Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium |
 Completed in August, 2004, renovations to Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium (formerly the Mountaineer Soccer Complex) have made the home of men's and women's soccer at West Virginia University one of the nation's finest facilities. The facility has now served host to two conference championships and numerous NCAA tournament regionals. The stadium itself, named in honor of a generous gift on behalf of Mr. Dlesk, is a two-level, 1,650-seat stadium that features grandstand bleachers, a five booth press box, an on-site locker room, restrooms and concession booths.  The stadium was dedicated on Sunday, Sept. 5, 2004, prior to the women's match against Virginia and the men's match versus High Point. Now seven seasons old, the playing field at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium is a custom, natural grass surface. An extensive drainage and irrigation system is also in place to prevent inclement weather from harming the playing surface. Conveniently located beside the Coliseum, Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium first opened as the Mountaineer Soccer Complex in 1997. Since its inception, the facility has seen many great achievements by both the men's and women's soccer teams. The men's team opened the complex by posting winning seasons in two out of the complex's first three years. During WVU's first full season at DDSS in 2004, the squad posted a solid 8-1-1 record at home, including a win over No. 8 Notre Dame. In 2005, the men played host to the first round of the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1973, defeating Robert Morris 1-0 to advance to the second round. Big wins for the women have come against Rutgers and Ohio State in 1997, Seton Hall and Pitt in 1998 and Notre Dame in 2002; in November 2003 the Mountaineers shut out Ohio State, 3-0, to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time in school history, and in 2010, the Mountaineer knocked off fifth-ranked Virginia 1-0. West Virginia won its first postseason match ever with a 2-0 win over Miami in the BIG EAST quarterfinals at the complex, and they also earned their first NCAA tournament victory in November of 2002 with a 3-0 win over Loyola (Md.).  Over the past seven seasons, Dick Dlesk Stadium has been the site of the quarterfinal round of the BIG EAST women's soccer tournament. It was the site of the first and second rounds of the NCAA tournament in mid-November of 2002 and 2003 as well. West Virginia also hosted third round NCAA action in 2003 and the men's team hosted NCAA second round action in 2006. In 2007, the WVU set the facility record with an overflow crowd of 3,000 to watch the Mountaineer women battle top-ranked USC in an NCAA tournament Elite Eight match. In 2009, the men established the regular season facility record with a crowd of 2,938 against UC-Santa Barbara. Directions To WVU Athletic Complex From Pittsburgh, Pa. By car: From Pittsburgh take I-79 S toward Washington, Pa. Merge onto I-79 S via EXIT 21 toward Morgantown crossing into West Virginia. Take EXIT 155 toward West Virginia University WV-7. Turn left onto CR-19/24 N/Chaplin Hill Road. CR-19/24 N/Chaplin Hill Road becomes US-19/WV-7/Jerry West Blvd./Monongahela Blvd. Continue across the Star City Bridge and through one traffic light. The WVU athletic complex is located on the right at the top of the hill and Dick Dlesk Stadium is directly behind the WVU Coliseum, West Virginia University's basketball arena. From Washington, D.C. By car: From Washington, D.C. take I-270 N toward Frederick, Md. Merge onto I-70 W via EXIT 32 toward Hagerstown, Md. Merge onto I-68 W via EXIT 1A on the left toward Cumberland, Md., crossing into West Virginia. Take EXIT 7 toward WV-705/Airport/Pierpont Road. Follow signs to Stadium. At the second traffic light off the interstate, turn left and travel up Easton Hill. Travel through two more traffic lights and turn right on Route 705 and remain on 705 until it becomes Chestnut Ridge Road (two more lights). Remain on 705, turning left at the second light, until 705 intersects US-19/WV-7/Jerry West Blvd./Monongahela Blvd. The WVU athletic complex, including Dick Dlesk Stadium, is located on the left. |
