Dowling can finally play games with new fields

Opening Day of Dowling College

A view of centerfield and the scoreboard of Dowling's new baseball stadium. (Newsday/Joseph D. Sullivan / March 2, 2008)


BY MARCUS HENRY | marcus.henry@newsday.com
March 2, 2008

Article tools

It's been a long time coming for one of the more successful college athletic programs on Long Island: 53 years to be exact.

Since Dowling opened in 1955, its athletic teams have had to deal with a home-away-from-home scenario. No home field for lacrosse, baseball, softball or soccer.

All of that changed yesterday when Dowling's new $12.5 million outdoor athletic complex was opened for the first time. It was a special sight for all of the 1,454 fans on hand to watch Dowling host LeMoyne in an ECC men's lacrosse game.

The result wasn't optimum as Dowling came up short, 8-2, against the two-time defending national champions. But the significance of the day far outweighed the outcome of the first game. Yesterday was about building a foundation for a new era in Dowling athletics.

"It's been dubbed the longest road trip in sports," Dowling president Robert Gaffney said. "This gives our sports teams a home."

The Golden Lions men's lacrosse team played all of their "home" games at Stony Brook University the last three seasons. While Stony Brook's Kenneth P. LaValle stadium is a state of the art facility, there's nothing like having home games on campus.

"It feels good to finally call something your own," said senior midfielder Kevin Rimmer. "I've been looking forward to this for four years. We can really take pride in ourselves and the program when we play here."

Senior midfielder Nick Cotter, who scored Dowling's first goal on a pass from Rimmer, said having a home field should do a lot to upgrade the program. "It's an honor to be the first team to play here," Cotter said. "This will help bring in a lot of recruits and expand the program."

Dowling coach Tim Boyle, who led the Golden Lions to the NCAA Division II final in 2006, concurred with Cotter and said the complex is already paying dividends. "We have 17 recruits already committed," said the eight-year coach. "That's more than we've ever had."

Having an on-campus facility has also made it a bit easier to coach. Shuttling athletes who live on campus back and forth to practice at St. John's Eastern Campus (formerly La Salle Military Academy) is now a thing of the past. The new facility also offers more flexibility for rescheduling events in case of bad weather.

"I have a smile on my face every day," Boyle said. "Whether we have good or bad practices."

In addition to a combination lacrosse /soccer field, the complex is equipped with a separate softball and baseball field and an all-purpose field. The baseball, softball and the lacrosse/soccer fields are covered with FieldTurf and have lights for night games. The all-purpose field has a natural grass surface.

"We really wanted this to be one of the premier athletic facilities on Long Island," Gaffney said. A grand unveiling of the facility, which will feature an alumni event, is scheduled for May 3.

Large athletic projects can have their detractors among those who believe too much money is devoted to sports. But Gaffney is convinced Dowling's new venture will help everyone and said the entire student body will be effected in a positive way.

"This will help us attract new students and keep them from leaving Long Island. Students have been leaving the island for college at an alarming rate," said Gaffney, who also noted the new streams of revenue the complex has the potential to generate, including a possibility of naming rights. "It's been called the brain drain."

Dowling athletic director Rick Cole Jr. is also among the believers who thinks the school made the right decision.

Cole said: "It's the first time we've had home fields. It will give us the opportunity to host NCAA, Section XI and New York State tournaments. And we have enough interest from local youth groups to fill the facilities from the last day of school until the first day of school in the fall."

As for getting the complex built, Gaffney credited the Town of Brookhaven and its administration for being accommodating and reasonable. "We made our case to the town board and they were wonderful," he said. "The town board and the town supervisor were wonderful."

Gaffney, who also lauded former president Dr. Albert E. Donor and the Dowling board of trustees for getting the project started, suggested the possibility of a gymnasium for the men and women's basketball programs in the future. The teams currently play at St. John's East.

"Dr. Donor started it," Gaffney said. "I'm here to make sure it gets done on time."

More articles

Get breaking news | Most popular stories | Dining and Travel deals all via e-mail!

Copyright © 2008, Newsday Inc.

Would you recommend this?

Rate it:
No Somewhat Neutral Yes Highly

GOLF ON LONG ISLAND

• Nassau Courses • Suffolk Courses
• Par 3 Courses • Course Locator Map
• Driving Ranges • Private Courses
• Miniature Golf • Pitch and Putt
• Tips from Local Pros • Personal Scorecard

Search Classifieds

JOBS   SHOP   CARS   HOMES

Listings, directories and deals

• Apartments
• Items for Sale
 • Dating
• Pets
• Travel Deals
 • Grocery Coupons
• Events

Classifieds get results! - Place an Ad

Latest scores

Buy Tickets

The NY Yankees

My Long Island

Jets photos Your sports photos

Yanks. Mets. Jets. Giants. Knicks. High schools. Upload your photos now.