With Logan reopened and a limited number of planes flying overhead to land at the airport, the UMB men’s soccer team and UMB alumni from past men’s soccer squads played the annual Alumni soccer game on a bright, warm, and sunny day. The exhibition game gave everyone a chance to focus on something positive, if only for a few hours.

Chris Fitzgerald of the Beacon Fitness Center was amazed at the turnout for the Alumni’s team. “We have more alumni here than we’ve had in the past couple of years,” he said with a smile. All the players from both sides came with a sense of purpose. There were many headers, slide tackles, and even a few wheelhouse kicks.

As the game progressed, the play on the field became more energetic and the players exchanged witty remarks about one another’s play. But, make no mistake, each team came out to win the match. “These guys play more dirty because they know each other,” remarked Bob Cole, the referee for the game.

On a down note, a member of the Alumni team, Lenny David of the Computer Science Department, sustained a serious knee injury when he and a member of the men’s soccer team collided as they were scrambling for a loose ball. He had to be carried of the field with what initially looked like a rupture of the patellar tendon. He soon left the campus to receive medical attention.

With a few minutes left to play, the Alumni broke a 2-2 tie and claimed the win. But the day was not about victory or personal stats. After the final whistle, players from both sides spent several minutes giving each other congratulations and adulations, a truly remarkable display of true sportsmanship.