Colorado University Athletics
Top 20 Soccer Moments: No. 16
September 07, 2016 | Soccer
BOULDER – When Colorado added women's soccer in 1996, CU lacked one key component that a program needs, and that's an on-campus home. On Oct. 1, 2004 the Buffs finally got their on-campus pitch, opening the doors to a transformed Prentup Field with a 3-0 victory against Northern Colorado in the first ever Division I soccer game played on the campus of CU.
For the first nine seasons the Buffs had called the Pleasant View Soccer Complex home, three miles north from Prentup Field. While playing there, CU complied a record of 50-28-5 for a solid winning percentage of .633. But the Buffs wanted an on-campus field to call their own.
Before hosting the soccer team, Prentup Field had been the home of CU's baseball team. But baseball hadn't been played at CU since 1980, so the field had laid mostly dormant through the years. Then head coach Bill Hempen arrived in 2001 and things changed for the program.
Starting during the spring of 2002, the Buffs started using Prentup Field for practice, even though there was still an infield and the dimensions were still that of a baseball field. But it was a step in the direction the quickly growing program needed to take, since it was beginning to outgrow its humble beginnings.
When 2003 rolled around the team was granted full-time access to Prentup Field and the process of transforming the field from a baseball diamond to a soccer pitch began. Through 2003 and into 2004, work continued on the field, until midway through the 2004 season when Prentup was ready for show time.
Sophomore Katie Griffin scored the first goal on the new pitch in the 10th minute. She would add a second one later on in the second half to help CU open Prentup Field in style, taking the opening match against Northern Colorado 3-0.
CU would then return to Pleasant View Soccer Complex to play its next four home games, before wrapping up their 2004 home schedule beating Oklahoma 4-0 on Oct. 22, in just the second game ever played at Prentup Field.
Once the doors had opened, the Buffs made sure they kept things rolling on their new pitch. Including the two wins during the 2004 season, CU opened up Prentup Field winning the first five matches ever played there. And the Buffs finished off Prentup Field's inaugural season with a 7-1 record, including notching conference wins against Iowa State, Oklahoma State, Missouri and Kansas.
Since moving into Prentup Field, the Buffs have put together a winning record of 73-33-10. And Prentup hosted opening-round matches of the NCAA Tournament in 2006, 2007, and in 2014, in which the Buffs are 4-1.
Overall Prentup Field has been home to many of CU's greatest soccer events, and will be the home for many more moments and top events to come.
The Top 20 Moments of Colorado soccer will be revealed throughout the season as 2016 marks the 20th Anniversary of the first year of the program. Two will be announced per week on Mondays and Wednesdays.
Top 20 Moments
1. ???
2. ???
3. ???
4. ???
5. ???
6. ???
7. ???
8. ???
9. ???
10. ???
11. ???
12. ???
13. ???
14. ???
15. ???
16. CU moves into Prentup Field, a home for Buffs soccer
17. Nikki Marshall's success with the USWNT
18. CU's first Big 12 Tournament win in 2002
19. First NCAA Tournament appearance in 2003
20. Colorado announces the addition of women's soccer as a varsity sport on Aug. 14, 1993
For the first nine seasons the Buffs had called the Pleasant View Soccer Complex home, three miles north from Prentup Field. While playing there, CU complied a record of 50-28-5 for a solid winning percentage of .633. But the Buffs wanted an on-campus field to call their own.
Before hosting the soccer team, Prentup Field had been the home of CU's baseball team. But baseball hadn't been played at CU since 1980, so the field had laid mostly dormant through the years. Then head coach Bill Hempen arrived in 2001 and things changed for the program.
Starting during the spring of 2002, the Buffs started using Prentup Field for practice, even though there was still an infield and the dimensions were still that of a baseball field. But it was a step in the direction the quickly growing program needed to take, since it was beginning to outgrow its humble beginnings.
When 2003 rolled around the team was granted full-time access to Prentup Field and the process of transforming the field from a baseball diamond to a soccer pitch began. Through 2003 and into 2004, work continued on the field, until midway through the 2004 season when Prentup was ready for show time.
Sophomore Katie Griffin scored the first goal on the new pitch in the 10th minute. She would add a second one later on in the second half to help CU open Prentup Field in style, taking the opening match against Northern Colorado 3-0.
CU would then return to Pleasant View Soccer Complex to play its next four home games, before wrapping up their 2004 home schedule beating Oklahoma 4-0 on Oct. 22, in just the second game ever played at Prentup Field.
Once the doors had opened, the Buffs made sure they kept things rolling on their new pitch. Including the two wins during the 2004 season, CU opened up Prentup Field winning the first five matches ever played there. And the Buffs finished off Prentup Field's inaugural season with a 7-1 record, including notching conference wins against Iowa State, Oklahoma State, Missouri and Kansas.
Since moving into Prentup Field, the Buffs have put together a winning record of 73-33-10. And Prentup hosted opening-round matches of the NCAA Tournament in 2006, 2007, and in 2014, in which the Buffs are 4-1.
Overall Prentup Field has been home to many of CU's greatest soccer events, and will be the home for many more moments and top events to come.
The Top 20 Moments of Colorado soccer will be revealed throughout the season as 2016 marks the 20th Anniversary of the first year of the program. Two will be announced per week on Mondays and Wednesdays.
Top 20 Moments
1. ???
2. ???
3. ???
4. ???
5. ???
6. ???
7. ???
8. ???
9. ???
10. ???
11. ???
12. ???
13. ???
14. ???
15. ???
16. CU moves into Prentup Field, a home for Buffs soccer
17. Nikki Marshall's success with the USWNT
18. CU's first Big 12 Tournament win in 2002
19. First NCAA Tournament appearance in 2003
20. Colorado announces the addition of women's soccer as a varsity sport on Aug. 14, 1993
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