The Acalanes Dons Froshbites Soccer team faced College Park High School on Saturday, February 4th, in the first of two games scheduled for the day. The game was evenly matched in the first 15 minutes, with both teams showing great energy and intensity on the field. However, the Dons soon took control of the game with good pressure at the 20-minute mark. This pressure eventually led to a goal by Aliyah Vazquez-Fireman, giving the Dons a 1-0 lead with about 10 minutes left in the first half. The first half was also marked by several key saves by goalkeeper Sara Tarnai, who kept the College Park attack at bay.
In the second half, both teams came out with great energy, but it was the Dons who dominated the play. Several attacks began to take shape for the Dons, including a highlight attempt from Brooke Rardin who fired a great shot that just went over the crossbar. Meanwhile the defense group of Natalie Hamill, Cassidy Smith, Lauren Anderson, Molly Aldrich, and Maya Shoenhair held off several attacks from College Park. On the wing, Julia Lyons was playing with speed and making some great crosses, and Stella Pacheco had several nice shots on goal. With only 5 minutes to go, Julia Munter made a beautiful cross to Julia Lyons, who scored the second goal for the Dons, putting them up 2-0. However, College Park quickly responded with a beautiful corner that resulted in a goal, closing the gap to 2-1. Despite the late surge by College Park, the Acalanes Dons held on for a hard-fought 2-1 victory.
The Frostbites then faced off against Northgate in a much-anticipated rematch on a rainy afternoon. Despite early control by Northgate, the Frostbite defense, led by goalkeeper Tarnai, kept the game scoreless. As the game progressed, the Frostbite offense began to create chances, with Kate Uffelman nearly scoring off a shot that hit the post. Tarnai continued to make crucial saves to keep the game tied 0-0 at halftime.
Dominating in the middle of the field for the Dons was Brooke Rardin, Sadie Hendrickson, and Stella Pacheco, while Charlotte Gelman and Vazquez-Fireman continued to put pressure up front.
In the second half, Uffelman had another early chance and both teams played strong defense. Our brilliant coach then made a strategic shift and moved Cassidy Smith to holding midfielder to go along with our speedy wings of Maddie Bernstein, Katherine Avniam, Julia Lyons, and Julia Munter. With 9 minutes left in the game, Pacheco scored a stunning goal from 20 yards out, putting the Frostbite Dons ahead.
The game became intense and aggressive as the final whistle approached. Northgate was given a penalty shot in the final seconds, but Tarnai secured the win for the Frostbite Dons by snatching the ball out of the air and punting it away. The referee called the game, securing the much-deserved victory for the Acalanes Frostbite soccer team.
The Acalanes Dons Froshbites Soccer team showed their skill and determination on the field, and their wins against College Park and Northgate were a testament to their hard work and teamwork. Congratulations to the team and coaching staff on two great games!