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Lion Soccer Field
Address:Â 2661 Hubbell Dr, Commerce, TX 75428
Lion Soccer Field, which was conceived and completed in 1999, has a history of truly humble beginnings. The land upon which it sits was formerly home to tennis courts and a botanical nursery before athletic director Paul Peak and soccer coach Neil Piper had the vision to turn it into a soccer field. The land was sloped toward the south, leading Coach Piper to salvage dirt from a nearby construction site to fill the surface in. Members of the soccer team chipped in to help sift rocks and debris out of the soil, while many of the football coaches led by head coach Eddie Brister helped to install the sprinkler system. A local business donated the team's first scoreboard, which was in use for a decade and a half until midway through the 2014 season. Bermuda grass was laid down in early July, and a chain link fence was put in to encircle the facility. The Lions hosted their first game on the new field on September 24, 1999, where A&M-Commerce defeated the visiting East Central Tigers by a score of 3-0.
In 2009, lights were added to make night games possible, and in 2011, a press box was installed at the north end of the field between the player benches. 2013 saw the addition of a black metal fence to replace the chain link, as well as a new playing surface. In 2014, the current scoreboard was installed in the southeast corner to replace the older one at the northwest end.
The playing surface is 115 yards by 72 yards running east to west on a grass field. Fan bleachers stand on the south end of the field, which can seat approximately 500 fans. Spectators can also bring seating of their own to spectate from the south end of the field on either side of the, making the maximum occupancy considerably higher.
In 2014, Lion Soccer hit the significant milestone of hosting both the LSC Tournament and two opening round games of the NCAA Tournament. In the Lone Star Tournament, the Lions prevailed against Midwestern State (2-1) and Angelo State (3-2) to capture the LSC Tournament Championship, leading to them procuring a No. 2 seed in the South Central Region. Lion Soccer Field saw Angelo State defeat Metro State by a score of 2-0 to kick off the NCAA Tournament, followed by the Lions beating Angelo State 1-0 in the Round of 32 en route to a Sweet 16 appearance in Golden, Colo.
