Wagner College Field Hockey is Back with New Hockey Gold Surface
After a 41- year absence, competitive field hockey is back at Wagner College. The university will sponsor a field hockey program in 2019-20 for the first time since 1978. In preparation, officials turned to FieldTurf to help build the Seahawks’ new home. The college opted for FieldTurf’s premium Hockey Gold system, designed for the highest levels of field hockey competition.
Wagner College will be a member of the Northeast Conference (NEC) competing amongst Bryant, Fairfield, Long Island, Merrimack (FieldTurf), Rider, Sacred Heart (FieldTurf) and Saint Francis.
Athletic Director Walt Hameline is ready for the new era to begin.
“We couldn’t be more excited to kick-off our inaugural season and the fact that we can do so on a new home surface makes it that much more exciting." Hameline said. "Our players love the Hockey Gold system and you can really tell it’s not like anything else in the league. This new style of hockey surface is changing the game of field hockey in the U.S. for the best.”
FieldTurf’s dedication to the sport can be seen by its designation as an International Hockey Federation (FIH) Preferred Supplier and partnership with the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) to help grow the game domestically. These entities are dedicated to protecting players and the surfaces on which they play. Delivering the highest quality, superior performing and safest artificial turf systems is at the heart of FieldTurf’s mission.
Hockey Gold was designed specifically for the highest levels of competition. This player friendly product is built with a uniquely engineered polyethylene filament. Shaped like a lens, the fiber is texturized through a high heat process to create its crimped effect and retains its memory, providing a truly uniform and non-directional surface with exceptional durability.
Like all FieldTurf systems, Hockey Gold was developed with coach and player feedback. Designed by athletes for athletes to deliver leading performance, Hockey Gold focuses on four key sport-specific elements:
- Fiber shape
- Superior ball roll and speed
- Premium performance
- Better footing and stick movement
FieldTurf is the trusted surface of leading NCAA programs like Monmouth University, Towson University, West Chester University, James Madison University and elite international clubs like Reading Hockey Club, Royal Holloway University, Kalinga Stadium (Host of 2018 Men's Hockey World Cup, 2019 Men's Hockey Series Finals) and over 150 installations worldwide.