Traister field

One of the finest Division III soccer facilities in the Midwest, Traister Field serves as the home of Eureka College men’s and women’s soccer.

Traister Field features a natural grass playing surface, full irrigation system, two-story press box for media and game operations, concession area and sheltered dugout areas for both teams.  Fans regularly line the sideline with chairs and blankets and take advantage of the spectacular view of the pitch from the hillside behind the south goal line.

The facility was named after Eureka Athletics Hall of Famer Leo “Doc” Traister (pictured bottom right) during a ceremony on Oct. 24, 2008.  Traister came to Eureka as a student-athlete in 1939, earning four letters in baseball, three letters in football and two letters in track before graduating in 1948. 

Traister returned to campus in 1956 to serve as Director of Athletics and coach all EC sports until 1966.  He remained on various coaching staffs until as late as 1990 and finished his stint on the basketball coaching staff in 1974 as the all-time wins leader at EC with 168.  He was inducted into the Eureka College Athletics Hall of Fame in 1977 and remains actively involved as a supporter of the Eureka College athletics department.

The Eureka women’s soccer team recorded a 5-4 victory over Rockford in the first regular season game played at the facility on Sept. 6, 2007.  The Red Devils have combined to win 22 matches on their home pitch in the four-year NCAA Division III history of the program.