Two Alumni have given the gift of competition to the Big Green lacrosse and field hockey squads: a chance to compete at home on artificial turf when the New England weather turns dismal in late fall and early spring.
Donald B. Scully '49 and Peter M. Fahey '68 along with the support of their wives and families have pledged funds to construct an artificial turf field, enabling the athletic department to realize a longtime goal of an artificial surface that can be used during inclement weather.
"An outdoor, multi-sport, artificial turf field has been a top priority for the athletic department for more than two decades," Athletic Director Dick Jaeger said. "Don and Peter's extraordinary generosity will have a significant, immediate impact on eight sports, giving a tremendous boost to our coaches and nearly 250 athletes in those sports."
The 86,400-square-foot Scully-Fahey Field, to be located within the Chase Field complex near Thompson Arena, is expected to cost $2.5-$3 million. Engineering studies are underway and the field will be ready for the field hockey season in September of 1998.
Scully-Fahey Field will become the primary game and practice site for field hockey and lacrosse, as well as a much needed backup facility for men's and women's soccer, football, baseball and softball. It will also provide valuable practice space forBig Green teams preparing for away games on synthetic surfaces.
Due to bad weather, Dartmouth teams who play on grass are forced to play many original home games on the road while all have to share practice time in Leverone Fieldhouse.
However, due to a state-of-the-art drainage feature and the ability to accommodate snow removal, the new field will be available for games and practices on many occasions when grass fields are unplayable.
"We were always way behind the southern teams and all the other teams that were able to play outside because we weren't used to playing full field, out under the natural light," women's lacrosse goaltender Sarah Carlson '99 said. "Now we have the opportunity to be better prepared at the beginning of the season instead of trying to play catch-up with the southern teams."
Both lacrosse coaches who saw games moved this past season due to snow, praise the new complex.
"Our players will benefit immensely by not having to practice late hours in Leverone and by not missing classes to travel to 'home' games played elsewhere," Amy Patton, women's lacrosse coach, said.
"We've been fighting an uphill battle against the weather for years," Tim Nelson, men's lacrosse coach said. "Our athletes can look forward to playing on a more equal standing with the rest of the Ivy League."
The new facility keeps Dartmouth in pace with the national trend toward artificial turf among top-level college field hockey programs.
"At its highest levels, the game of field hockey is played on artificial surfaces," field hockey Coach Julie Dayton said. "Needless to say, I am very excited about this field and eagerly look forward to its completion."
"The field is going to change Dartmouth field hockey's game entirely," Weze Shorts '99, who plays both field hockey and lacrosse, said. "With astroturf, we can come up another step in competing with other teams because we will be more experienced in playing on turf," she said. "Many of our losses were on turf, and now we have that much more of a chance to compete on the road."
Along with the field's construction, the project will include spectator seating for 1,600 fans, lighting, fencing, a press box and scoreboard, as well as an endowment to operate and maintain the facility and replace the turf every 10 years. While the men's lacrosse team played its games at Memorial Field, the field hockey and women's lacrosse teams only had the benefit of a scoreboard at their former field.
Scully played lacrosse while at Dartmouth while Fahey was a member of the basketball and track teams. Both of Fahey's sons, Peter Jr. '94 and Michael '97 were members of the men's lacrosse squad.
