Saturday night, January 25, the Acalanes Varsity Women’s soccer team traveled to Moraga to face the Cougars at Campolindo. The Dons came on strong, dominating possession and attacks from the get go. Reese Tierney sent a pass to Alex Salazar in the corner, but the cross was disrupted by the Campo defense. Our defensive back line, Tatum Keely, Edie Berzansky, Cassidy Smith and Tori Hiatt kept up the pressure, not allowing much, if any, Cougar momentum. Lily Polkinhorn took a shot wide right on an attempted clear by Campo. Lucca DeBiasse sent the ball to Hiatt who passed it on to Nicole Nguyen, taking the ball for a nice run up line resulting in a Dons’ throw in. Salazar took a run on the right for a cross disrupted by the Cougars’ defense, followed by a goal attempt by DeBiasse that was saved by the Campo keeper.
The Cougars responded with a goal attempt thwarted by Tierney’s tenacious defense. Salazar’s next shot was blocked by a Coug, but the ball rebounded to Taylor Mikalis for a shot wide left. Campo’s next shot on goal was handily scooped up by Melisa Adatepe. Debiasse countered by dribbling up the line and sending her shot just right of the net. Keely sent a clean cross for a deflected pass by Mikalis to Nguyen, whose attempt overshot to the right of the goal. Hiatt kept up the midfield fight to get through the Cougs and Nguyen ran another ball up for a shot but was foiled by the Campo goalie. Nguyen and Livi Foster worked the left line, then Keely challenged the Campo defense to draw a foul and a free kick for the Dons. Keely sent the free kick to Salazar for a cross, sadly cut off by Campo. Stella Hamilton wasted no time, sending another cross, upon which Foster drew her defender across, freeing up the ball to go through to Nguyen for a beautiful shot and goal # 1 for the Dons!
Hamilton challenged to get the ball back after the Campo kickoff, sending it to Salazar for another shot defended by the keeper. Hiatt and Tierney broke up another Cougs’ run. DeBiasse countered by passing to Sisi Houston, who passed back to Hiatt, who then sent it to Mikalis for another shot wide right. Assertive offense by Houston drew a foul for another Dons’ free kick. Polkinhorn and Hiatt worked the midfield to take the ball back, but when Campo countered, a clean slide tackle by Berzansky cleared a Campo challenge while also drawing a foul for another Dons’ free kick. Smith’s trademark long throw-in resulted in another Dons’ corner. Tierney’s corner got deflected by a Coug for another Aca corner. Houston’s corner kick then curved just over the crossbar. Elodie Jensen and Mikalis fought the Cougs in the midfield, enabling Mikalis to take the ball to Houston, who passed on to DeBiasse for a run that ultimately got disrupted by the Campo defense. Hamilton ran up the right, sending a pass to Mikalis just out of her reach. DeBiasse closed the first half with another shot on goal, saved by the keeper.
The Dons’ defense and midfielders opened up the second half with Berzansky, Tierney, and Keely breaking up Campo challenges. Mikalis had a nice run for a pass to Nguyen, speeding out of her reach on the slick pitch. (Did I fail to mention that it not only rained in the first half of Varsity, but hailed during the JV match?!) Hiatt sent a pass to Salazar who then passed it on to Nguyen, again just a bit too strong and out of bounds. DeBiasse took on some Cougs only to get sandwiched for a foul for a Dons’ free kick. Salazar’s free kick was on target, sailing high towards the back of the net but punched over the crossbar by the Cougs’ keeper, resulting in a Dons’ corner. Salazar later took another shot off a throw-in, but the ball was caught by the goalie. Campo responded with a shot blocked by Keely’s back into the hands of keeper Adatepe. Polkinhorn sent the ball to Salazar for a run disrupted by the Cougs. Campo later ended up with a free kick that was easily saved by Adatepe. Mikalis and Nguyen continued to work the left line, resulting in Hiatt sending a cross that was deflected back to Mikalis for a shot wide right, but deflected off a Campo defender for a Dons’ corner. Mikalis headed a shot off the corner kick that bounced off the crossbar and may have actually bounced in the goal, but the ref called it out as it was blocked by the keeper then rebounded to Salazar who took another header shot again saved by the Cougs’ goalie.
Hamilton intercepted a Campo pass, sending the ball to a running Nguyen, just a touch strong on the wet field and out the baseline. Salazar juked two defenders to get another shot on goal but was stopped by the goalie. Nguyen took the Dons’ next corner, just missing Hamilton for an almost header shot. DeBiasse sent a pass to Nguyen then to Salazar for a beautiful run towards the goal, but was dispossessed by the Campo defense. The Cougs’ next free kick came close, bouncing in front of the goal but of course cleared by a steadfast Berzansky, allowing a Nguyen counter run and shot attempt blocked by a defender. Hiatt and Keely continued to keep the Cougars at bay, resulting in Dani Green making a quick run up the left line, but a defensive challenge resulted in a goal kick for Campo.
The Cougs soon took another free kick, this one to an open player sending a close shot on goal just over the crossbar. Salazar responded, passing to Nguyen who launched the ball just wide right of the goal and deflected for a Dons’ corner. Nguyen sent her corner kick to a charging Tierney for shot and goal # 2 for the Dons! Avery DeMent was ready to break up the next challenge by the Cougs, resulting in a Mikalis pass to Nguyen to Salazar for another shot stopped by the Campo keeper. Salazar again faked out two Cougs for a run and shot, deflected for another Dons’ corner. Nguyen’s corner kick unfortunately got punched out by the Campo keeper. Campo took a last minute free kick, blocked and cleared by Hiatt. Salazar took the closing shot on goal of the night, caught by the Cougars’ goalie.
Final score Dons 2, Cougars 0!
Big thanks to all the Dons who showed up to cheer on our girls on a cold and rainy night! Congrats to our Frosh and JV teams who also crushed the Cougs!
Come see the Acalanes Women’s Soccer Teams take on Alameda at home this Monday, January 27th!
