Acalanes Frosh girls tied Clayton Valley in a hard-fought match on Saturday morning. Dons dominated the first half with multiple scoring attempts by #8 Nina Bundy and #18 Julia Lyons but it was #22 Charlotte Gellman who scored the only goal, ending the first half 1-0. 

In the second half, things were not going the Dons’ way with multiple off-side violations. Great defense was on display by both teams but Clayton eventually placed a perfect cross pass for an easy goal, tying the game 1-1. 

The fans in the stands were convinced the Dons were going to win with multiple runs by #13 Maddie Bernstein and #10 Kate Uffelman. But we couldn’t get one in the net, so we ended in a hard-fought 1-1 tie. 

Then the Dons hosted Bishop O’Dowd for their final match of the Season. It was a rematch from the very first game of the season that ended in a 2-2 tie where we could see how much the team has improved since the season began. This time, the Dons came out on top with a thrilling 1-0 victory in the final game of the season.

The game started with a ceremonial kick-off to allow Helena McGinley and Natile Hamill to receive some much deserved recognition and get into the game despite their recent unfortunate injuries. The Dons quickly took the lead when Julia Munter scored just four minutes into the game. The team nearly scored another goal soon after, but it was just barely missed by Aliyah Vazquez-Fireman and Kate Uffelman on a corner from Julia Lyons.

The first half was dominated by the Dons, who maintained most of the ball possession throughout the entire half. Late in the first half, Dons’ goalie Sara Tarnai made a fantastic save to keep the team in the lead by charging out aggressively. Maddie Bernstein also had a great goal attempt soon after Tarnai’s save, adding to the pressure the Dons put on the opponent throughout the half. The fans in the stadium considered it one of the best halves of the year for the Dons.

The second half saw O’Dowd come out with passion and make some lineup adjustments, trying to tie up the match. However, the Dons were determined to come out on top. The speedy wings of Berstein, Lyons, Munter, and Katherine Avnaim kept the pressure on, trying to get the ball to forwards Charlotte Gellman and Vazquez-Fireman. The midfield, consisting of Stella Pacheco, Nina Bundy, Sadie Hendrickson, and Brooke Rardin, controlled the pace of the game and forced several corner attempts. In fact, Hendrickson almost scored on a corner set play, but it was just missed.

The Dons’ defense, as seen all season, was fantastic. Tarnai in goal, along with the physical defensive line of Lauren Anderson, Maya Shoenhair, Cassidy Smith, and Molly Aldrich, helped the Dons secure the shutout. Rardin came back late in the game from midfield to give the Dons the extra push they needed. The Dons were awarded a penalty kick just outside the box from Uffelman late in the game, but it was barely wide.

The final score was 1-0, and the Dons finished the season with a record of 10-5-3. The team would like to thank their coach, Peter Bonfanti, who inspired them to get better every day and proved it on the field. The Acalanes Dons Froshbites had a fantastic experience this year and will always remember this thrilling season.