SJND Alumni Soccer Game 2023
Written by Emmanuel A. ‘27
Every year SJND hosts an Alumni game giving the current varsity team a chance to face past players from SJND that had graduated previous years. Reuniting former teammates and friends on the field for a day can give them a chance to catch up and bring back memories. This has become a tradition at SJND and bringing people together is the intention of the event.
The atmosphere at the game was electric! So many alumni showed up and they had substitutes for every minute of the game. The stands were packed out with friends and family with old alumni ready to show off their spirit with the school colors. It was the perfect combination of friendly competition and rivalry in between who was better: New Gen current students or Alumni. You could just feel the excitement in between the air as the players stepped on the pitch. Every player’s skills were top notch; those alumni have not lost their touch. Some of them went on after high school to college to play D1, so they were fresh and ready to give a challenge to the new generation of SJND students.
The whistle blew and the game was on. Five minutes into the game Emmanuel Avila wasted zero time by scoring a chip over the goalkeeper because he was off his line. The play started by a throw when Miguel Ascensio was running down the line but then an Alumni defender cleared the ball to the sideline. Kirubel then threw the ball in and Miguel contested the defender for the header. The unbalanced defender hit the ball backwards and that’s when Emmanuel rushed in and took it from behind and noticed that the keeper was out of his line running for the ball, and he chipped it over him and snagged a goal. Emmanuel made it 1–0 in favor of the New Gen.
Seven minutes later a foul was committed against Michael Bautista and a direct free kick was given to the New Gen of SJND. Emmanuel stepped up and waited for the referee’s whistle. Referee blew his whistle and BOOM! Emmanuel perfectly located the ball top left corner of the goal and snagged his second goal of the game with only 15 minutes into the game and made it 2–0 for New Gen. Alumni were in desperate need of a goal.
The game continued 2–0 into halftime, both teams in need of a break and coming up with new plans to take down the opponent. The second half of the game started and Alumni were off to a great start by having possession of the ball and circulating around the pitch. They managed to score a goal at minute 50 making it 2–1.
Did the New Gen respond? Yes they did: New Gen didn’t let the Alumni catch up so they took their time breaking down their defense, focusing on the weak points of the Alumni. 20 minutes later in minute 70 a free kick was given a couple yards away from the halfway line. Most people think to pass or even cross it in this situation, but what does Kirubel do? He shot it over the keeper and scored to make it a good, comfortable lead for the New Gen, 3–1.
The game ended in a 3–1 victory for the current varsity team of SJND. Despite the final score, each goal had its own kick to the game, adding to the great atmosphere.
I had the chance to speak with two of the players after the game, one of the Alumni and one of the current varsity players.
Brian, a graduate from the class of 2023, expressed how he felt playing with his old friends and reconnecting with them on the pitch. “Playing in the SJND Alumni Game is like taking a trip down memory lane for me. It’s like we were back in high school and playing those epic games that meant everything to us back then. Every ball kicked brought back some memories from when I attended SJND.”
Michael Bautista, a current student at SJND and an important player in the midfield for his team, shared how he felt playing with the older guys: “It was a tough game. Thankfully our players pulled through and we overcame the obstacles that we faced throughout the game. For me, it was fun. I played against some of the best players that were here my freshman year but now that they moved out to college, it was different seeing them on the opposing side. But it wasn’t just a game. It was a reunion of teammates and friends who have shared victories and defeats together.”
