Stevens celebrates new athletic field with non-traditional spring Homecoming, men's and women's lacrosse games

Homecoming usually conjures up images of football and fall weather. But at Stevens Institute of Technology, where innovative thinking reigns, Homecoming does not need to fit the collegiate stereotype.

Stevens is planning a spring Homecoming on April 5-6 to bring alumni and friends back to see the campus' newly renovated athletic field and cheer on two of Stevens' most popular spring teams: men's and women's lacrosse. (See the end of this release for full Homecoming details.)

Although it's not your traditional Homecoming sport, lacrosse is one of Stevens' most longstanding traditions.

Stevens holds the nation's record for uninterrupted competition in lacrosse since 1884. Twenty-two Stevens players have been named All-Americans, and players over the years have made pioneering contributions to the game. Stevens won national championships in 1892, 1894, 1917 and 1918 and received the USILA-Roy Taylor Cup in 1953 as one of the nation's top Division III lacrosse teams.

And today, the Stevens Ducks lacrosse teams are just as exciting as ever.

The 2001 men's lacrosse season was perhaps the greatest in modern school history as the Ducks captured the Knickerbocker Conference Championship and advanced to the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament for the first time in school history. Head coach Byron Collins is looking to defend the conference championship and guide the Ducks back to the NCAA national tournament this season. The 2002 squad received Top 20 votes in the Inside Lacrosse Face-Off Yearbook while being picked to finish first in the Knickerbocker Conference.

Stevens women's lacrosse was started as a varsity sport last year and met with immediate success. New coach Shannon Mercier led the team to a winning record of 7-5 in its first season. In a short time, the women's lacrosse program has become one of the most competitive teams in the region, already making it a thrilling presence on campus.

"We are very excited about the opportunity of showcasing both lacrosse programs on Stevens' first-ever Homecoming weekend," said Stevens Athletic Director Russ Rogers. "The recent success of the men's team has added to its already rich tradition, and the women's progress in only their second year has been well ahead of schedule."

The newly resurfaced DeBaun Field, named for Stevens benefactors Grace E. and Kenneth W. DeBaun, was completed for this spring's first on-campus games in early March. Kenneth DeBaun, a Stevens Trustee and alumnus ('49), and his wife pledged $3 million to support the new field and athletic complex. The DeBauns' pledge also challenges others to make matching contributions. Landscaping near the field, upgraded dugouts and spectator seating, flagpoles, a new scoreboard, fencing and entrances are part of the project.

The new athletic field itself, emblazoned with a proud red "S", replaces Stevens' old grass field with a modern NeXturf surface. This surface, a next-generation synthetic, is a major advance over earlier artificial turf surfaces. Modeled on natural grass, NeXturf has been endorsed and used by professional sports teams and universities nationwide for its durability, safety and performance (see www.NeXturf.com).

"We knew we needed an athletic field that would match the high standard of our first-rate student-athletes," said Stevens President Hal Raveche. "Thanks to the generosity of Ken and Grace DeBaun and others, we're achieving that goal."

Additional information may be obtained from its web page at www.stevens.edu. For news about Stevens athletics, visit www.stevens.edu/athletic/index.shtml. Click for hi-rez  photo of DeBaun Field

Stevens Homecoming 2002 Events*

April 5: Pre-game Barbeque (6:30 p.m.), Women's Lacrosse vs. NYU (7:30 p.m.), Post-game reception (9 p.m.).

April 6: Tailgate party (11:30 a.m.) and Men's Lacrosse vs. Manhattanville (1 p.m.)

*All events take place at DeBaun Field and Schaefer Athletic Center, one block south of 8th Street and Castle Point Terrace, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, N.J.

For tickets and further information the public should call (201) 216-8967 or write to asaslow@stevens.edu.

About Stevens Institute of Technology

Founded in 1870 and celebrating 140 Years of Innovation, Stevens Institute of Technology, The Innovation University TM , lives at the intersection of industry, academics and research.  The University's students, faculty and partners leverage their collective real-world experience and culture of innovation, research and entrepreneurship to confront global challenges in engineering, science, systems and technology management.

Based in Hoboken, N.J. and with a location in Washington, D.C., Stevens offers baccalaureate, master’s, certificates and doctoral degrees in engineering, the sciences and management, in addition to baccalaureate degrees in business and liberal arts.  Stevens has been recognized by both the US Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security as a National Center of Excellence in the areas of systems engineering and port security research. The University has a total enrollment of more than 2,200 undergraduate and 3,700 graduate students with almost 450 faculty. Stevens’ graduate programs have attracted international participation from China, India, Southeast Asia, Europe and Latin America as well as strategic partnerships with industry leaders, governments and other universities around the world.  Additional information may be obtained at www.stevens.edu and www.stevens.edu/press.