Keene State alumni men’s soccer players returned to Keene this Saturday, Oct. 21 for an exhibition match with the current team. The players split into two teams, one in red and one in white. The red team won 4-3 in two halves.
Saturday saw over 0.6 inches of rain, according to localconditions.org. It lasted the entirety of the game. Puddles formed throughout the field; players and spectators were soaked.
The majority of the first half went by before the first goal was scored. After a succession of passes downfield, the red team was able to sneak the ball into the net putting them on the board. This goal was answered almost immediately by white team, scoring minutes after. Red team took back control of the game as the half came to a close, scoring another goal before the whistle. The half ended 2-1 red. A group photo of the two teams was taken at halftime to celebrate the game.
The second half began and the rain continued to beat down, causing the players to slip more and more. While two substitutions were made due to injury scares, no one left the game hurt.
The second half largely followed the pattern of the first, with a slow beginning and a cluster of goals towards the later end. Red and white again scored back-to-back goals putting the score at 3-2. Red team would score their fourth and final goal of the night before making a defensive stand for the rest of the game. As the game winded down to its final seconds, white team scored a buzzer beater goal to end the match, but not enough to win the game.
While the players were competitive throughout the exhibition, winning was not the most important factor. “It was great. Everyone came to play and have fun and the comradery was great. It was just good catching up and playing with the guys,” said Class of ‘89 alumni Corato Garzia.
Keith Scott, a class of ‘79 graduate, said a wide range of participating groups helped make the experience enjoyable.“It’s always good to see different age groups and different people and get together and play. It’s always enjoyable, soccer is a universal game and it welcomes everyone,” he said.
The feedback from the players was overwhelmingly positive. “The game was wonderful. Glad to see all the alumni come out. Energy was great. Couldn’t ask for anything more,” said class of 2022 graduate Clinton Mungeta.
Harvie Marcotti can be contacted at
hmarcotti@kscequinox.com
