The new field turf surface at the University of New Brunswick's Chapman Field is already proving to be something of a magic carpet for local sports groups.

"It's been busy most of the time since the snow came off of it," said UNB men's soccer coach Miles Pinsent who is also acting as operations manager for the field, which opened for business late last summer.

"It's been on the go through the afternoons right up until dusk," added Pinsent, who is also the Varsity Reds men's soccer coach. "The only thing keeping us from going longer is that the lights aren't ready yet. We expect to have them around May 1 and then we will go until well after dark."

Pinsent, who runs the field in co-operation with Andy Cameron, the women's soccer coach at UNB, said the field has been getting rave reviews because it is allowing summer sports teams to hit the field much earlier than usual.

"I know with our senior team we are on the field at least a month earlier than last year," said Pinsent, who spends his summer months at the helm of the Nova Scotia Senior Soccer League's Fredericton Picaroons Reds.

"Last year we had this awful introduction to the league, the league kicked off the week after Victoria Day and we hadn't yet been out on a full field," he recalled. "We began with a game in Halifax against one of the better teams and it was about 30 degrees. It was one long day."

Not this year though. Pinsent will have his P-Reds out and training on Chapman in plenty of time to be ready for the season, he expects the first outdoor sessions for his senior squad as early as next week. Some of the Picaroons Reds played an exhibition game against the New Brunswick Canada Games team last Saturday in fact.

The new multisport surface, installed just in time for the city's hosting of the Sony Cup Under 18 boys and girls soccer championships last October, will be shared by city sports teams and leagues and the university through the summer months. A block of 1,500 hours has been allocated to the city for allotment to the various leagues registered with the recreation department.

"We will schedule that time around our university activities," Pinsent said. "We will put our schedule in place and the city will be free to lay out their leagues use around that. We just thought this would be the best way of doing it, (to) give the city a large block of time and let them handle it, there will be less confusion."

So groups not affiliated with UNB will book through the city and Pinsent will continue to book UNB events. To date it has worked out very well.

"We've been on the field since April 14 which is about two to three weeks ahead of the natural grass surface that we use each spring," said Jeff Murdock, the president of the Capital Area Minor Football Association.

"In the past we have held our first four or five practices indoors at whatever gyms we can get.

"(Chapman) has been a saving grace because our numbers continue to grow for the spring program each year and the fact that we have a turf field this spring will no doubt drive those numbers even more."

The CAMFA currently has six programs working on Chapman, running from 6:00-7:30 p.m. for younger groups and 7:30 p.m. on for older groups.

"We split it up in thirds and the Under-11 and Under-13 teams share with the Women's tackle team," Murdock said. "The Under-15 and Under-17 share as well with the Men's tackle team. The men's and women's team offer the players to help coach some of the younger programs so it is a win-win situation for us all."

Chapman has also been a hit with the Fredericton District Soccer Association.

"We won't start using other fields for our summer programs until June 2," said FDSA executive director Andrea Benoit. "The turf is a great asset. After the winter we had, the fields would not be nearly ready for our try-outs. We started tryouts inside as the turf was covered but were able to get on it last week."

Currently the FDSA is using Chapman for tryouts in their premiership and Division 1 divisions. Registration for the recreational programs continues through to May 10.