Ames Soccer Complex Dedication Ceremony

Blue Knights now playing home soccer games on Rosemount campus

The Blue Knights women and men’s soccer teams are now playing home games on the Dakota County Technical College Rosemount campus. On Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2009, they will face the Iowa Western Community College Reivers on the championship field of the brand-new Ames Soccer Complex, which was built through a partnership between DCTC and the city of Rosemount with in-kind service fromAmes Construction.

Representatives from Rosemount, Ames Construction and the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system will be present for the soccer complex’s official dedication ceremony, which will begin at 3:30 p.m. on game day.

Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2009
Ames Soccer Complex
DCTC Rosemount Campus
1300 145th Street East
Rosemount, MN 55068-2999

FREE Admission and FREE, Unlimited Parking

• 2 p.m. DCTC Men’s Soccer vs. Iowa Western Community College
• 3:30 p.m. Ames Soccer Complex Dedication Ceremony
• 3:45 p.m. FREE hot dogs, chips and beverages sponsored by Blue Knights Athletic Council
• 4:05 p.m. DCTC Women’s Soccer vs. Iowa Western Community College
• 6 p.m. Blue Knights Youth Soccer Clinic
  • All ages invited

Guests are invited to bring nonperishable food items for collection at main gate.

• Phi Theta Kappa volunteers will be present as part of the Phi Theta Kappa initiative, “Feed a Body, Feed a Mind.”

Rosemount Irishettes performing at halftime during the women’s game.

• Get a preview on YouTube: Rosemount Irishettes – Sibley Invitational Jazz.

“The opening of the soccer complex marks a great moment for the city of Rosemount and DCTC,” said Ronald E. Thomas, DCTC president. “Having a state-of-the-art athletic and recreational facility offers tremendous opportunities for interaction between our college and the community. Ames Construction did a wonderful job and was a crucial link in making the project a success.”

The new complex features three full-sized adult soccer fields that can be subdivided into six youth soccer fields. Students in the college’s Concrete and Masonry program, led by Instructor Paul Geisler, built a full-service concession stand with a press box over the summer months.

Landscape Horticulture Instructor Jeff Kleinboehl applied his expertise to the professional landscaping around the concession stand, which utilized a range of plant material transplanted from the front of the college. The complex will also have a photovoltaic solar panel station that will help provide electrical power.

Cam Stoltz, the college’s athletic coordinator and head coach of both the men and women’s soccer teams, reported that the partnership between the city and DCTC is a win-win for everyone involved. He noted that Dakota County alone has more than 8,000 registered youth soccer players, which means that the complex with its championship field represents a superb recruiting tool.

“The new soccer fields will not only take our program to the next level,” Stoltz said, “but our research shows that they will generate approximately 26,000 community visits per year. We now have the most modern and complete soccer facility at any small college in the upper Midwest.”

Last season, the Blue Knights men’s team endured a rough 1–6–1 start in a brutal schedule stoked by some of the top teams in the nation. The Knights eventually came together to go 11–7–1, the team’s best season record to date. They lost a 1–0 heartbreaker in double overtime to Iowa Western Community College in the NJCAA Region XI Tournament semifinals. A penalty kick shootout ended the game and DCTC’s season.

“We struggled to score in September,” Stoltz said. “The players stuck it out day by day and learned how to play at the college level, going 10–2–1 in our last 13 games.”

The men face the Marshalltown Community College Tigers Thursday, Aug. 27, at the Ames Soccer Complex in the first regular game of 2009–2010 season—and they can’t wait to play. “We plan to benefit greatly from our recruiting efforts and look to challenge the ICCAC this season for our first championship,” said Stoltz.

Scoreboard will be erected with fields in prime condition by game day

With 11 freshmen on the roster, the Blue Knights women’s team finished the 2008–2009 season with a 9–9–0 record. They lost 2–1 to Iowa Central Community College in the semifinals of the NJCAA Region XI Tournament.

“We added team speed, goal scorers and goalkeeping,” Stoltz said. “Overall, we performed very well. We challenged for second place in one of the best leagues in two-year college soccer.”

Stoltz has built on the team’s strengths by adding even more speed and more overall depth. “We are close,” he said, “and we will get there with hard work.”

The women start the regular season against the Concordia University Golden BearsSaturday, Aug. 22, in St. Paul.

“Bring family and friends and find out why intercollegiate soccer is one of the fastest growing sports in America.”

Last year, four Blue Knight freshmen—Heather Neuer, Katie Lucca, Moses Kabogoza and Chad Dorrian—made Iowa Community College Athletic Conference Region XI First Team All-Region. Most recently, Geofrey Kalanzi, an international student athlete from Uganda, was recognized with the prestigious 2008–2009 NJCAA Lea Plarski Award.

Nicole Meulemans, the director of DCTC Student Life, reported that visitors on game day are asked to bring nonperishable food items for collection at the main gate. Phi Theta Kappa volunteers will be on hand as part of the PTK initiative, “Feed a Body, Feed a Mind.” She also mentioned that the Blue Knights will be hosting a Youth Soccer Clinic at 6 p.m. that same day with all ages welcome.

“Everyone is invited to the games and the opening ceremony,” said Meulemans. “Admission and parking are free, and we’ll have a ton of free food. The Blue Knights will be playing their very best to win on their new home field. Bring family and friends and find out why intercollegiate soccer is one of the fastest growing sports in America.”

Visit Go Blue Knights for more information on DCTC Soccer.