Boston College Athletics
Field Hockey to Debut Renovated Field
September 04, 2014 | Field Hockey
The Boston College field hockey team will debut a completely renovated Newton Campus Sports Complex when it hosts UMass for the season opener on Sunday Sep. 7.
"We are thrilled with the renewal project and completion of the Newton Sports Complex field hockey field. The commitment that Father Leahy has made to the field hockey program with this state-of-the-art facility is clear. The numerous student-athletes and students that benefit from this new field is far reaching," said head coach Ainslee Lamb.
Senior Associate Athletic Director John Kane and Senior Construction Project Manager Ed Stokes spearheaded the Newton Campus Sports Complex project over the summer.
"John Kane committed much of the summer to ensure that the project was on time and provided the athletic department with an incredible facility that would be considered one of the best in the ACC.
"Ed Stokes was amazing throughout the process. The time he took to be educated in the sport so that the best and most optimal decisions were being made with every aspect of the turf was impressive," said Lamb.
Stokes outlined the scope of the renovation including:
- New AstroTurf synthetic field hockey surface
- New porous asphalt base for the field to improve drainage and playability
- High velocity field irrigation system which allows for full watering of the surface in a 20-30 minute cycle (the old system took well over an hour to water)
- New scoreboard made possible by a donation from the Killip family to be installed in the fall
The improvements to the Newton Sports Complex have made a significant impact on the quality of playing conditions for the Boston College field hockey team.
"AstroTurf is the best product out there and we are fortunate that both BC and AstroTurf made this project a priority with both the quality of the job and the timeline that we needed to adhere to. Both exceeded expectations.
"The field is playing very true and the efficiency of the watering system is providing the players with an optimal playing surface," Lamb said.
Check out the renovations to the Newton Sports Complex when BC hosts UMass Sunday, Sep. 7 at 3 p.m.
To keep up with BC field hockey news and receive in-game updates, follow @BCFieldHockey on Twitter.
