Aikens Stadium - Shenandoah Hornets
Photos by Gregory Koch, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.71
Aikens Stadium 1301 Ralph Shockey Drive Winchester, VA 22602
Year Opened: 2022 Capacity: 300
Oh, Shenandoah!
Located in Winchester, Virginia in the Shenandoah Valley, Shenandoah University's athletic teams are known as the Hornets and compete in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC). The Hornets' field hockey team competes at Aikens Stadium, Shenandoah's newest athletics facility that opened in 2022. Previously, the field hockey team shared Shentel Stadium with the football team and numerous others. Aikens Field is shared only with the women's lacrosse program, which plays in the spring while field hockey plays in the fall, making scheduling easier.
Food & Beverage 2
There is one concession stand at Aikens Stadium, located out of a window on the right side of the press box. Walk up a small set of stairs from the bleachers and it will be right in front of you. The menu is pretty basic, with candy, chips, hot dogs, and bottled soda and water being your only options. Prices are reasonable, with nothing costing more than a few dollars, but we recommend you eat before the game.
Atmosphere 3
There are several areas at Aikens Stadium where fans can watch the game from. A set of metal bleachers is located to the right of the press box. A small hill separates this area from the field, so you will be up higher and farther back than you would be at many stadiums. There are also some Adirondack chairs to the right of the bleachers and at field level, but these are often marked as reserved for special guests, especially the field level ones. They are more comfortable than the bleachers, but the ones at bleacher level have the view blocked off by light poles.
As is typical at field hockey at this level, there is not much going on other than the game itself. If you're a fan of the sport, that's fine, but there is little else going on here for entertainment. The scoreboard at Aikens Field shows all of the basic information - score, clock, and quarter. It also had space to show time remaining on penalty cards, but this area was not functional when we visited.
Neighborhood 3
Winchester is a small city located in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley. There are several restaurants located near the stadium, ranging from sports bars to barbecues to homemade ice cream. Since Shenandoah's campus is located near the highway, pretty much everything in Winchester is right there. While Winchester certainly isn’t a bustling city, it does have that small-town charm.
History buffs may also want to visit the many Civil War sites in and around Winchester, which played a major role in the conflict. The city changed hands 72 times during the war and was known as the Shuttlecock of the Confederacy.
Fans 3
Shenandoah draws a little under a hundred fans to a typical home game, mostly friends and family of the players on one team or the other. That is pretty typical for field hockey at this level. Many of those who show up come to almost every home game, so they are knowledgeable about the team and the players. The fact that the seating is spread over a wide area makes the stadium feel more empty than it is.
Access 3
The nearest highway to Shenandoah's campus is Interstate 81, and it is easily accessible via Exit 313B. Fans coming from the east or west will need to take State Route 7 or U.S. Route 50 at least part of the way, and while these are not full-blown highways, you can usually make good time. Once you get on the Shenandoah campus, there is a large lot next to the stadium. There is also a smaller lot which you will likely pass first, but these spaces are all reserved and regular fans cannot park here.
There is one single person restroom on the left side of the press box. There will often be a wait for this, but if necessary, there are restrooms in nearby buildings as well.
Return on Investment 4
Admission to Shenandoah field hockey games is free, and concessions are reasonably priced if limited in selection. Overall, this is a great value, but there isn't enough here to earn the top score.
Extras 1
The many different seating options for fans to watch the game are worthy of an extra star here.
Final Thoughts
It is nice that Shenandoah field hockey has their own home, as the football stadium was far too spacious for the crowds they drew, and the many different events on the field made scheduling difficult. While they still won't draw large crowds, and this is not an elaborate setting, field hockey fans in the northern Shenandoah Valley will still have a good time taking in a match at Aikens Stadium.
