Pilots v. Oregon

A_Fan wrote:DD, concerning interference, I'm no rules expert, however I watched the replay of the game on the Pilots website. One of the announcers, Angela Harrison, former Pilot goalie, said of the play that this happens all the time and is rarely called. She speculated that someone might have spoken to the official before the game and that it was on his mind and that's why he called it.

Thanks. Again, from my perspective and from my view directly down the end line ......it was apparent Micaela went straight up, and the UO goalie came forward toward her, but there was no actual contact of any note.

My perspective of the ref was definitely skewed in the first half when an Oregon defender kept tugging and pulling at the waistband of our player's shorts to slow them down as in water polo, but when one of our players finally had enough and complained, the ref turned and yelled, telling her to, "close your mouth" while he pointed two fingers towards his eyes to say, "I'm watching you." I would have carded a player for making a similar intimidating gesture.

Saw Oregon's new ground today. The pitch is nice but someone spilled yellow paint all over it.



Pape Field only has the one skybox and it's a little far from the pitch but it holds 56,000 of your friends.

Not quite so nice for futbol. It's Turf, which makes it the fourth best D1 pitch in the state.

I mean I'm inherently biased against all things UO, but while the facilities themselves look nice, the tackiness of the on field branding... Coupled with the fact that it is fieldturf?

Uhhhh ... isn't the Willamette Valley known for grass seed production?

More significantly, the use of turf suggests that Oregon does not aspire to have good enough teams to qualify to host an NCAA Tournament game. The NCAA generally calls for grass fields in order to host. It can make exceptions, but I don't know if it's ever granted any.

Anyone notice, by the way, that future WCC member Pacific beat Oregon 1-0? Pacific is not having a good year so far, although it's had some close games:


Pacific 0 CaliforniaU 3
Pacific 0 SanFrancisco 1
Pacific 2 Pepperdine 3
Pacific 0 SanJoseState 1
Pacific 0 BostonCollege 3
Pacific 1 OregonU 0

UPSoccerFanatic wrote:More significantly, the use of turf suggests that Oregon does not aspire to have good enough teams to qualify to host an NCAA Tournament game. The NCAA generally calls for grass fields in order to host. It can make exceptions, but I don't know if it's ever granted any.

quite a few, actually. The first one that springs to mind is St. John's which has a Turf field that sits on top of a Parking garage and has for years.

Boston U. is another team that has hosted on a Turf field, I think.


the following schools have FieldTurf fields. some have hosted.

http://www.fieldturf.com/images/downloads/FieldTurf_NCAA_Soccer.pdf

I'd take the list with a grain of salt. they list UP as having FieldTurf for its game field.
Maybe, but not for soccer.


But it isnt like Oregon doesn't have room for a real grass field or anything. they could hire some OSU Turf management folks to maintain it.

I'd take the list with a grain of salt. they list UP as having FieldTurf for its game field.
Maybe, but not for soccer.

Hmm, and San Diego State is now in the Pac-10? And I'm sure that Siena will be thrilled to find out that they are now in the Ivy League!

Not so sure Sienna would be pleased. The rest of the Ivys provide almost free tuition.

But it isnt like Oregon doesn't have room for a real grass field or anything. they could hire some OSU Turf management folks to maintain it.

There was never an issue with Oregon staying on grass if it was just the soccer program using the field, and the soccer program did fight for the surface to remain grass. Oregon has turf because the facility is shared with the men's and women's club lacrosse programs. Turf is highly preferred to grass for lacrosse for several reasons; just look at the lacrosse goalie boxes on a grass field, for one; bounce and consistent roll of a lacrosse ball would be another. With three programs sharing the field, the athletic department opted for the turf so they could put all three teams on the field and only pay for one facility.

The current coaching staff at Oregon is well aware of the recruiting disadvantage of turf, but are working very hard to positively spin it as a plus of the program.

KFTC wrote:

But it isnt like Oregon doesn't have room for a real grass field or anything. they could hire some OSU Turf management folks to maintain it.

There was never an issue with Oregon staying on grass if it was just the soccer program using the field, and the soccer program did fight for the surface to remain grass. Oregon has turf because the facility is shared with the men's and women's club lacrosse programs. Turf is highly preferred to grass for lacrosse for several reasons; just look at the lacrosse goalie boxes on a grass field, for one; bounce and consistent roll of a lacrosse ball would be another. With three programs sharing the field, the athletic department opted for the turf so they could put all three teams on the field and only pay for one facility.

The current coaching staff at Oregon is well aware of the recruiting disadvantage of turf, but are working very hard to positively spin it as a plus of the program.

In addition to these points (although I do believe their women's lacrosse is NCAA), I think that Oregon is letting groups gather on the pitch for tailgating or other festivities during the pointy-ball game that happens next door.

KFTC wrote:

But it isnt like Oregon doesn't have room for a real grass field or anything. they could hire some OSU Turf management folks to maintain it.

There was never an issue with Oregon staying on grass if it was just the soccer program using the field, and the soccer program did fight for the surface to remain grass. Oregon has turf because the facility is shared with the men's and women's club lacrosse programs. Turf is highly preferred to grass for lacrosse for several reasons; just look at the lacrosse goalie boxes on a grass field, for one; bounce and consistent roll of a lacrosse ball would be another. With three programs sharing the field, the athletic department opted for the turf so they could put all three teams on the field and only pay for one facility.

The current coaching staff at Oregon is well aware of the recruiting disadvantage of turf, but are working very hard to positively spin it as a plus of the program.

Oregons women's Lacrosse is a D1 program, not club. As such it deserves the same sort of effort and funding as any other varsity sport. they could have built a lacrosse stadium for less money than this combined facility.

What Oregon did is find a way to appropriate a fine eight year old DI GRASS soccer stadium because they wanted the space for their football palace being built on the ground the old Papé field, and for more Football practice space - on grass, I will add.

And the truth is that only part of those stadium structures have anything to do with soccer OR Lacrosse. At least half of the building is administrative and prep area for the catering business the university runs for the high rollers at football games, some of which you can see in the tent structures in the above photos.

And part of the reason stated in the original proposals was to have a turf field so it could be used as a more easily maintained Fenced and secure soirée location for those high rollers during Oregon fall rainy season — not anything to do with either varsity women's sport. The original drawings show tents on the field for that purpose. It will only be a matter of time before that plan is realized.



I went to a a little school in Pennsylvania (Gettysburg) that has better facilities than UO offers for its varsity non revenue sports. It has grass And Turf soccer fields in nice (but small) stadiums, a 5,000 seat stadium for Lacrosse and football on Turf ( the school is 2000 and D3) and a state of the art field hockey Turf venue as well. And I'll bet they built all three facilities for less money than the new Papé.

They just didn't try to mask the expense of a catering facility for another men's sport as part of the expense.

Bucknell has a fine facility with a turf field for Women's Lacrosse AND a grass field for soccer served by a common grandstand , locker rooms, and press box that serves both fields.

and the stands are roofed. I'll bet that cost less than the new UofO facility as well. The difference is that the purpose was actually two women's sports.

And some of the best Lacrosse fields on the East Coast are grass and every bit as good as the Merlo experience. lacrosse on a fine grass field is a wonderful experience. Even an average grass field is better than a mediocre Turf field. My worst Lacrosse experience in memory was playing on Hoftra's old AstroTurf field.

The main reason you see Turf for Lacrosse tournaments is that so many games are played over a short span of time at a major stadium, not that playing on grass is somehow inferior. It isn't. The D1, D2, and D3 semis and finals are all at the same place over Memorial Day weekend. Until a few years ago, that included both men and Women. That just wouldn't be possible on grass.

I didn't see anybody on the soccer field Saturday but I got to Autzen right before kickoff. Nobody was out there at halftime or after the game.

If they want to have parties on the turf good luck to them when they have to clean spilled beer and food off it.

PurplePrideTrumpet wrote:I didn't see anybody on the soccer field Saturday but I got to Autzen right before kickoff. Nobody was out there at halftime or after the game.

If they want to have parties on the turf good luck to them when they have to clean spilled beer and food off it.

they have indoor parties in the Mishovski center now at halftime for the masses on turf. spilt beer is not a problem for those folks.

Geezaldinho wrote:

PurplePrideTrumpet wrote:I didn't see anybody on the soccer field Saturday but I got to Autzen right before kickoff. Nobody was out there at halftime or after the game.

If they want to have parties on the turf good luck to them when they have to clean spilled beer and food off it.

they have indoor parties in the Mishovski center now at halftime for the masses on turf. spilt beer is not a problem for those folks.

They lay down plastic plates over the playing surface in there. It's the only place inside the stadium that sells beer.

Spilt beer? They're waterfowl, but they aren't heathens.

up7587 wrote:Spilt beer? They're waterfowl, but they aren't heathens.

Yikes, I guess you're correct they are NOT heathens......well, at least those that are wrapped in green and lying in a manger.

PurplePrideTrumpet wrote:

They lay down plastic plates over the playing surface in there. It's the only place inside the stadium that sells beer.

Haha.

The only place? Well, no.

I had the good fortune to be the guest of a corporate HIGH roller.

They brought the beer to your seat. Pretty much any beer you wanted. And it was free.


So, I guess you are right. They don't sell it.

There are other places that sell alchohol in Autzen, they just aren't open to the general public. But a ticket upgrade can get access to the Club. Haven't been there myself, yet, but I know some who have.

I tried to watch some of the Seattle U @ UO game on the Pac 12 network, and I have to say Pape Field does not look good on tv... between the various shades of turf, the ridiculously big logos, the lacross lines, the yellow font all over the stands, it just gave me headache.

Add in the homer & unknowledgeable Pac-12 announcers, the game was unwatchable.