Rentschler Field History

The 2005 season at Rentschler Field began on June 4 with a crushing defeat for the U.S. Rugby team by powerhouse Whales. Whales, the Six Nations Champions, brought a team of veterans who could not be matched by the U.S. Eagles. The game ended 77-3 and marked the beginning of another exciting season, which included various athletic events, musical performances, and family activities.

On June 30th, Connecticut and Rhode Island All-Star football returned for another year to compete for the title. Connecticut proved to be a stronghold against Rhode Island, ending the game in a 24-10 victory.

On August 17th, Trinidad and Tobago fans joined U.S. fans as both rooted for their national soccer teams at Rentschler Field. U.S. keeper Kasey Keller had a shutout while teammate Brian McBride put one in the back of the net in the second minute of the game to defeat Trinidad 1-0.

August 26th, classic rock legends The Rolling Stones came to Rentschler for their "A Bigger Bang" world tour, and a big bang it was! They rocked the sold out show from their seven story moving stage and provided the audience with a memorable experience at one of the fastest growing sports and entertainment venues in Connecticut.

UConn Football's 2005 season kicked off August 30 with a victory against Buffalo on the Huskies turf. The Huskies began the season at 4-1, however they were plagued with injuries and faltered to Louisville in their last of six sold out home games 20-30. With four players named to the Big East, the Huskies finished their season with a record of 5-6.

In 2004, Rentschler Field picked up where it left off and hosted a plethora of competitive athletic events starting on June 26th when high school football all-stars from Connecticut and Rhode Island clashed at Rentschler Field. Connecticut routed Rhode Island with a victory of 52-14 to take ownership of the 2004 Governor's Cup.

On July 3rd, Rentschler Field hosted its first rugby game, the USA Eagles and the French national team was a thrilling match that resulted in the European Champions making a second half comeback to defeat the Eagles 39-31.

July 26th, European talent flooded the field as the Liverpool and Celtic soccer clubs entertained a multi-national crowd from all over the world with their unprecedented talent. Liverpool walked away with a victory with a 5-1 final.

August 8th, 2003 Rentschler Field opened by hosting several thousand fans and athletes of the State Games of America. This Olympic-style sports festival is for athletes of all ages and abilities, that came from 40 different states, and competed in 15 different sports.

On August 30th the University of Connecticut Huskies hosted their first football game on their new home field. The 34-10 victory over Indiana was just the beginning of what proved to be an impressive year for the Huskies.

September 16 & 18 Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band rocked the stadium. This legendary group entertained over 60,000 fans, proving Rentschler Field was quickly becoming a premier venue for large outdoor sports and entertainment events.

The Huskies continued to add to the stadium's rookie success by going 5-1 on their new home turf and finishing with an overall record of 9-3. Their only home loss was a 24-14 decision to perennial powerhouse Boston College while defeating established programs from Indiana, Lehigh, Akron, Western Michigan, and Rutgers. UConn proved that it's future at Rentschler Field would be a successful one.

August 1st, Mia Hamm led the USA Women's Soccer team to a 3-1 victory over Team China in an exhibition match. This was to be the team's last game before heading to Greece for the 2004 Summer Olympics where the women won GOLD.

September 4th UConn football started its 2004 season by beating Murray State. Ending the season with a record of 6-1 on their home turf helped pave the way for the Huskies first bid to a bowl game in only their second year of 1-A competition. They went on to beat Toledo 39-10 in the Motor City Bowl game in Detroit on December 27th.

The 2004 Rentschler Field season wrapped up with a traditional Thanksgiving Day football game on November 24th between the East Hartford and Manchester High School football programs. East Hartford went home with an exciting victory of 33-31 over Manchester.