The project to revamp Gordon Field is ahead of schedule and will include an eight-lane track and full lighting by the end of September, athletic director Sheryl Sousa told the Justice last week. An artificial surface manufactured by "A-Turf" has already been installed on Gordon Field, along with the infrastructure for the track surface. No further work had been planned until next summer, but Sousa said that Capital Projects was able to advance the project further than expected throughout the summer to accommodate phases that had been planned for next year. "It looks beautiful," Sousa said. "It's a state-of-the-art facility."

Sousa also said that the entire facility will be enclosed by a fence within a few weeks, around the same time lights will be installed, and that laying down the track surface will take slightly longer because each coat of the track needs ample time to dry. Sousa said that the drying process will not interfere with athletic events and practices on the field.

Sousa's enthusiasm about the project can only be topped by that of men's soccer coach Mike Coven, who had long lamented that the old field-10 yards too short and 10 yards too narrow-was costing his team games.

"It's a slice of heaven," Coven said.

The men's and women's soccer teams have already begun practicing on the field, which will be used officially for the first time when the women's soccer team opens its season on Saturday at 1 p.m. against MIT.

Once lights are installed, the facility will provide a great deal of extra field time for club and intramural sports, something that makes assistant athletic director Tom Rand ecstatic. Rand has the difficult job of divvying up field time for a plethora of club sports teams and intramural activities, and the extra time will come as a welcome reprieve.

"I think it's going to be tremendous," Rand said. "Our plan is to keep [the field] open whenever the building is open. Whenever the varsity teams aren't there it can be used for intramural and club sports."

Players are equally excited that they now have a chance to play on a more durable and aesthetically-pleasing surface.

"It's been a long time and we really needed it," men's soccer captain Scott Zacharoff '07 said. "We didn't even have grass on most of the [old] field. It'll help our play and it's good for the school.