NORTH CANTON – Knowing that their children could be a part of Walsh University sports history excited the Bischof and Francz families.
Linebackers Kyle Bischof and Connor Francz transferred to Walsh from the University of Akron and would play Saturday’s regular-season football game on the school’s campus at Larry Staudt Field.
Plus:Walsh Campus Soccer Field Dream Comes True
Until this season, the Walsh football team (the program began in 1995) played “home games” at North Canton Hoover Memorial Stadium, Fawcett Stadium, Bob Commings Field at GlenOak High School, and Tom Benson Hall. of Fame.
“It’s good to see they brought it home,” Kelly Bischof said of the new field on campus. The Bischofs and Franczes joined others to participate in a parking lot next to the stadium, which is located on the north side of East Maple Street.
A crowd of local alumni, students, and fans filled the hometown stands on the west side of the stadium. Many spread out and stood along the fence. Others found places on the grassy slope of East Maple Street.
Adding the stadium is a positive move for the university, Sharon Francz said. Walsh has a great academic and sports reputation, but the stadium is an amenity that will help attract students, she said.
At home but a Walsh University football loss
Unfortunately, the first game on campus didn’t have a Hollywood ending.
The Cavaliers lost, 42-0, to Tiffin University, a rival in the Greater Midwest Athletic Conference.
The results weren’t much better than when Walsh played Tiffin in his last home game at Bob Commings Field, on Easton Avenue NE, less than a mile east of campus. Tiffin defeated the Cavaliers in that game, 56-16.
Oddsmakers probably weren’t expecting a turnaround for Walsh in this year’s opener with Tiffin.
The G-MAC preseason poll ranked Tiffin as the second-best team in the league, just behind Findlay University and just ahead of Ashland University. Walsh tied for eighth in the nine-team league, earning as many points as Lake Erie College in Painesville.
Already home to the lacrosse, soccer, and track teams
Saturday afternoon was not the first time Walsh’s football team played at Larry Staudt Field. It was also the site of the team’s spring game.
Walsh lacrosse teams have used the field. The women’s team played four games there in April, including the G-MAC Women’s Lacrosse Championship. And the men’s lacrosse team played their usual home final on the field.
The men’s soccer team played its first home game on the field on August 26, followed by a game the next day. The women’s soccer team played on the new field on August 28.
Donors made the camp possible
The support of former students and friends has made the construction of the field possible. So far, Walsh has completed three steps in building the facility, with the final step yet to come.
In the fall of 2020, the facility was named Larry Staudt Field, and the grass on the site was cleaned and replaced with grass. The second step was the installation of a scoreboard that offered viewers a video playback screen.
The west side of the stadium was built earlier this year. It seats approximately 1,000 spectators and features William and Kathleen Brauchler’s press box.
The final phase of the project calls for additional seating for 2,500 people on the east side of the field. It will have a promenade area and a press box. That work will begin once additional donations are secured.
The facility is named for Larry Staudt, a 1967 Walsh graduate who went on to work as a chemist for Republic Steel. Staudt, a former Stark County resident, has retired to Florida.
Several years ago, Staudt approached the university and offered to help with a donation, said Eric Belden, Walsh’s vice president of advocacy. School officials explained the need for a sports field. “He jumped everywhere,” Belden said.
The facility benefits hundreds of student-athletes and is helping build a culture on campus, Belden said.
Contact Edd at 330-580-8484 or [email protected] On Twitter: @epritchardREP
