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UMSL's
Don Dallas Soccer Field is one of the better college soccer facilities
in the country. The soccer field was recently renovated in the
summer of 2002 with complete new bermuda surface, allowing for
a safer and more playable field for the student-atheltes. In the
summer of 2005, the press box was repainted and a new scoreboard
was installed.
The
complex features a permament seating structure for fans, complete
with restrooms and press box. The field is lighted to allow for
night games and has a sound system and electronic scoreboard for
fan enjoyment. |
The
soccer field was originally built in 1970 as an intramural field
and was upgraded in with portable bleachers to seat 500 people
in 1975.
A few years later, the complex saw its most significant improvements
thanks to the efforts of then state senator James Murphy. In 1982,
the field added lights and the following year saw the construction
of the soccer stadium, complete with a press box, restrooms and
permanent seating for 1,350 fans. The new look soccer complex
was dedicated on October 11, 1983 as got some instant success
and UMSL defeated SIU Edwardsville 1-0.
In
October 1991, the field paid tribute to former head coach Don
Dallas by officially naming the stadium in his honor. Dallas built
the UMSL soccer program from scratch and coached the team for
23 years. He led the team to 236 wins, 16 NCAA Tournament apperances
and the school's only NCAA National Championship in 1973. In October
of 1993, the University added another tribute to Coach Dallas
with a memorial entrance for all fans to see as they enter the
stadium. |