A lacrosse tournament in Glastonbury took on a really special meaning this past weekend.
Players remembered West Hartford native and marine Lance Corporal Lawrence Philippon who was killed serving our country in Iraq back in 2005.
Everybody on "TeamGoat" all donned the same number: 33.
"That was his number. That's why we all wear it," TeamGoat member Patrick Phelan said.
In honor of their high school classmate and former teammate Larry.
"TeamGoat" became after Larry's death.
"It was Larry's nickname in high school. He was goat. And after he passed away, he kind of became the greatest of all time mantra. So we decided to be TeamGoat," member Brendan Frobel said.
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After a dozen years, this will be the last tournament for TeamGoat. These players, now in their mid-30s, have families, children and busy lives of their own.
"I think we've had a nice little run of it," Frobel said.
And cheering these guys on for all this time has been Larry's mom, Leesa.
"They're precious. They really are and as much as we will miss seeing them, we hold them in our hearts forever, and standing in the gap of Larry's absense," Leesa said. "They play in honor of his service to America."
A few years back, a local farmer caught wind of the TeamGoat's mission and decided to bring actual goats to these games.
TeamGoat certainly made it count today. On this final appearance in the tournament, they won the whole thing.
"Before he became a Marine, he was a boy. He was a son, a brother, family, a West Hartford resident, a youth soccer, baseball, football player and a Conard alumni playing hockey and lacrosse," Leesa said. "He was one of these men who has been wearing his number 33 playing with integrity, love of the sport and love of team."
