By: Riley Head ~Guest Writer~

The turf of the soccer field was damaged beyond repair due to the extreme flooding on Aug. 28, forcing the men’s and women’s soccer teams to find new places to play until a new plan for the field is put in place. The team has been travelling to various high schools to utilize their fields, including Saint Ursula and Summit Country Day School.

More than four inches of rain fell in a few hours, earning the event the nickname “The Norwood Flood of 2016,” according to The Enquirer. The damaging rain began in the afternoon and continued into the night. A flood warning was issued on campus with advice not to drive or walk through the downpour. Several academic buildings also faced damage from the flooding as well as houses, schools and buildings in the surrounding Norwood community.

The fields were flooded not only with water but also with sewage that swelled up from overfilled drainage pipes. This over-flow made the fields unfit to use, according to the board of health standards. Contaminated water could transmit serious diseases through open wounds, creating an unsafe environment for the players.

“We honestly don’t know too much about this situation,” senior midfielder Courtney Kobashigawa said. “We just know that the field was unsafe due to some sewage issues on the field.”

The unplayable field did not affect a game until Friday, Sept. 2, when the men’s team was forced to travel to the University of Cincinnati for their game against Dartmouth. Fan attendance did not take much of a hit, if any, as the players noted.

“The fans were still awesome in our game at UC,” sophomore midfielder Ian Vicars said. “They supported us as they always do.”

The team’s practice times have been moved up to accommodate the high schools’ schedules. Players have been bused to practice as early as 6:45 a.m.

The teams’ results have not been shaken up too much from the storm, with the men’s team earning two ties since the flooding and the women’s team posting both a win and a loss.