If the Dons could go back in time and erase the first quarter of their game against Campo on Friday night, Acalanes would be celebrating an 8-7 victory over the Cougs. Sadly, time travel hasn’t been invented yet. It wasn’t that the Dons’ offense didn’t get any shots off in the first quarter, they just couldn’t get any past Campo goalie Haley Richards, a Louisville commit, who blanked the Dons. On the other side of the field, Campo was able to take advantage and score four against the Dons’ defense, creating a hole that the Dons would not be able to dig themselves out of over the course of the game.

However the Dons didn’t roll over to the Cougs and kept fighting to stay in the game. The Dons started the second quarter by winning the draw, with senior Grace Imrie drawing an 8m shortly after and scoring the first goal of the game for the Dons. The Dons won the draw again, but this time were penalized for a moving screen on offense followed by Campo moving the ball up the field and drawing and scoring an 8m of their own, one of nine that the Cougs drew on the Dons’ defense throughout the game, bring the score to 1-5. Later in the quarter, the Dons were able to create some momentum on offense with freshman Grace Colaco scoring off a pass from Imrie, and shortly after, senior Ella Thomason scoring off yet another great pass by Imrie. Campo responded quickly with a goal up the middle, followed by another 8m goal. We were back to a four goal deficit, 3-7. But the Dons were able to close the gap a bit at the end of the quarter when Thomason passed to sophomore Charlotte Gellman who found the back of the net with just 35 seconds left in the half, 4-7.

Most of the third quarter featured stellar saves on both sides of the field by Richards and Acalanes goalie Addie Martin, along with the Dons’ defense who stopped the Campo scoring spree. Both teams traded possession back and forth. But with just under four minutes left in the quarter, Campo scored yet another 8m shot. After a timeout, the Dons were able to regroup with Imrie drawing and converting an 8m to end the quarter 5-8, back to a three goal deficit.

The fourth quarter was an exciting one with both teams trading goals back and forth. Campo struck first early in the quarter, but a minute later, junior Lucca DeBiasse was able to get an 8m shot in. Campo followed that up with two more quick goals, an 8m and a drive up the middle. Even though it looked bleak with a score of 6-11, the Dons refused to give up. With just under two minutes left in the game, Colaco was awarded and converted a penalty shot. Right after that, the highlight of the game for the Dons was when senior Jenna Steele brazenly stole the ball from Richards and then passed to Colaco who secured the empty net goal. Colaco wasn’t done yet and scored her fourth and final goal of the night off of a penalty shot to bring the final score to 8-11. Though the Dons lost to the Cougars this time, they were certainly taking notes for their rematch against Campo in mid-April.

The Dons will face Bishop O’Dowd on the road on Wednesday, March 20 at 7pm. Let’s go, Dons!