FROM GROUND FLOOR TO CHAMPIONSHIPS
Now home to Mustang Stadium, the
Owings Mills Gymnasium, and the Hall
of Fame, Stevenson’s athletics complex
had roots as the former practice facility
of the NFL Colts and Ravens.
The addition of football, which began competing in 2011, heralded to-toe for four quarters for the first time. We’d gone through the
the beginning of a new era in the university’s athletic history and a new rough part, and knew that we could match the physicality of one of
conference affiliation. It also spurred the building of Mustang Stadium, the best teams in the league. We had grown up.”
a 3,500-seat facility that opened in the fall of 2011 and houses the men’s
and women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s soccer, and field hockey
teams in additional to football.
“The decision to add football was made prior to the stadium planning,”
Campbell said. “The Ravens’ facility already had practice fields, but the Football wasn’t the only new game in town. Over the last 10 years,
only other football-related item was the lockers that the team used.” Stevenson added five additional programs to its athletic inventory.
The addition of football also influenced Stevenson’s decision to
change conferences.
Women’s ice hockey debuted in 2012-2013, and men’s and women’s
swimming started two years later. Women’s beach volleyball began
“The Capital Athletic Conference wouldn’t recognize football, so we playing in the spring of 2016, and men’s ice hockey debuted that fall.
joined the MAC partly because we needed a home for football, which is But 2013 will no doubt go down as a pivotal year in Stevenson’s
an important piece of our program,” said Adams, who stepped down as NCAA history. The men’s lacrosse team had been building toward
men’s basketball coach after the 2010-2011 season and was succeeded a championship for several years, reaching the NCAA semifinals
by current coach Gary Stewart. “They also had automatic qualifiers for in 2009, 2010, and 2012. The 2013 team, featuring significant
so many of our other sports.” talent and depth at every position, completed the run by winning
During the first two seasons, head football coach Ed Hottle saw signs
of progress. He regarded a 2013 game at Widener as a turning point in
the program’s history.
14 |
THE WIDE WORLD OF MUSTANG
SPORTS
Stevenson’s first national championship in any sport.
“The 2009 team all believed that they could win, and they played
with this awesome edge,” said Cantabene, who also serves as the
“That game was two heavyweights slugging it out,” recalled Hottle, school’s Associate Athletic Director and has led the Mustangs to
now in his ninth year at the Mustang helm. “We lost, but we stood toe- 11 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, nine conference
VENTURES/WINTER 2019-20