WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, NC was originally opened in 2002 as the home of the Carolina Courage, a former Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA) team and the winners of the 2002 Founders Cup Championship. At the time, the stadium was named SAS Soccer Park after the software company purchased the naming rights of the park through June of 2007. In September of 2007, WakeMed Health & Hospitals purchased the naming rights, giving the facility its current name, WakeMed Soccer Park. The RailHawks first used the state-of-art facility in their inaugural season in 2007 on April 21. The team broke in their new home in front of 6,327 fans for a 1-1 draw against the Minnesota Thunder in their first game of the regular season. In Nov. 2011, the Town of Cary began a $6.3 million renovation to the stadium, adding 3,000 seats to the 7,000-seat soccer stadium. The project also added a new building on the east side that included restrooms, concessions and access to additional seating. In addition to the pristine stadium field, the soccer park contains two lighted practice fields, as well as four other practice fields, making the facility a staple of soccer in the local Cary community. Surrounding the soccer fields is a nationally recognized full-length cross country course that is used regularly by local high schools and universities. WakeMed Soccer Park has been home to historic North Carolina FC games, including three upsets of MLS side LA Galaxy in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The stadium also housed West Ham United in July 2016 when the then RailHawks played to a 2-2 draw against the English Premier League team in front of a record-breaking 10,125 fans. It was the first time an EPL team visited the Triangle region. WakeMed Soccer Park has also hosted the US Women’s National Team in friendlies against Switzerland (2014) and Japan (2011), ACC Championships, NCAA College Cup Championships, State Games of North Carolina, International friendlies, and Raleigh Flyers Ultimate Frisbee games. The North Carolina Courage is excited to call WakeMed Soccer Park their home starting in April 2017.