Morrone Stadium

Last updated
Morrone Stadium
Connecticut Huskies wordmark.svg
Morrone Stadium Outside.jpg
A view of the outside of Morrone Stadium,
as seen in 2012
Morrone Stadium
Full nameJoseph J. Morrone Stadium
Former namesConnecticut Soccer Stadium
(1969–1999)
Address Storrs, CT
United States
Coordinates 41°48′4″N72°15′18″W / 41.80111°N 72.25500°W / 41.80111; -72.25500
Owner University of Connecticut
Operator UConn Athletics
Type Stadium
Capacity 5,100
Record attendance
List
    • 5,495 on December 8, 2007 vs. Virginia Tech (post-2002 contraction)
    • 9,200 on October 24, 1982 vs. Alabama A&M (all-time), [1]
      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) [2]
Field size75 x 120 yards
Surface Grass
Scoreboardone electronic scoreboard
Current use Soccer
Lacrosse
Construction
Built1969 [3]
Opened1969;55 years ago (1969)
Renovated1994, 2002, 2008, 2009
Tenants
Website
uconnhuskies.com/morrone-stadium

Morrone Stadium, officially known as Ray Reid Field at Joseph J. Morrone Stadium [4] is the on-campus stadium at University of Connecticut in Storrs, Connecticut.

Contents

The 5,100-seat stadium was built in 1969. and has undergone many renovations since. The stadium hosts the school's men's and women's soccer and women's lacrosse [5] programs.

The stadium is named after Joseph Morrone, Hall of Fame soccer coach, who led the Connecticut men's team from 1969 to 1996, [6] winning the NCAA national championship in 1981 [7]

History

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. [8] 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. In 2009, Morrone Stadium was expanded slightly to 4,500. [9] As of the 2015 season the current capacity is 5,100. [10] 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". [11] In 2008, the Division of Athletics proposed to build a new basketball practice facility on the site of Morrone, [12] but that was later changed and it will now be built where the vacant Memorial Stadium now is. [13]

Morrone Stadium was the original home of the women's lacrosse team as well, when it was founded in 1997. However, the team began to play some, and eventually all, of its games at the Sherman Family-Sports Complex. The last lacrosse game at Morrone was in 2009 against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, which was the first time the team played there in three years. [14]

On October 13, 2014 it was announced the former UConn men’s soccer student-athlete Tony Rizza ’87 (BUS) has pledged a total of $8 million to transform the soccer complex and build a new soccer stadium on the Storrs campus. [15] The new facility will be built on the site of the current Joseph J. Morrone Stadium and will bear the same name. In February 2017, UConn announced a proposed plan for a new stadium with the potential to break ground in the spring of 2018. [16]

Description

The listed capacity of Morrone Stadium is 5,100. 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 supporters group. 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. [17] Thanks in large part to these loyal fans, Soccer America Magazine voted Morrone Stadium the fifth-best atmosphere among all college soccer stadiums in the country in 2011. [18] 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.

Location

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 women's ice hockey team. It is also across the street from J.O. Christian Field, home of the baseball team. The softball field is nearby, as is the Werth Family UConn Basketball Champions Center 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.

Notable events and Games

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 11 and 13, 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. [19] It also hosted the semifinals and final of the 2006 Big East Women's Tournament, [20] the 2007 Big East Men'sTournament, [21] and the 2009 Women's Big East Tournament. [22]

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. [23] However, as a result of logistical issues related to postponements caused by Hurricane Sandy, the tournament was moved to Rentschler Field in East Hartford. [24] The stadium would later host the semifinals and final of the 2014 American Athletic Conference men's soccer tournament, where the Tulsa Golden Hurricane defeated USF 6-5 on penalty kicks after a scoreless draw. [25] Morrone has also hosted several games of the opening rounds of the Big East, American Athletic Conference, and NCAA Tournaments for both sexes, although those are typically played at the site of the higher seed.

Men's soccer sellouts

Note: Attendance goes back to the 2007 Season.

DateRivalScoreAtt.
Sep 24, 2011 St. John's 2–05,100
Oct 22, 2011 Georgetown 0–05,100
Dec 4, 2011 Charlotte [n 1] 1–15,100
Aug 8, 2012 St. Francis 1–05,100
Sep 22, 2012 St. John's 3–05,100
Sep 29, 2012 Notre Dame 2–15,100
Oct 27, 2012 Providence 2–05,100
Dec 2, 2012 Creighton [n 1] 0–15,100
Aug 31, 2015 Quinnipiac 0–05,100
Oct 17, 2015 UCF 2–15,100
Aug 28, 2016 Omaha 2–05,100
Oct 15, 2016 South Florida 0–15,100
Aug 22, 2022 Holy Cross 2–15,212
Notes

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">XL Center</span> Arena and convention center in Hartford, Connecticut

The XL Center is a multi-purpose arena and convention center located in downtown Hartford, Connecticut. Owned by the City of Hartford, it is managed by the quasi-public Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) under a lease with the city and operated by Spectra. In December 2007, the center was renamed when the arena's naming rights were sold to XL Group insurance company in a six-year agreement. The arena is ranked the 28th largest among college basketball arenas. It opened in 1975 as the Hartford Civic Center and was originally located adjacent to Civic Center Mall, which was demolished in 2004. It consists of two facilities: the Veterans Memorial Coliseum and the Exhibition Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field</span> Football stadium in East Hartford, Connecticut

Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field is a stadium in East Hartford, Connecticut. It is primarily used for football and soccer, and is the home field of the University of Connecticut Huskies (UConn). In 2010, it was home to the Hartford Colonials of the United Football League. The stadium, which opened in 2003, was the first stadium used primarily by an NCAA FBS team to open in the 21st century. Prior to its opening, Connecticut had played on-campus at Memorial Stadium in Storrs from 1953 to 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trinity Health Stadium</span> Multipurpose stadium in Hartford, Connecticut

Trinity Health Stadium is a multipurpose facility in Hartford, Connecticut. It has been host to concerts and sporting events. It was formerly the home of the New England Nightmare of the Women's Football Alliance (WFA). It is now the home of USL Championship club Hartford Athletic. The UConn Huskies men's and women's soccer teams played a majority of their 2019 matches at Dillon Stadium after starting their seasons at Al-Marzook Field in West Hartford, Connecticut.

Chase Family Arena at Reich Family Pavilion, commonly called the Sports Center or the Reich Family Pavilion, is a 4,017-seat multi-purpose arena in West Hartford, Connecticut. Home to the University of Hartford Hawks men's and women's basketball teams, the arena opened on January 25, 1990, and was dedicated to the Chase family and the Reich family, both of West Hartford, in 1998 and 2004, respectively. It hosted the 2010 and 2011 America East Conference men's and women's basketball tournaments. In 2015 the men's basketball locker room was expanded and refurbished.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UConn Huskies</span> College athletic program of the University of Connecticut, US

The UConn Huskies are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Connecticut, with its main campus located in Storrs, Connecticut. The school is a member of the NCAA's Division I and the Big East Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. O. Christian Field</span> Former baseball stadium in Storrs, Connecticut

J. O. Christian Field was a baseball stadium in Storrs, Connecticut. It was the home field of the Connecticut Huskies baseball team of the NCAA Division I's American Athletic Conference from 1968 through 2019. The stadium held seating for 2,000 people. It was named after former UConn baseball coach and athletic director, J. Orlean Christian. UConn played their last game at J.O. Christian field on May 11, 2019, with demolition the following month.

The UConn Huskies men's basketball program is the NCAA Division I men's college basketball team of the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Connecticut. They currently play in the Big East Conference and are coached by Dan Hurley. With six national championships and 45 conference titles, the program is considered one of the blue bloods of college basketball.

The UConn Huskies women's basketball team is the college basketball program representing the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Connecticut, in NCAA Division I women's basketball competition. They currently play in the Big East Conference.

The 2001–02 Connecticut Huskies women's basketball team represented the University of Connecticut in the 2001–2002 NCAA Division I basketball season. Coached by Geno Auriemma, the Huskies played their home games at the Hartford Civic Center in Hartford, Connecticut, and on campus at the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Connecticut, and are a member of the Big East Conference. At the Big East women's basketball tournament, the Huskies won the championship by defeating Boston College 96–54. The Huskies won their third NCAA championship by defeating the Oklahoma Sooners, 82–70. The starting five of Sue Bird, Swin Cash, Asjha Jones, Tamika Williams, and Diana Taurasi are generally considered the greatest starting lineup in Women's College Basketball history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Huskies of Honor</span> Award given by the University of Connecticut

Huskies of Honor is a recognition program sponsored by the University of Connecticut (UConn). Similar to a hall of fame, it honors the most significant figures in the history of the UConn Huskies—the university's athletic teams—especially the men's and women's basketball teams. The inaugural honorees, inducted in two separate ceremonies during the 2006–07 season, included thirteen men's basketball players, ten women's basketball players, and four head coaches, of whom two coaches—Jim Calhoun and Geno Auriemma—and three players—Ray Allen, Swin Cash and Rebecca Lobo—are also enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Since that time, an additional twelve women's basketball players, ten men's basketball players, nine national championship teams, one women's basketball assistant coach, and one athletic director have been honored.

The 2010–11 Connecticut Huskies women's basketball team represented the University of Connecticut in the 2010–2011 NCAA Division I basketball season. The Huskies were coached by Geno Auriemma, and played their home games at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut, and on campus at the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Connecticut. The Huskies are a member of the Big East Conference and attempted to win their eighth NCAA championship. The UConn team had won the last two national championships, and extended a win streak to an NCAA record 90 consecutive games.

The UConn Huskies men's ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college ice hockey program that represents the University of Connecticut. The Huskies are a member of the Hockey East conference. The Huskies play in the on-campus Toscano Family Ice Forum, having moved from the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut during the 2022–23 season.

The UConn Huskies baseball team represents the University of Connecticut, in Storrs, Connecticut, in college baseball. The program is classified as NCAA Division I, and the team competes in the Big East Conference. The team is coached by Jim Penders.

The UConn Huskies men's soccer team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of the University of Connecticut. The team is a member of the Big East Conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012–13 Connecticut Huskies women's basketball team</span> Intercollegiate basketball season

The 2012–13 Connecticut Huskies women's basketball team represented the University of Connecticut in the 2012–13 NCAA Division I basketball season. The Huskies, coached by Geno Auriemma, played their home games at two different venues—the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut, and on campus at the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Connecticut. Connecticut was a member of the Big East Conference in the league's final season before its split along football lines into the football-sponsoring American Athletic Conference and the new, non-football Big East. Connecticut, as an FBS football school, became a member of The American, which retained the charter of the original Big East.

The Connecticut Huskies women's soccer team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of the University of Connecticut. The team is a member of the Big East Conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The Huskies have appeared in 32 NCAA Tournaments, second all-time, and seven College Cups, tied for seventh all-time.

Raymond Michael "Ray" Reid is a retired American college soccer coach. He was head coach at the University of Connecticut Huskies men's soccer team for 24 years. He has led UConn to one NCAA Division I national championship, eight Big East regular season championships and four Big East tournament championships. Before coming to UConn, he was the head coach at Southern Connecticut State University, leading the team to three NCAA Division II national championships in eight seasons. Reid leads all coaches in the nation in winning percentage (.769) and has won four NSCAA Coach of the Year awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Connecticut Softball Stadium</span> Stadium in Storrs, Connecticut, US

Burrill Family Field at Connecticut Softball Stadium is the home field of the Connecticut Huskies softball team of the University of Connecticut. The stadium was located along Jim Calhoun Way, on the university's Storrs, Connecticut campus, adjacent to J. O. Christian Field and across from Morrone Stadium and the Burton Family Football Complex. The field is named for the Burrill Family, five of whom are UConn alums.

The 2021 UConn Huskies football team represented the University of Connecticut (UConn) in the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Huskies competed as an independent, having left the American Athletic Conference following the 2019 season. They played their home games at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut.

References

  1. ↑ 2004 Media Guide
  2. ↑ Women's Soccer Media Guide 2011, retrieved August 19, 2011
  3. ↑ If You Build it, They Will Come - Daily Campus, September 30, 2008. Accessed August 25, 2011 Archived September 29, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ↑ "UConn Facilities - University of Connecticut Official Athletic Site". Archived from the original on 2010-08-12. Retrieved 2010-12-03.
  5. ↑ 2024 women's lacrosse schedule at uconnhuskies.com
  6. ↑ Joe Morrone, Hall of Fame Soccer Coach at UConn, Dies on The New York Times. 18 Sep 2015
  7. ↑ Former UConn Men's Soccer Coach Joe Morrone Passes Away on UConn, 17 Sep 2015
  8. ↑ If You Build it, They Will Come - Daily Campus, September 30, 2008. Accessed August 25, 2011 Archived September 29, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  9. ↑ "UConn Huskies 2010 Media Guide for Men's Soccer, access May 22 2011". Archived from the original on 2017-07-22. Retrieved 2011-05-22.
  10. ↑ http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/conn/sports/m-soccer/auto_pdf/2015-16/misc_non_event/Quick.pdf Archived 2016-06-26 at the Wayback Machine [ bare URL PDF ]
  11. ↑ ":: Walt Chyzowych Memorial Fund ::". Archived from the original on 2011-07-19. Retrieved 2010-12-03.
  12. ↑ Hartford Courant - Practice Facility Update Archived 2012-07-11 at archive.today
  13. ↑ Hartford Courant - More Incremental Progress on UConn Facility Archived 2012-07-12 at archive.today
  14. ↑ "UConn Huskies 2009 Women's Lacrosse Media Guide". Archived from the original on 2016-04-13. Retrieved 2010-12-03.
  15. ↑ "UConn Alum Pledges Total of $8 Million for Soccer Complex". 13 October 2014.
  16. ↑ "With Feasibility Study And Ticket Surcharge, UConn Moving Forward On Plans For New Stadiums - Hartford Courant". Courant.com. 2017-02-10. Retrieved 2017-05-06.
  17. ↑ Deamon Deacons on A Mission (Section "Huskies Rising")
  18. ↑ "Twelve of the Most Exciting Places to Watch a College Soccer Match, CollegeSoccerNews.com". Archived from the original on 2011-08-04. Retrieved 2011-08-08.
  19. ↑ "2005 Men's Soccer Schedule" UConnHuskies.com, accessed May 13, 2011
  20. ↑ "Big East Championship Schedule 2006-07 BigEast.org, accessed May 13, 2011
  21. ↑ "Big East Championship Schedule 2007-08 BigEast.org, accessed May 13, 2011
  22. ↑ "Big East Championship Schedule 2009-10 Archived 2010-07-07 at the Wayback Machine BigEast.org, accessed May 13, 2011
  23. ↑ "Big East Announces Olympic Sport Championship Sites for 2011-12 and 2012-13 BigEast.org, February 9, 2011, accessed May 13, 2011
  24. ↑ "BIG EAST Women's Soccer Championship Moves to Rentschler Field".
  25. ↑ "2014 MEN'S SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP - TheAmerican.org".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.