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| Defending NCAA Champion Maryland To Defend Title |
(NORFOLK, Virginia) -
Saturday’s NCAA Division I Field Hockey Championships are set to begin on
Saturday and the Sweet Sixteen promises no shortage of fireworks.
Top-ranked North
Carolina (20-1) faces Stanford
(16-6). Number two Princeton
(17-1), will play
Drexel (15-6). Third-ranked University
of Connecticut (18-2) plays Northeastern. Fourth-ranked Penn
State (17-3) will take on Albany
(13-7).
Other matchups include Michigan
(15-6) taking on Old
Dominion University, Syracuse (17-2)
facing the University
of Massachusetts (15-8), Lafayette
(17-2) playing defending champion Maryland
(16-5), and Virginia
(15-5) against Iowa
(14-6).
For the second year in a row, 15 of the 16 teams in the
field play their home games on AstroTurf,
the world’s leading surface for field hockey.
AstroTurf 12 systems were
first used in an international field hockey event in 1975 in Montreal. The same field hosted the Olympics in
1976.
AstroTurf
surfaces were also used in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta and 2008 Olympics in
Beijing. The AstroTurf
System 12 has also seen play in the Pan Am games, World Cup and numerous other field
hockey events. The U.S. National team
trains on AstroTurf in Chula Vista, California, and Virginia Beach, Virginia.
AstroTurf System 12 pitches are made of a short-pile, knitted
nylon product which conforms to the sport’s need for high degrees of planarity,
extremely tight tolerances, and sophisticated drainage systems. AstroTurf System 12 pitches provide uniform
traction and consistent footing. The
fibers are UV-resistant, have a low-glare surface, and reduce the need for
watering and maintenance costs.
AstroTurf has the most extensive research and development department in
the world dedicated to bringing the next generation of field hockey systems.
If there is any doubt about the benefits of AstroTurf in
developing a superior team, just look at the combined records of the teams in
this year’s Sweet Sixteen. The overall
record of the teams in 2012 is 253-71.
That’s a winning percentage of .719.
“AstroTurf definitely plays a role in building better teams,”
said Pam Hixon, Field Hockey Ambassador for AstroTurf, and a Hall of Famer who
is one of the winningest coaches in NCAA history. “We’re proud to have been a part in helping
build winning traditions at these fine schools.”
Jeff Graydon, Associate Athletic Director for Facilities at number
two ranked Princeton University believes in the AstroTurf playing surface and
its ability to help teams.
“We wanted to
create a consistent surface that gives the team with the highest skill level the
best opportunity to win,” said Graydon.
“A poor surface is a great equalizer, and a great field provides high
level play with an advantage. That’s
what the AstroTurf system gives us.”
The field hockey
playing surface is a source of pride and a valuable tool to each field hockey
program in the tournament.
“We consider our AstroTurf field to be one of the top practice and
game facilities in the country,” according to third-ranked UConn head coach
Nancy Stevens. “We have had several
visiting teams install the same field after playing at Connecticut. There can be no better endorsement.”
Over the past 31 years, every team that has won the NCAA
Championship at the Division I level has played its home games on
AstroTurf. Twenty-seven of those
championships are held by teams in this year’s Sweet Sixteen. Old Dominion University has nine, Maryland
has eight, North Carolina has six, UConn has two, and Iowa and Michigan have
one each.
The NCAA Championships are played at a set location each
year and there has never been an NCAA Championship that wasn’t won on an
AstroTurf playing surface. This year’s semi-finals
and championship games are being hosted by Old Dominion University at the
Powhatan Sports Complex on the ODU campus in Norfolk, Virginia.
News and information on the tournament can be found on the
NCAA’s website at http://www.ncaa.com/sports/fieldhockey/d1.
