 | The stadium on Central Avenue, which has been home to men's and women's soccer and lacrosse since 1981, is being renovated and renamed, thanks to a gift from former Yale athlete brothers Jason and Jonathan Reese. |
The University's Soccer-Lacrosse Stadium will soon have a new look and a new name -- Reese Stadium -- thanks to a gift from former Yale athletes Jason W. Reese '87 and Jonathan P. Reese '90.
Located on Central Avenue, the facility has been the home of Yale's men's and women's soccer and lacrosse since 1981.
The Department of Athletics announced the plans to renovate and rename the stadium at the annual Yale Lacrosse Association dinner in New York. Over 225 alumni friends were in attendance.
"Jon and I are honored to be a part of the Yale tradition," said Jason Reese at that event. "My experience at Yale was enhanced by having the opportunity to share it with my brother.
"Yale has played an important role in our lives," he added. "Without our Yale experience, education and relationships, neither of us would have been able to achieve the success that we have in the business world. At Yale, we had the opportunity to play for superb coaches and with great teammates who were not only athletes but scholars and men of great character. We believe it is very important for us to give back to Yale and to help improve the experience of future Bulldogs."
Jon Reese noted, "My brother and I have always been each other's biggest fans and best friends, so it was that much more special sharing the Yale experience with him. The love and respect we have for each other is quite powerful."
Jason Reese was a four-year starter in goal for the Yale lacrosse team. He played in 38 varsity games and made 404 saves (5th on Yale career list) for teams that won 25 games, including a 10-3 campaign in 1985 under head coach Mike Waldvogel. He fashioned a .614 save percentage in 1987 and a 6.50 goals against average in 1984, while his 172 saves in 1987 made Yale's Top 20 list.
Jon Reese, the most prolific player in the history of Bulldog lacrosse, is considered one of the greatest athletes in Yale sports. Between lacrosse and football, Jon Reese earned four Ivy League championships and received Yale's 1990 William Neely Mallory Award as the top male athlete.
"I had the opportunity to play for two Hall of Fame coaches in Carm Cozza and Mike Waldvogel and the camaraderie and passion that I shared with my teammates are some of the strongest bonds I have ever known," Jon Reese said. "The Reeses had a seven-year run at Yale, and some of the best days of our lives were spent on the Yale campus. Tom Beckett and the athletic department have always made us feel like Yale is our home."
A three-time first-team All-Ivy lacrosse pick and the 1987 Ivy League Rookie of the Year, Jon Reese is the school's all-time leader in points (200) and goals (162). In 1990, he was named Ivy League Player of the Year, NCAA Midfielder of the Year and the North South All-Star Game Most Valuable Player. He was one of seven midfielders named to the NCAA's Silver Anniversary Team in 1995.
On the football field, the West Babylon, New York, native started every game of his three-year varsity career and captained Cozza's Bulldogs to a 1989 Ivy title as a linebacker with 122 tackles. Jon Reese earned all-league honors each season, including first-team status in 1989, and was named the winner of the Ted Blair Award as team MVP his senior year.
Tom Beckett, director of athletics, said, "The name Reese has become synonymous with Yale lacrosse and makes perfect sense to be hung at the soccer-lacrosse stadium. We are grateful to Jason and Jon for this magnificent gift and will make sure they are proud to have their name on this facility."
T H I S
Brothers' gift to renovate site
of their former athletic glory
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