gostangs wrote:huge relative to what? i dont think college soccer is really huge anywhere
So you ask..........4,000 seats packed, etc.
Maryland SoccerPlex primed to host "ACC-Big East Challenge"
19 Aug, 2011
One of the biggest soccer facilities in the region is preparing to host four of the top men’s college soccer programs on the East Coast, as Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia and St. John’s University (N.Y.) open their 2011 NCAA campaigns with a doubleheader at the Maryland SoccerPlex Stadium in Boyds, Md. next Friday.
The Virginia Cavaliers will open the evening with a border battle against WVU’s Mountaineers at 5 p.m., followed by a clash between the Maryland Terrapins and the St. John’s Red Storm at 8 p.m.
“We think it’s a great opportunity to showcase men’s college soccer in the Montgomery County area,” Keith Lenart, the SoccerPlex’s Director of Operations, told Potomac Soccer Wire this week. “Clearly University of Maryland being the most proximate school, we hope it brings out the crowds. Virginia, St. John’s and most recently West Virginia also have pretty rich traditions in men’s soccer.”
A capacity crowd is expected to fill the 4,000-capacity showcase stadium, especially in light of the August Cup youth tournament which will also take place in Boyds over the weekend. Staged by the Damascus Soccer Club and the Seneca Soccer Association, the tourney includes some 250 teams and will use every single field at the SoccerPlex as well as a satellite venue.
“It’s just a great opportunity for not only the D.C. metro area to come out and watch quality college soccer, but also for any of those participating in the August Cup,” noted Lenart. “So the tie-in with a Friday evening doubleheader to open the season for all four institutions, coupled with the youth soccer tournaments, seems like an ideal situation.”
Organizers are also counting on some of the schools’ many D.C.-area alumni to attend. Local-bred players will probably feature prominently in both games, and then there’s the general draw of quality soccer from two elite NCAA groupings.
“The Big East is always very good soccer and St. John’s has a [NCAA] championship under their belt. Those two conferences just have a rich tradition for men’s soccer,” said Lenart. “West Virginia has, I believe, four or five players from the Maryland-Virginia area as well, so it’s kind of a homecoming for some of those players and they may draw a significant crowd as well.”