MATT VOLZ
Sports Editor
Photograph by JEAN CESTARO | Staff Photographer
For Fredonia athletics, there seems to be more enthusiasm behind the term “home turf ” entering this fall season.
That’s all thanks to the school’s newest athletic facility, an updated turf field attached to University Stadium.
The previous turf had been put in place nearly two decades ago, but players and coaches said that its surface had become worn down.
“When I went out there, it was as hard as a rock,” said Director of Facilities Planning Markus Kessler in a previous article published in The Leader.
The original turf was actually recalled shortly after it was installed, something Fredonia was unaware of until about 2017. “We were not aware of it [before 2017],” said Kessler. “I’m not sure why it never got to us.”
The new surface is more similar to natural grass.
Grass is preferred by many athletes and coaches due to studies connecting poor turf to non-contact injuries.
“My preference for [where to play] soccer is…on [the] grass,” said P.J. Gondek, co-interim athletic director and men’s soccer head coach. “But I would say that this turf is in such good condition and it’s so new, that it’s almost like real grass.”
Construction of the new turf went almost entirely according to plan, Kessler said.
The turf is a natural green color, resembling natural grass. It has lines painted on it for both lacrosse and soccer, although Fredonia’s men’s and women’s soccer teams play their home games on the grass field.
A Fredonia Blue border runs around the outside edge of the turf, with “Blue Devils” written in white on each end.
The Blue Devils’ logo lies at the center of the field, giving the facility an extra Fredonia touch.
The only change to the construction timeline was a positive one, as the material for the border trim and center field logo arrived earlier than expected. As a result, the field was entirely completed by the end of August.
Photograph by JEAN CESTARO | Staff Photographer
The turf serves as the primary home field of the women’s lacrosse team.
According to Head Women’s Lacrosse Coach Tori Poffenberger, the excitement among her athletes is sky-high despite the fact that they have yet to play a game on the new surface.
“That’s been our field for a really long time, so it feels like our home just made an upgrade,” she said. “That’s really special to our girls, for sure.”
The women’s lacrosse program has been steadily improving over the last few years. From 2017 to 2022, the team won just 14 total games.
In Poffenberger’s two seasons as head coach, they have totaled 11 wins.
“I think it shows that our athletics department is paying attention to the success that we’re starting to drive into our program, and it’s paying off,” she said. “I just feel like it’s a reward for all of our programs.”
The new surface faced its first test on Friday, Sept. 6 and Saturday, Sept. 7 as Fredonia hosted its annual Blue Devil Classic soccer tournament.
Each year at the Blue Devil Classic, Fredonia’s men’s and women’s soccer teams compete on the main grass field at University Stadium while other games take place on the turf field.
Gondek was thrilled with how the tournament went, and he said the turf was “very well-received” by the visiting teams that played on it.
“We’ve been hosting this tournament for years, and our previous turf was a bit outdated and it really needed an upgrade,” he said. “I think the visiting teams were pleasantly surprised with how aesthetically pleasing it was, and the quality of the surface is just so much more user-friendly than the last one.”
Poffenberger said she is excited for what the turf can do to promote the game of lacrosse.
“I would love to host a three-on-three or seven-on-seven tournament where we bring local club teams and high school teams to Fredonia, not only to promote [the program] but also to get all these teams in one area and get people playing,” she said. “I would love to get something started with youth around the area, I just think it takes a little bit of time for that kind of stuff to happen.”
Gondek believes that it will help with recruiting for not only lacrosse, but other sports as well.
“I think our other sports are going to make sure that when [prospective athletes] have a campus tour, they’re going to hit that spot because it’s just so well-done and so professional,” he said. “I think that it’s going to help from a recruiting standpoint, and I think it says a lot that Fredonia athletics is on the rise right now.”
One interesting quirk of the new turf is that it also has lines painted for men’s lacrosse, suggesting that Fredonia could be looking to add a men’s lacrosse team at some point. happen in the future as it pertains to men’s lacrosse, but they want to be ready for anything that may come within the lifespan of this field.
He also said that while the field is heavily used for varsity teams, it is available to be used by club and intramural teams as well as the general student body.
“The space is for all students,” he said. “We want the general student to be able to use the space as well.”
“I feel like there’s a revitalization of athletics happening,” Poffenberger said. “There’s a buzz going around Fredonia athletics and I can’t wait to see where we end up this year.”
As the sun rises up over the horizon and shines down on University Stadium, not only does it signal a new day on campus, but a new dawn breaking on Fredonia athletics.