NCAA FIELD HOCKEY SWEET SIXTEEN SET TO BATTLE ON ASTROTURF

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.

AstroTurf Magic Carpet II System Installation Underway at Fargodome

Work is underway at the Fargodome on the new AstroTurf Magic Carpet II system.

North Dakota State University has produced a great series of quick videos on the installation process.

Fargodome officials estimated that more than 125 events take place on the current playing surface, including half a dozen NDSU home football games, over 40 practices, over 20 high school football games, nearly 35 youth football games, as well as winter practices for baseball and softball teams from NDSU and area high schools.

Converting an indoor stadium to host multiple events is extremely important from the amount of time it takes to convert, to the expenses involved in the conversion.  Not only does the Fargodome host sporting events, it hosts concerts, conventions, and more events.  Converting the floor surface to be able to host as many events as possible is key because time is money.

The AstroTurf Magic Carpet II system allows for the conversion of a synthetic surface in a timely and efficient manner.

The Magic Carpet II system uses a series of air jets in the floor on which the entire AstroTurf field “floats” as it is unrolled from or rolled up onto a huge steel core that lowers into a covered pit.  Because the process is fully automatic and takes less than an hour for complete conversion, it helps facilities increase revenue and decrease labor costs by allowing more events.  It also keeps field performance and aesthetics at the highest level for years as the field is fully protected rolled up in the pit.

The turf will be AstroTurf GameDay Grass 3D.  The field also has a face weight of 60 ounces of fiber per square yard, the highest in the industry.  This adds to the durability provided by the fiber.  Most importantly, the Magic Carpet II system has been redesigned to allow for new generation rubber infilled turf systems.  This means the NDSU players will play on a grass-like surface and not a “rug”.

Here are the first three installments of the video profile.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtXd8YmsXh4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BddzYoOZNuM 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JG9oyuo0bo 

PITT PANTHERS TO PLAY SPRING GAME SATURDAY ON ASTROTURF

(PITTSBURGH, PA) - The Pitt Panthers football team is taking their spring game on the road to North Hills High School and a new AstroTurf field.

First year head coach Paul Chryst, in an effort to embrace the traditions of Western Pennsylvania football, will host the annual Pitt Spring Football Festival and Blue-Gold Scrimmage at Martorelli Stadium in Pittsburgh.

Martorelli Stadium features an a

ll-new AstroTurf GameDay Grass 3D60 Xtreme playing surface.

“This is huge for the community and for AstroTurf,” said Shamus Petrucelli, Regional Sales Manager for AstroTurf. “This is an opportunity for us to showcase this great playing surface for people at all levels of the football community in Western Pennsylvania.”

"I may be new to Pittsburgh, but I've respected and known about the traditions of Western Pennsylvania high school football for a long time," Chryst said. "As a first-year coaching staff, we feel it is important to get out and engage the people and communities who have built that tradition. The spring game is a perfect opportunity to do this and we're really looking forward to visiting North Hills."

"Pitt football is opening a new and exciting era under Coach Chryst and we're honored to be part of the program's first spring game under his leadership," North Hills High athletic director Dan Cardone said. "This is another stellar example of how Pittsburgh's highest-profile football teams, the Panthers and the Steelers, are invested in the communities of Western Pennsylvania. It is a winning equation for everyone involved and we're excited about hosting Pitt next month."

The surface the Panthers will play on features the all-new fiber combination called Xtreme. The field combines a monofilament Horseshoe fiber with a slit film product. The Horseshoe fiber has a horseshoe shape, which is more resilient and bounces back, staying upright longer. It also reflects less light and heat.

The slit film offers the ultimate in durability. The field features 60 ounces of fiber per square yard.

The field also has a RootZone, a thatch layer which holds the sand and rubber infill in place for less splash and migration, making for a more consistent playing surface.

The gates will open this Saturday at 11:00 a.m. The Panthers will host a youth clinic at 11:30 a.m., followed by the Blue-Gold Scrimmage at 1:00 p.m.