Tuesday, 2/11, the Varsity Women Dons traveled to Pleasant Hill to face the Falcons on their home pitch for College Park Senior Night! Keeping up with the local tradition, the Falcons were kind enough to also honor our 11 Varsity seniors with mini rose bouquets tied up with Aca blue ribbons!
The Dons came out running with Lily Polkinhorn sending a through ball to an open Nicole Nguyen for a shot wide right. The Falcons countered with a run and a strong pass broken up by a ready Reese Tierney, followed by a College Park cross cleared by Tatum Keely. Alex Salazar sent another ball to a streaking Nguyen for a shot saved by the goalie. Taylor Mikalis then moved the ball up around front to Salazar, passing back to Tierney for a long lefty shot caught by the CP keeper. Another Polkinhorn through ball to Salazar followed, with another shot attempt stopped by the goalie.
Free kick by Keely into the box to Tierney, attempted to get it to Salazar but dissolved by the CP defense. Cassidy Smith made a throw-in to the middle, for an attempted deflection shot by Mikalis but it was saved by the Falcons’ goalie. Lucca DeBiasse shot deflected by the CP defender and was unfortunately retrieved by the keeper. Another Dons’ throw-in by Keely to Mikalis passing back to Salazar for a shot wide right. Falcons sent a cross for a one touch shot, blocked and caught by keeper Melisa Adatepe. Polkinhorn, Mikalis, and Salazar teamed up to move the ball up line but a bit too far for an offsides call. Nguyen sent a nice through ball to Mikalis, but it was broken up by the CP defense.
The Falcons followed with an attack but the Dons’ D held up, caging the Falcons for an offsides call. Nguyen sent a beautiful corner shot caught by a leaping keeper. Tori Hiatt won the ball back for a cross to Salazar for another shot, but again scooped up by the keeper. Hiatt sent another ball to DeBiasse but it was cleared by the goalie. Nguyen, Salazar, and DeBiasse combined forces to steal the ball up front, DeBiasse shot but the goalie made another save. Nice work by Leila Hamidi in the midfield, bringing the ball all the way up, passing to Salazar, but the defense deflected it out. DeBiasse took the ball in the midfield, sending a clean pass to Salazar who was sadly called just offsides. Keely stole the ball, passed up to Stella Hamilton, who dribbled and faked out 2 defenders, passing an assist up to Salazar for a clean shot into the corner and goal #1 for the Dons!
Another Hamilton pass to Salazar for a through ball to DeBiasse but the goalie came out of the net to intercept. Polkinhorn passed to Salazar for a nice shot but it ended in a flying dive-catch by the Falcons’ keeper. CP countered for a run and a cross, but the shot went wide left. Another Falcon attack was broken up by Avery DeMent. Salazar passed to Sisi Houston up the line, was cut off by a defender, but Houston challenged to earn a Dons throw-in!
Livi Foster sent a cross to Houston but was thwarted by the CP defense. The Falcons’ free kick was broken up by Keely, Houston raced to keep the ball in play and passed it up to Salazar, but the defense ultimately denied Kate Uffleman’s pass to the wing. DeMent shut down another CP attack and got fouled in the process, earning another Dons free kick to end the first half.
Sara Tarnai came in as the Dons’ keeper to start the second half, with the Dons dominating possession with passes to everywhere and to everyone! College Park countered to earn a corner, tried to curve it in, but it was foiled by Tarnai, and ultimately sent to Hiatt for a clear. The Falcons stole the ball for a shot just barely wide right, but a diving Tarnai was there just in case. Another Salazar shot was deflected out by a Falcon for a corner. Nguyen took the kick, a faked meg through Mikalis to Salazar whose shot attempt went just over the crossbar. Mikalis passed back to Hiatt for a shot stopped by the CP keeper. DeBiasse followed with a shot saved by the goalie but the ball deflected to Mikalis for shot and goal #2 for the Dons!
The Dons kept up the pressure, another shot by Salazar stopped by the goalie, followed by a CP rolling shot easily saved by Tarnai. Nguyen stole the ball at midfield, took it up for a pass to Salazar but was disrupted by defense before she could get free for another attempt. Keely cleared the ball up to Nguyen who dribbled to DeBiasse for a shot just saved by a diving Falcon keeper. Another Dons steal by Keely, who passed up to Salazar for a shot just wide left. Hiatt sent the ball to Nguyen for some deft dribbling, a pass through deflected to Dani Green, but the CP defense won it back.
A through ball came from Polkinhorn to Nguyen, but the goalie emerged to make a diving stop. The Falcons took a corner kick for a deflection shot but it was easily cleared by the Dons’ defense. Pokinhorn sent another through ball to Hamilton for a run at the goal, but the CP defense broke it up from behind. Hamilton followed with a strong shot just over the goal. JV guest Ella Culbertson and Berzansky dissolved a CP attack, followed by a CP run for a cross cleared by Keely. Green disrupted a Falcons advance on the left line, then a CP shot on goal wide left. Culbertson and Berzansky applied pressure, allowing Tarnai to come out of goal to cut off a pass. Falcons took another shot on goal, just over, followed by another shot saved by Tarnai.
Nguyen sent a nice ball to Houston but was narrowly called offsides. A CP through ball went to an open attacker, fortunately Tarnai came out in the nick of time to slide and save a shot, deflected to a Falcon for another shot just over the crossbar. CP won a corner, with the kick to the far post for a one touch goal. Three whistle blasts soon closed out the night with a Dons’ victory over the Falcons, 2 – 1.
Don’t miss our Dons Senior Night with our home match against Northgate Thursday 2/13! Senior Night festivities start at 6:30, with the game starting at 7PM! GO DONS!!