23RD ANNUAL CAL POLY LACROSSE ALUMNI GAME
Alumni Keep It Close but the Mustangs Take the Victory
November 20, 2010 – It looked like this was the year the rain would finally fall. For the past twenty-two seasons, Cal Poly’s annual alumni game has been played on the weekend before Thanksgiving without a raindrop in sight.
This year, the forecast called for a cold front to spin through the Central Coast and a grey, rainy Saturday for the 23rd Annual Cal Poly Lacrosse Alumni Game. The rain came late Friday night, but by game time on Saturday the clouds had cleared and the current Mustang squad squared off against a talented Alumni team under clear, blue November skies.
There is no doubt that the current team was the favorite, but it was difficult to predict just how the 2010 alumni game would play out. It was just three short years ago that the Alumni posted their second consecutive victory, and two years ago, it took a last-second goal by attackman Andrew Haviland to secure a Mustang victory. But last year, the current squad took firm control of the series by pasting the Alumni 21-3.
Scott Heberer and Matt Graupmann staked the current squad to a two goal lead, but the Alumni wouldn’t fade out weakly this year. Matt Anderson (2008) fired in a long-range bomb with five minutes remaining in the 1st quarter, and the game was on.
Midfielders Brett Sack and Tim Albo scored as the quarter wound down, and the current team took a 4-1 lead. Sean Quirk (2007) kept the Alumni within striking distance with a slick five-hole bounce shot to draw within two early in the 2nd quarter.
The Alumni’s offense sputtered for the rest of the half, but their defense kept the game tight with a solid effort. The current squad could only manage one goal in the quarter and the teams went into the break with the Alumni trailing only 5-2.
The Alumni’s defense was definitely the key to this year’s game, as close defensemen Kendal Shomura (2010), Stuart Vik (2007), and Mark Govan (2008), worked together as a balanced, cohesive unit rarely seen by an Alumni team. Goalkeeper Ryan Parr (2005) anchored the D in the cage, and gave the Alumni a legitimate shot at scoring the upset.
The Alumni offense came out firing in the 3rd quarter, as Seth Kweller (2008) and Andrew Parr (2003) scored to draw within one goal of the current squad at 5-4. But freshman attackman Dylan Gonsalves answered back, and the current team took control. The Alumni battled valiantly but the current squad ran away late in the 3rd quarter on the second goals of the game for both Heberer and Graupmann.
The game ended up at 10-7, as the Alumni defense held the Mustangs scoreless in the 4th but the offense just couldn’t generate enough firepower to make a run at the upset.
We want to thank all of the CPLAX Alumni who made the trip to SLO for the big game, and supported the current squad with our biggest fundraiser of the season. We hope to see all of you during the upcoming 2011 season. Your support helps drive the continued success of Cal Poly Lacrosse!!!
