UTC: The perfect combination of old school mixed with the new

[Ricky Q.]

Originally Posted by Andy Grady

Hello everyone!

Upon returning from the UTC New England Regional this year I had some time to reflect on the happenings of the weekend. I must say that with the new venue, and the quality of competition, this regional turned out to be one of the best competitions I have ever been to.

The reason for this? A winning combination which I feel that future competitions could benefit from...

The playingfield area had your field with a set of bleachers on each side...as opposed to the U-Shaped Arena setup that most regionals have grown accustomed to. The result was an electrifying environment that frankly I haven't seen in a long long time. Being down by the field for the tournament and being surrounded by the sounds of loud cheers and feet banging on the bleachers gave me chills. It was a very intimate setup that tended to captivate the croud alot more than a large arena would. It was amazing because instead of just hearing the involved teams in the match cheering and being loud as I have found to happen at the past UTC competitions in the Meadows or at the BAE Regional event, everyone who wasn't involved was picking a favorite and going nuts!

It would be nice to see more events following this trend...I'm already excited for next years event as a result.

Sounds just like Boilermaker at the Armory at Purdue University, it is a VERY intimate environment and last year it was a packed house during the Finals. The bleachers are on both sides within 5 feet of the field. It is awesome, definitley more intense for those on the field during matches.

[Greg Marra]

I think this new venue is really top-notch and has a lot of potential for growth in the future. The only issue that needs to be addressed is the seating. The bleachers were packed on Saturday, and there were so many people standing that it was difficult to find anywhere to watch from. Maybe a third bank of bleachers would do the trick.

I think the biggest improvement over the Meadows is the food. The Convention Center had two Starbucks inside of it, and the concession stands had really good burgers for a really affordable price. They did a good job getting everyone through quickly, considering the number of people at the event.

The first thing I thought to myself when I went around the divider and saw the whole other side of the hall: "You could have a Super Regional in here."