The University announced plans to build an expansive new soccer and lacrosse complex around Stevenson-Pincince Field, which is scheduled to open spring 2020 and will be completed by the 2020-21 school year.
Architectural Resources Cambridge will design the complex, which is expected to be three stories tall and 22,500 square feet.
“It’s going to be an upgrade in environment at the stadium, … an upgrade for the spectators and their enjoyment of the games,” said Men’s Soccer Head Coach Patrick Laughlin. The facility will include locker rooms, team meeting spaces and coaches’ offices along with a new scoreboard, grandstand, concourse level restrooms and a concessions area for spectators. The facility will also feature space for game-day hosting and team gatherings.
Director of Athletics Jack Hayes believes that the success of the lacrosse and soccer programs contributed to the decision to build the complex. “When you have strong programs and you have (alums) that have supported those programs over the years … they stay engaged and they want to see those programs continue to do well,” he said. The men’s lacrosse team made the NCAA Final Four in 2016, while the women are coming off of a strong 9-6 finish in 2018. Both soccer teams finished with .500 records this fall, and the four squads have won a combined 42 Ivy League Championships.
The new facility will be entirely funded through private donations and fundraising, according to Hayes. “We had the funding, we had the interest and there was certainly a need,” he added. The University received permission from the City of Providence to build the center in late March, according to a University press release.
Currently, locker rooms for the lacrosse and soccer teams are housed in the Pizzitola Sports Center and Olney-Margolies Athletic Center, requiring the teams to walk from these buildings to Stevenson-Pincince Field for all practices and games.
According to Laughlin, the new complex will save many hours of practice time and potentially improve his team’s performance. “It should create the ability to bring in better players, to improve your recruiting (and) to improve your team as a whole because of the functionality of the facility,” Laughlin said.
“Having everything so centralized and together will create a really big sense of community for us,” said Women’s Lacrosse midfielder Sophia DeRosa ’22. “Practicing in better facilities increases everyone’s excitement about being there.”
Both DeRosa and Laughlin pointed out the excitement and community atmosphere the new complex should generate for the soccer and lacrosse teams. “It’s going to provide the teams that are in the facility a home,” Laughlin said.
