A rainbow appeared in the sky, as the Pinecrest Alumni Soccer matches got under way on Friday evening — the first hint that this year’s reunion would surpass last year’s inaugural event.

Alumni II expanded to a doubleheader this year, featuring men’s and women’s games, with teams determined by graduation year.

The ladies opened with the even-year Green team edging the White team 3-2, in a contest that featured some humorous twists, from the addition of green and orange cards with penalty push-ups, to the floral “designer” referees’ shirts. Jordan Howell, (’00), led the winning Green team with a pair of goals.

Close to 50 men returned to the Pinecrest pitch for a 90-minute fray that was fun but fierce. Frigid temperatures and gusting winds reminiscent of last year’s bone-chiller did little to cool competitive spirits in a fast-paced 4-3 win for the odd-year squad. Joe Berger, (’03), led the point production for the winners.