Stevens Stadium - Buck Shaw Field
The Santa Clara men's and women's soccer teams play their matches in iconic Stevens Stadium-Buck Shaw Field. Named after former Santa Clara football coach, Lawrence T. "Buck" Shaw, Buck Shaw Field, formerly known as Buck Shaw Stadium, has served as a showcase for some of Santa Clara University's proudest athletic achievements since the facility opened in 1962. Besides serving as the home for the Bronco soccer team, the 6,800-seat facility also housed Santa Clara baseball until 2005.
From 1988 through 1992, the men's squad put together a 43-match unbeaten streak in the facility, including five home victories in the NCAA Tournament in 1989 and 1991. The women's team posted a 32-match win streak from 1997-2000 and is 35-2-2 all-time at home during NCAA Tournament play.
Santa Clara Athletics held the official opening of the Stevens Soccer Training Center on June 5, 2015. Funding for the facility, which is adjacent to Stevens Stadium, came from a $7.7 million gift from Santa Clara University alumna and trustee, Mary Stevens '84, and her husband, Mark, a prominent venture capitalist.
Stevens Stadium earned national attention when it played host to the 1996 NCAA Women's Soccer Championship. Earlier in the season, a crowd of 3,714, a SCU regular-season soccer attendance record, came to watch Santa Clara defeat top-ranked Notre Dame 3-1. But on Dec. 6 and 8, a packed house assembled to watch North Carolina beat Santa Clara, Notre Dame and Portland for the NCAA Championship. The two-day attendance of 17,600 was a record for the event, and the 8,800 that filled the expanded seating on each day of the tournament marked the largest crowds ever to watch a collegiate women's soccer game in U.S. history.
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Lawrence T. "Buck" Shaw |
In 1994, the facility served as the practice site for the Brazilian National Team during the World Cup competition. Brazil, the eventual World Cup Champions, practiced from May 26 through July 7 in front of full stands. Later in the competition, the Romanian squad also utilized Stevens Stadium to prepare for its quarterfinal match with Sweden.
The Santa Clara baseball team called the facility home from 1963-2005 before moving across the street into Stephen Schott Stadium in April of 2005.
The football team compiled a 106-42-1 home record during its stay at Buck Shaw, including five seasons which saw the Broncos post perfect home records. In one stretch, Santa Clara won 20 consecutive home matches.
The stadium was dedicated on October 6, 1962, prior to the football game between Santa Clara and Occidental, but was first used in the Broncos' loss to UC Davis on Sept. 22, 1962. Through the years, the spirit of Buck Shaw has been kept alive by the many great athletes who have competed on the stadium's turf over the past 56 years.