The Shelton boys lacrosse team took on an Alumni team made up of graduates from 2005 to 2008 last Tuesday at Edward C. Finn Stadium in what head coach Steve Kennedy hopes will be an annual event.
The goal was to raise money for the Shelton lacrosse program and the youth lacrosse league.
About 150 fans cheered on the former Gales as they battled this year’s varsity squad.
Experience counts as the Alumni came away with a 13 – 6 victory.
“Absolutely, this was a huge success,” said Shelton head coach Steve Kennedy.
“We didn’t have a lot of time to plan this event. We had insurance issues to iron out and this was kind of a spur of the moment thing.
Next year we will be a little more organized,” Kennedy said. “But I feel we achieved what we were looking for. And this is to raise
the awareness of lacrosse in Shelton and create even more interest at the youth level.”
It was apparent at the start that the Varsity team had a little more in the tank than the Alumni. Colby Nolan scored the first goal
ever in this inaugural match up just 16 seconds into the game.
As the Varsity players ran off the field for substitutions they huddled with the coaching staff to discuss strategy. The Alumni
players ran off the field for substitutions and collapsed in a heap trying to catch their breath.
“Some of these guys haven’t taken their equipment out of the bag in almost three or four years,” Kennedy said.
The Alumni quickly tied the game as Jake Nathan class on 2008 scored at the 10:57 mark.
It was a tie game at 4 – 4 with under two minutes tom play when the experience took over handing the Alumni a 6 – 4 advantage at the half.
The Alumni managed to rattle off four straight goals to take a commanding lead when the referees noticed they had too many men on the field and called a penalty.
“That was purely by accident,” insisted coach John Esposito, who along with parents Mark Sansone and Al Perille, coached the elders.
“They are so excited to be here and they want to get in there so bad we just had too many of them out there.”
