Seahawk News
For immediate release
September 1, 2009
Contact: Pete DiVito, 401-341-2461
Football Practices at Gaudet Field for First Time
NEWPORT, R.I. - The Salve Regina University football team completed their first practice on the new field turf at Gaudet Field Tuesday afternoon, less than two weeks before the Seahawks will play their first-ever home game in Middletown.
"Today marked the first time in the history of Salve Regina football where the team could practice on the game field," said Salve Regina head coach Chris Robertson. "Up until this point in time, there was no 'home field advantage' for us. We will now have that benefit with this new facility in Middletown. It will take some getting used to by our players and staff because we have much more room than we are used to on campus. However, this is a good problem to have!"
According to Robertson, the team used a '40-car convoy' to shuttle themselves over to Gaudet Field, which is approximately a 10-minute ride from campus. Robertson and his staff spent most of the afternoon working on several in-game situations, such a goal-line defense, with the difference being that they were able to line up the drill on the actual goal line they will be playing on. "I can't stress enough how significant it is for us to be able to practice on our game field," said Robertson. "The surface is fantastic and the players are excited about the facility. It will be an attraction for the fan and for the recruit. This can only help our football program continue to grow into a championship team."
Last April, the Middletown School Committee approved a 40-year lease which will allow Salve Regina's football, field hockey, soccer and lacrosse teams will share use of the Gaudet complex for conducting practices and hosting intercollegiate contests. According to Salve Regina Athletic Director Colin Sullivan, the partnership with Middletown helps Salve Regina solve one of its most pressing athletic department needs, that of providing student-athletes with improved, reliable outdoor playing surfaces.
"Through the construction of a FieldTurf playing surface, we are able to address the many needs of our outdoor sports and provide our student athletes and coaches with an invaluable resource and tool to achieve success," Sullivan said. "Having access to a synthetic playing surface will assist us in our daily programming effort for outdoor programs and enhance our student athlete experience. For those athletes and teams whose contests have been cancelled or postponed due to inclement weather and unplayable fields far too often, we now have a solution."
Prior to this partnership with Middletown, Salve Regina's football team played its home games at Toppa Field under an agreement with the city of Newport from 1993-2008.
The Seahawks open their 2009 season on Saturday, Sept. 5 with a road contest at WPI at 7 p.m. The following week, Salve Regina will host Hartwick at Gaudet Field at 1 p.m.
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