This past Thursday evening, February 6, the Varsity Women Dons traveled to Campolindo for their second time this season for their first official league game against the Cougars. We parent fans were incredibly grateful for the sturdy pop-ups set up in the bleachers by fellow parents Brian Houston and Wendy Cerruti (apparently when you each have 2 players per family on varsity, this task is your reward?? Ha!) HUGE thanks again!! It was coming down something fierce from the start, but that didn’t prevent the usual strong defensive play from Lucca DeBiasse, Cassidy Smith, and Tori Hiatt. Campo’s free kick went over the crossbar, followed by another shot attempt saved by our steadfast keeper, Melisa Adatepe.
Alex Salazar had a nice run up the right line but was disrupted by the Cougs. More defense by Smith, with Tatum Keely definitively clearing the ball. Nicole Nguyen, Taylor Mikalis, and Salazar ran a smooth sequence towards the goal, but resulted in an offsides call on Salazar. Soon after the Dons earned a free kick taken by Keely, just wide left of the goal and deflected for a corner. The tenacious back and forth play continued in the driving rain, with Edie Berzansky battling in the midfield to win back the ball. Adatepe drop kicked the ball to DeBiasse, who sent it on to Salazar for a cross to Mikalis but play was broken up by the Cougs.
DeBiasse, Smith, and Elodie Jensen dissolved another Campo attack, followed by Jensen clearing a Cougar pass up front. Campo sent a lofty shot but it was neatly saved by Adatepe. Nguyen countered with a shot on goal but was stopped by the Cougars’ keeper. Another Campo advance was thwarted by our defensive line, ending in an offsides call on the Cougs. DeBiasse and Salazar both took long shots on goal but sadly scooped up by the goalie. Smith sent the ball up to Nguyen, passing to Sisi Houston, whose pass deflected for a corner. Then 2 more corners followed for the Dons, some Aca/Campo back and forth, then a Dons throw-in.
Not long after a Dons’ 4th corner, a trademark Smith throw-in bounced to Reese Tierney for a shot just wide left of the net. More solid defense by Avery DeMent and Smith in the midfield took the ball back for the Dons. Another Salazar long shot on goal followed, but was retrieved by the goalie. A Campo foul gave Keely another free kick, wide right of the goal. Adatepe saved another goal attempt by the Cougs, and the first half closed not long after DeBiasse shot the ball just over the crossbar.
The Cougars opened up the second half with back-to-back corner kicks, but Smith stole the show with a leaping header to clear the ball out wide. The trio of Salazar, Nguyen, and Mikalis ran the ball towards the goal but Salazar’s shot was again stopped by the keeper. Nguyen sent another ball to Mikalis, then on to Hiatt but was broken up by the Cougar defense. The Dons’ defense foiled multiple Campo attacks, but the Cougars managed an almost open shot in front of the goal, fortunately blocked just in time by an ever-ready Berzansky.
Hiatt worked the midfield, carrying the ball up for a pass to Salazar for a shot wide right. Campo won a free kick from the corner that bounced dangerously in front of the goal, thankfully cleared by the Dons’ defense. Another Salazar shot went wide right and Campo responded with a run and strong shot of their own, again saved by Adatepe. The Cougs sent a cross, easily cleared by Keely. Salazar made a nice run, attempted a pass to Houston on the wing, but was deflected by a Campo defender. Houston then faked out a defender to get the ball to Lily Polkinhorn, for a pass to Nguyen but again play was thwarted by the Cougs.
Another Salazar attack was disrupted by the defense for a possible pass back, picked up by the goalie, but the ref called it a deflection. Tierney took another shot but it was again saved by the goalie. Polkinhorn passed to Houston up line but was stopped by a Coug. Nguyen took a shot, just wide right, followed by another Tierney attempt wide left of the goal. DeBiasse and Nguyen moved the ball up the line one last time for a final shot by Nguyen, but it was again caught by the Campo keeper. Just as the rain subsided, we heard the final whistle, ending this hard fought match in a zero zero draw.
