At a ceremony held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 29, the college dedicated and officially opened Gooding Field, named in honor of former athletic director Peter Gooding and his wife, Myra, for their nearly 40 years of service to the college.
As head men’s soccer coach for 32 seasons, Gooding led the team to two NCAA Regional Finals. He served as AD from 1976 until he retired in 2005 (see “Peter Gooding retires,” College Row, Winter 2007). Over the years, Myra Gooding ran programs and organized events in the Office of Alumni and Parent Programs and worked in the Career Center.
The new synthetic-turf field looks and feels like natural grass, yet because it is so durable, it will allow for practices and games when the ground is wet. The base is a mixture of ground plastic and rubber. Soft plastic shafts are embedded in it to prevent rug burn.
Gooding Field, which is on Route 9, will host all home games for field hockey and men’s and women’s lacrosse. On rainy days, it will serve as an alternate field for men’s and women’s soccer.