| Morrone Stadium | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Joseph J. Morrone Stadium |
| Location | Storrs, Connecticut United States |
| Built | 1969[1] |
| Opened | 1969 |
| Renovated | 1994, 2002, 2008, 2009 |
| Owner | University of Connecticut |
| Operator | University of Connecticut department of athletics |
| Surface | natural grass |
| Scoreboard | one electronic scoreboard |
| Capacity | 4,500 |
| Record attendance | 5,495 on December 8, 2007 vs. Virginia Tech (post-2002 contraction), 9,200 on October 24, 1982 vs. Alabama A&M (all-time),[2], 6,090 on September 26, 1999 vs. Syracuse (women's all-time), 2,308 vs. Notre Dame on October 13, 2006 (women's post-contraction)[3] |
| Field dimensions | 75 x 120 yards |
| Tenants | |
| Connecticut Huskies men's soccer, Connecticut Huskies women's soccer, Connecticut Huskies women's lacrosse (former, part-time) | |
Morrone Stadium, officially known as Joseph J. Morrone Stadium[4] is the on-campus soccer stadium at University of Connecticut in Storrs, Connecticut.
The 4,500-seat stadium was built in 1969. and has undergone many renovations. since The stadium hosts the school's men's and women's soccer programs.
Contents |
Morrone Stadium was built in 1969, and was at the time known as Connecticut Soccer Stadium. Before that, UConn soccer was largely unknown and unpopular. However, at the urging of newly hired soccer and lacrosse coach Joe Morrone (whose name the stadium now bears), a new stadium was built for the team.[5] The stadium has had a capacity as high as 8,574 but it was restructured in 1994 and again in 2002 to seat 5,564. In 2008, it was again restructured to seat 4,407. Finally, in 2009, Morrone Stadium was expanded slightly to its present capacity of 4,500.[6] In 1997, the Board of Trustees voted to change the name of the stadium to honor Morrone, who had just retired after coaching soccer for 28 years at UConn. The stadium was officially renamed in 1999 to Joseph J. Morrone Stadium.[7] In 2008, the Division of Athletics proposed to build a new basketball practice facility on the site of Morrone,[8] but that was later changed and it will now be built where the vacant Memorial Stadium now is.[9]
As recently as 2006, the women's lacrosse team split games between Morrone and the Sherman Family Sports Complex, also the home of the field hockey and track & field programs. However, in 2007 the team moved to Sherman full time.[10]
The listed capacity of Morrone Stadium is 4,500. There is one electronic scoreboard behind the south goal, which is capability of displaying the time, score and shots for both teams, as well as limited messages. The natural grass surface measures 120 x 75 yards. Long metal bleachers line both sides of the field, and there is also a small set of bleachers behind the south goal. There is also unofficially standing room behind the north goal, although this is typically only used by students in the "Goal Patrol", UConn soccer's student fan club, the Goal Patrol. The Goal Patrol is known for being one of the nation's loudest and most passionate student sections, and, as of 2007, was also the largest with 540 members.[11]. Thanks in large part to these loyal fans, Soccer America Magazine voted Morrone Staium the fifth-best atmosphere among all college soccer stadiums in the country in 2011.[12] Large crowds continue to attend UConn men's and women's games there, making it one of the toughest places for visiting teams to play.
Like many of the University of Connecticut Athletic Facilities, Morrone Stadium is located on Stadium Road, right next to Mark Edward Freitas Ice Forum, which is home to the men's and women's ice hockey teams. It is also across the street from J.O. Christian Field, home of the baseball team. The softball field is nearby, as are the currently vacant Memorial Stadium and the Sherman Family Sports Complex. Gampel Pavilion, home to the men's and women's basketball teams and the women's volleyball team is located around the corner as well.
On September 26, 1999 6,070 fans attended the women's soccer game against the Syracuse Orangemen. At the time, this was a record for attendance at a regular season women's college soccer game. Additionally, Morrone Stadium has hosted various soccer tournaments. On November 11th and 13th, 2005, Morrone Stadium hosted the 2005 Big East Soccer Tournament semifinals and finals. The regular-season co-champion Huskies defeated the South Florida Bulls 1-0.[13]. It also hosted the semifinals and final of the 2006 Big East Women's Tournament[14], the 2007 Big East Men'sTournament[15], and the 2009 Women's Big East Tournament[16]. On February 9, 2011, the Big East Conference announced Morrone Stadium would again host the final two rounds of the Women's conference tournament in 2012, its first tournament in three years.[17] Morrone has also hosted several games of the opening rounds of the Big East and NCAA Tournaments for both sexes, although those are typically played at the site of the higher seed.