(FREDERICTON, NB) UNB’s newly refurbished turf at the BMO Centre is getting its first official test this week as the REDS’ women’s and men’s soccer teams open their 2022 training camps.
“Returning to BMO is huge,” said REDS fullback Julia Dalley, now in her third year with the team, but, because of an injury and the 2020 season lost to the pandemic, about to begin her first season of eligibility. “A majority of the girls, including me, have never played a home game on campus,” she said. “These past few years have prevented us from playing in front of the REDS community and supporters. Now, we finally have that opportunity and we’re all extremely excited.”
The feeling is no different on the men’s side of the clubhouse.
“There’s a lot of excitement and anticipation for the season to come,” said REDS fourth year striker Keji Adeniyi. “It was definitely worth the wait, from the look of the field, and it gives you a feeling of wanting to perform at your best.”
The REDS men opened training camp Monday. The women follow on Thursday.
UNB’s turf refurbishment project began in late May and wrapped up earlier this month.
More than 9000 square metres of new turf was laid, along with more than 350,000 kilograms of fill, which consists of sand and ground tires.
“The new field is beautiful and a welcome upgrade for our teams,” said Jon Crossland, head coach of the REDS’ women’s team. “The fact we once again have a top-level, year-round facility on our campus is a great development for our current and future REDS.”
“Having the new turf, combined with the view of Fredericton from the top of the hill, makes spending days at BMO quite easy,” added Crossland.
“I’m excited and thankful to be part of the first group of REDS that get to use the new field,” said Allie Hughes-Goyette, a second-year striker on the women’s team. “I’m looking forward to having more of a home game feeling. It’ll be great to be getting ready for games in your own change room and to see your friends in the stands when you’re walking out onto the field.”
The REDS’ women’s and men’s teams will break in the new turf with daily workouts this week.
On August 29th, UNB’s men will host the Guelph Gryphons in an exhibition game, the first game to be played on the new turf.
“The new turf gives our student-athletes and the community a first-class training and competition facility for years to come,” said Barry Morrison, head coach of the REDS’ men’s team. Morrison also serves as the club coach for the Fredericton District Soccer Association.
“This will be one of the best surfaces to play on in Atlantic University Sport, but the community will benefit greatly from this significant investment too. For our FDSA athletes, this means more than one-thousand hours of annual programming that will return to campus and to a facility where they can continue to explore and develop in the sport that they love.”
While UNB’s soccer teams may be the first to test the new field, they won’t be alone.
REDS football, field hockey, lacrosse and rugby teams will be among the other primary users of the facility.
“Playing our home games here will bring back an identity for our squads and, hopefully, our community,” said Adeniyi.
Last season, unable to use the old turf, the REDS played their first two home games at Fredericton’s Willie O’Ree Complex before taking the remainder on the road, to the Canada Games Stadium, at the UNB campus in Saint John.
“This will create a better sense of home advantage for us,” said Adeniyi. “Because we don’t have to focus on travelling and playing, we can just focus on playing and winning and defending this new turf.”
The REDS open the 2022 Atlantic University Sport season on September 11th, in Moncton.
The first regular season home games on the new turf will be played the following weekend, when UNB hosts Dalhousie on September 17th and 18th.
“It’s something we’ve all been looking forward to for a long time now,” said Dalley.
“I’m excited to get started and call it home, something we haven’t had the true opportunity to do with our young team.”
UNB hasn’t hosted an AUS soccer double-header (women’s game followed by men’s game) since October 25th, 2019.
STORY: Andy Campbell/UNBAthletics
PHOTOS: Evan Richtsfeld/UNB Athletics