July 14, 2005
New London, CT - Connecticut College varsity lacrosse, field hockey, soccer, intramural and club athletes now can focus on threatening opponents - instead of threatening weather - as the college has recently completed its new all-weather turf field at the Lyn and David Silfen Field behind the college's Athletic Center. all-weather turf replaced natural grass that previously covered Silfen Field. The new surface ensures that scheduled games will not be postponed due to inclement weather, a common occurrence in recent years.
Including Connecticut College, nine of the 11 colleges in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) have all-weather turf fields. According to Fran Shields, the Katherine Wenk Christoffers '45 Director of Athletics, the new turf at the college will alleviate scheduling problems, allow practices and games to be held year-round and provide a venue for regional and national championships. The field, which is made of a synthetic carpet that sits on a 500,000-pound layer of rubber and sand pellets, was used as a venue for the recently held Cerebral Palsy World Championships.
"This facility makes a statement that our athletic programs are on a trajectory for a new level of excellence," Shields said. "Plus, the image of a turf field overlooking the Thames River will be put an indelible mark on the minds of visitors to our campus."
The new field will primarily be used by the women's field hockey team in the fall and men's and women's lacrosse in the spring, but it will also provide additional playing space for the college's soccer teams, club sports, intramurals and recreational activities. It's estimated that 600 students will use the field annually.
The $1.4 million project - funded by college donors - also includes several improvements for the track and field program, most notably the creation of a throwing events field directly east of Silfen Field.
A memorial for a subcontractor who died in a construction accident while working on the new turf is currently being considered.
The field will be dedicated this fall at a ceremony on Saturday, Sept. 24.
Ranked among the most selective private liberal arts colleges in the nation, Connecticut College enrolls 1,900 men and women from 46 states and 40 countries. The college is known for putting the liberal arts into action through interdisciplinary studies, international programs, funded internships, student-faculty research and service learning. Founded in 1911, the college operates under an 83-year-old honor code. The college is located at 270 Mohegan Ave, New London, about two hours by car from Boston and New York. The 750-acre campus is an arboretum overlooking Long Island Sound. For more information, visit http://www.connecticutcollege.edu.
