Wounded Warrior game honors Heinz Ahlmeyer ’66

At the Heinz Ahlmeyer Game held on Oct. 10, the SUNY New Paltz men’s soccer team did more than beat rival SUNY Potsdam in a 4-3 win. Through the support of New Paltz faculty, staff and community members, the game also raised nearly $5,000 for the Wounded Warrior Project and recognized alumni from the 1965 championship soccer team as well as two student veterans.

Named in honor of a 1966 New Paltz alumnus and former men’s soccer player who was killed in action in the Vietnam War in 1967, the Heinz Ahlmeyer game included a static display of law enforcement vehicles from various local agencies and departments. The community event included K-9 demonstrations and a 1962 Bell UH-1B Huey helicopter, flown by Jeff Lyons of Air One Mobility in Saugerties, N.Y., that landed adjacent to the game field. And the players wore blue camouflage shirts during the competition.

The pregame ceremony included recognition of two current New Paltz students who are Purple Heart recipients: Senior Airmen Samuel Davies ’16 (Marketing) and Thomas Pulaski ’16 (Business).

At halftime, New Paltz honored 12 members from the 1965 men’s soccer team in celebration of their NCAA Atlantic Coast Regional Championship. That team included Ahlmeyer ’66 and current men’s soccer coach, Gene Ventriglia ’67.