This past weekend at the Grange and Ashwill Memorial Tournament, we not only saw some great soccer be played, we were able to pay our respects to a couple of Lobo legends and also be reminded of how fragile life is. Pat Grange and Ben Ashwill may be gone, but they are certainly not forgotten and their legacy will continue as long as this program is around.
Pat’s story is a powerful one, as he was diagnosed with the terminal disease ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) at a very young age, ultimately passing away when he was only 29. Watching someone that was so fit and so young to lose his body to this disease was painful to me, and I can only imagine what it was like for those who knew him personally. While it tears me up every time I think of Pat story and legacy (his E:60 segment is both worth watching and hard to get through), I am reminded of the impact and legacy that he left on Lobo Soccer and the unity that the Lobo Soccer family showed during his struggle.
While we saw Pat’s fight with ALS play out, the Lobo Soccer family tragically lost another key member of the Lobo family in Ben Ashwill. Ben’s story didn’t play out like Pat’s, as he died in a car accident right outside Santa Rosa in the winter of 2010. Upon hearing the news of Ben’s passing, all I could do was cry and remember the countless matches and memories I formed watching Ben play with for the Banditos and the Lobos. Watching him and the teams that he was while I was in middle school and high school are a huge part of why I grew to love soccer and I am thankful for the role that both Pat and Ben played in providing those memories and growing my love for the sport.
Part of the reason that they feel so important to the program, and to me personally, is that they were from the same city I am from: Albuquerque. Seeing homegrown players compete at a high level was and is exciting and inspirational, and they were two of the best examples. Pat started didn’t start his college career at UNM after graduating from Albuquerque High, but he found his way back home after the 2002 class came in with local stars and high school All-Americans, Ben Ashwill and Brandon Moss. He played his first two years at the University of Illinois-Chicago where he was a key part of their teams before joining the Lobos. Ben, on the other hand, was a cornerstone of the Lobo Soccer Program, as once Ben was on board, Moss soon followed along with walk-on, and future All-American, Jeff Roland. Ben was the local kid that made it cool to play at home for the Lobos, so in my mind, if Ben didn’t come to UNM, the Lobo Soccer Program could have a completely different history.
In Ben’s first two seasons, he played forward, scoring an UNM freshman record 12 goals. After a disappointing sophomore season for the Lobos, in which they went 8-9-3, Ben moved to the backline to help stabilize the defense. Pat helped take over the offensive duties, serving as the second leading scorer on the team with 8 goals. They both ended up being huge parts of a team that went 17-1-2, losing in the Sweet Sixteen to Virginia on penalty kicks. The 2004 team is probably my favorite Lobo team of all time and it was a sad end to Pat’s career. Ben had one last season and it was great one, as the Lobos made the championship game, where they lost to Maryland 1-0. For the season, the Lobos went 18-2-3, with Ben being a key part to the team, playing almost every minute of every game on the backline. It was a great way for Ben to end his career with a roster that he helped shape simply by making the choice to stay home and play at UNM.
Due to their legacies and impact on the Lobo Soccer Program, I really do think that it would be fitting for Pat’s #4 Jersey and Ben’s #2 Jersey to be retired, since they are an integral part to what makes the Lobo Program special. I am thankful for everything Pat and Ben did for the Lobo Soccer Program, the city of Albuquerque, and the State of New Mexico. Both Pat and Ben’s legacies will live on and are stories worth passing on to future generations of Lobo fans, and I for one will continue to do so. Those 2002-2005 teams that they were a part of are the teams that made me a huge Lobo Soccer fan and part of the reason I choose to write about Lobo sports today.
Thank you, Pat and Ben. Your legacies will live on.