex Steen.

Growing up in Gothenburg, Sweden (on Sweden's West coast, the country's second-largest city after Stockholm), Andersson never considered going to the United States to play college hockey.

"Canadian junior hockey is pretty big and more common for hockey players from Sweden to go to Canada to play hockey," Andersson said. "But if you do that, you can't combine school and hockey, and I think it's significant to combine both."

They have the challenge of living on their own, adapting to a second language and balancing their academic schedule with that of Division I college hockey.

Matt Duffy, a senior defenseman for the Black Bears, remembers making the adjustment not just to college hockey but to college life, and he and his teammates have taken the initiative to help Nyquist and Andersson acclimate to American college life.

But if Duffy were in their position?

"If I went to Sweden, I guarantee I couldn't understand half the things that were being said," Duffy said. "I'd be at a loss."