Maryland Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex - Maryland Terrapins Women's Lacrosse

Photos by Gregory Koch, Stadium Journey

Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.00

Maryland Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex 8483 Paint Branch Drive

College Park, MD 20742

Maryland Terrapins website Maryland Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex website

Year Opened: 2003 Capacity: 1,400

---

Turtle Lax

The University of Maryland, College Park, was founded in 1856. It is recognized as the flagship school of the University of Maryland system.

The University of Maryland has traditionally been known as a basketball school. As a longtime member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, the university has seen a great deal of basketball success under coaches such as Lefty Driesell and Gary Williams, even winning a national championship in 2002.

The Terrapins women’s lacrosse team has won 13 NCAA championships, the most of any women’s lacrosse program. The Terrapins have also made the most NCAA tournament appearances, won the most tournament games, and made the most NCAA championship game appearances.

Opened in 2003, the University of Maryland Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex sits on the far side of Xfinity Center on the edge of the campus.

Food & Beverage 2

The food offerings are pretty simple. But the variety and prices are not bad for a college stadium in this area. Hot dogs are $3, with pretzels ($3), popcorn ($3.25) and cracker jacks ($3) making up the bulk of the menu. Sodas and water are $3.

Atmosphere 3

The stadium has a simple small set of metal stands that run along the one side of the field. The field itself, since it is shared with the field hockey team, is old school astroturf.

Since the Terps are one of the better, if not the best, women’s lacrosse program around, the crowd is very into the game and the atmosphere is strong.

The Maryland pep band and a pretty decent size student section are usually in attendance, which adds to the game atmosphere.

Neighborhood 3

The neighborhood is a mixed bag. The stadium is far from the main part of campus, with only the Xfinity Center and some other athletic fields in the area.

The town of College Park is located directly south of the campus along U.S. Route 1. RJ Bentley’s Filling Station, Potbelly Sandwich Works, Jimmy John’s, Ledo Pizza, and Five Guys are all good options in this “downtown” area. Looney’s Pub and Bobby’s Burger Palace are two other great options, and are located in The Varsity building (8150 Baltimore Ave) north of the downtown area, and may be even closer to the stadium if walking.

The Sheraton College Park North Hotel at 4095 Powder Mill Road in nearby Beltsville is the best lodging choice, but it is not within walking distance of the campus. You will always have the dizzying array of Washington, DC options to choose from. The College Park Station of the Washington Metro is close by, and is your best bet for getting to DC, as the traffic and parking situation is far from ideal.

Fans 3

Since the team is so good and the sport is popular in this area, the stands are usually pretty filled for women’s lacrosse games. The fans are also very knowledgeable about the game and action.

Many of the fans in attendance will be family or friends of the players.

Access 3

The University of Maryland is not far from the Washington Beltway. But it is just far enough away that getting to the stadium is not too easy, either. U.S. 1 and University Boulevard are full of traffic lights, and will be very full of traffic, even on non-game days.

Depending on game times, there should be plenty of free parking in nearby lots. Look at the signs closely as rules and regulations will differ greatly between parking lots.

If travelling to the game via the Washington Metro, get off at the College Park Station and take the shuttle directly to the campus. Head towards Xfinity Center as the stadium is close to that.

Return on Investment 4

General admission tickets are $6 per game. Youth tickets are $4 and groups are $3. Students get in free.

Extras 3

Check out the scoreboard that lists the many championships of both the lacrosse and field hockey teams. Each team is quite decorated.

Having a pep band in attendance for a women’s lacrosse game is a great idea and adds to the overall atmosphere.

Sing along to the Ninja Turtles theme song that the band will play. There can’t be any other sports supporters who use a cartoon song as nearly equivalent as their own fight song.

Final Thoughts

University of Maryland Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex is a very simple stadium tucked away on the edge of campus. The atmosphere is enhanced greatly by good student crowd participation and the student pep band.