It was a sunny Monday afternoon when the JV Ladies Lacrosse team traveled to Carondelet’s field to face the power house Carondelet Girls Lacrosse team.  The Lady Dons were fresh off their massive victory over Campolindo on Friday night and were feeling pretty good about their chances in this game against Carondelet.  Heck they had not lost yet and did not intend to on this night.  Even though almost all Carondelet players were Lax Club Players the Lady Dons were completely unfazed.  They were confident they would win this game!  However, nobody thought that the Lady Dons would crush Carondelet by a score 16 to 5.  They played a perfect game and quite frankly nobody would have beat them on this night.  The passing, the defense, the hustle, the communication, the shooting, the plays working it down the field, the redefending, the woman on defense and their incredibly load and encouraging bench truly could not have been better. 

The game started off perfectly for the Dons who won four out the first five draws and scored each of those possessions to take a 4 to 0 lead in the first 3.5 minutes.  The Draw control throughout the game was amazing as Maya Stafford had 16 draw controls and Taylor Mikalis and Grace Eppinger each picked up 8 loose balls.  It was simply amazing.  

This athletic and scrappy Acalanes JV Girls Lacrosse team, outran, out hustled and outlacrossed Carondelet from the very beginning.  The Lady Dons literally beat them in every aspect of the game and scored 9 goals in the first quarter alone.  Car did not score until there was a couple minutes left in the first quarter.  In the first quarter alone Kate Uffleman and Christina Hageboeck scored two goals apiece with Kate also adding two assists.   

Other goals scored in the first quarter were by Kate Beaver (who made three amazing pickups behind the restraining line), Grace Eppinger, Maya Stafford, Samantha Swift and Taylor Mikalis.  At the end of the first quarter the score read Dons 9 Carondelet 1.  Looking down at Carondelet’s bench they looked shell shocked where as the ladies on the Dons bench were crazy happy.  The Dons bench truly helped the Lady Dons will their way to win. 

Carondelet did prove that they were not going to quit as they scored right out of the gate in the Second Period and would go on to score three goals in the period.  However, each time they scored the Dons answered and scored five more goals in the period!   Goals by Taylor, Kate B., Christina (two more) and Maya with assists by Edie Berzansky, the Rookie Cate Mercier, Katelynn Weiss and Lucy Thomas.  The Dons ended up with 14 Goals on 12 assists in the first half alone. 

Score at the end of the Half Acalanes 14 and Carondelet 4.  It was running clock time!  

The Second Half the Dons took their foot off the gas pedal a bit.  They still hustled and controlled the ball but only took a couple of shots and scored one goal in the Third period by Kate B. and held Carondelet to one goal also.  Freshman Star Ella Culbertson closed out the scoring for the Dons in the fourth period with a beautiful back handed goal.  This goal and one by Kate U. should have been on ESPN Sports Centers top ten plays!  Final Score Dons 16 Carondelet 5.   

We must also discuss the incredible defense by Addie McShane, Edie Berzansky, Julia Lyons, Maddie “the little General” Obertello, Emme Martin, Rainey Fish, Zoe Braunstein and star Goalie Sarah Hession who held the high powered Carondelet to 5 total goals.  The Car players were confused all day but this ferocious defense that continuously caused turnovers which were picked up by the middies and ran or passed up the field. Edie, Julia and Addie took the ball full field after causing the turnover with Edie intercepting their goalie three times.  They truly were the GLOVE over Carondelet! 

One would be remiss not to mention the crazy wild encouragement provided by the rest of the Dons players.  Their enthusiasm and cheers clearly helped the Lady Dons to this massive win.  Players like Svea Staino, Stella Pacheco (inj), Molly Jones, Stella Degroot, Grace Hayes (inj), Ruby Bogan, Persephone Quine, Kinneri Vivek and Taryn Stevenson.  They truly were the glue that kept this all together and allowed the Dons to get one of the best wins in JV Dons history. 

As one Carondelet player said after the game “we truly expected to win”.  Well for them this did not happen but for the Lady Dons their win streak continued.  There is one game left against Miramonte for the JV Lady Dons to accomplish the unthinkable….a perfect season.  I would not bet against this team! 

Come out to Acalanes this Friday night to catch all the action against the Mats and see if the JV Lady Dons can set an Acalanes record by having a perfect season! WE KNOW THEY CAN! 

GOOOOOO DONS!