This past Thursday night, January 23rd, the Varsity Women took on the Miramonte Matadors on our home pitch. Before most of us had even settled in for another frigid night on the bleachers, Alex Salazar sent a clean pass to Nicole Nguyen for a shot and goal #1 for ACA, just over 2 minutes into the match!

Our defense was ready for Miramontes’ response, with Reese Tierney and Tatum Keely taking on the Mats’ offense. Another ACA attack by Stella Hamilton, Lucca DeBiasse, and Nguyen was broken up by the Mira defense. Tori Hiatt disrupted a counterattack and then Cassidy Smith joined Hiatt in preventing another Mats’ run downfield. Salazar sent another through ball to Hamilton, unfortunately scooped up by the Mats’ keeper. Almost immediately, Salazar got a shot off that was stopped by the goalie.  Nguyen followed with a pass to Salazar whose shot went just wide right of the net.

After Keely blocked a pass up the line, Lily Polkinhorn sent the ball to Salazar who sent it on to Nguyen, who was stopped again by the Mats’ defense. Edie Berzansky blocked a Mats shot on goal and then DeBiasse disrupted a Miramonte cross.  Keely and Berzansky then had to break up another offensive run.

Keeper Melisa Adatepe took no chances, diving for a Miramonte free kick that went wide left of the goal.  Sisi Houston countered by sending a pass to Hamilton up the line, who crossed to Taylor Mikalis for a shotjust right of the net. Another Mira shot on goal was saved by Adatepe, followed by another pass from Hamilton to Salazar, sadly cleared by the Mats’ defense. 

Elodie Jensen, Avery DeMent, and Hiatt disrupted another Miramonte run. Jensen and Polkinhorn put up more solid defense in the midfield, then the Mats’ ball was cleared out by Berzansky. Another Mira cross got caught by Adatepe, followed by our final offensive plays of the first half – Salazar passed to Nguyen whose shot went just over the crossbar. Livi Foster followed with a pass to Salazar who passed it on to Nguyen, who then passed back to Foster for a nice run but no goal.

Early in the second half, the Mats took another free kick that was cleared by a Berzansky header.  Tierney sent a through ball to Hamilton, which was broken up by the Mira defense. DeBiasse sent a free kick close to the net but the ball was caught by the Mats’ keeper. Tierney passed to Nguyen, who crossed to Salazar, unfortunatelya narrow offsides call thwarted the effort. Miramonte took a shot on goal sailing over the crossbar, followed by another Mira run and cross picked up by Adatepe.

Another goal attempt by Hamilton was blocked by a defender, followed by a Salazar through ball to Houston broken up for a Mats goal kick. With a bit of back-and-forth, another Mira goal attempt was sent wide left. DeMent then took on the midfield Mats to steal the ball back and Houston’s challenge forced a Dons’ corner.  Keely kicked the bal to Salazar whose shot went barely over the crossbar.

The Mats managed a bit of last minute energy and effort where a Miramonte free kick came dangerously close to the net, but was saved by keeper Sara Tarnai.  Polkinhorn passed to Jensen, but the play was disrupted by the midfield Mats leading to another goal attempt by Miramonte that was again saved by a leaping Tarnai. Another Mira corner almost bounced around and into the goal but was cleared by the Dons’ defense. A last shot on goal by the Mats caught by Tarnai brought the night to a close with an Acalanes victory, Dons 1, Mats 0!

Come on over to Campo this Saturday night, 1/25, at 7pm to see our Varsity Women Dons take on the Cougars! GO DONS!