The Dons faced their crosstown rival Campolindo Cougars on Tuesday evening at Acalanes. The game began with a moment of silence for Dons’ student-athlete Amin Noroozi, who tragically passed away last week.

At the start of the game the Dons showed some rust with Campolindo’s defense applying significant pressure in the first and second quarters. This disrupted many passes and forced costly turnovers for the Dons. Despite this pressure, the Dons played strong defense in the first quarter, allowing only one Cougars goal. However, the second quarter told a different story, as the Cougars scored four goals to just one for the Dons from their #1 attack Brody Darin. The Dons trailed 5-1 at halftime.

The Cougars continued their momentum after halftime, scoring two quick goals to extend their lead to 7-1. From that point on, the Dons began to find their rhythm, demonstrating more accurate passing and strong defensive play in the second half, thanks in part to goalie Kyle Sanftner who had 17 saves for the night. The Dons’ offense started to connect on some scoring drives with two more goals by Brody Darin (completing his hat trick for the evening), a well-executed goal by sophomore Jackson Tseng, and a goal by senior star attack Griffin Rotundo. Defender Corbin Gallegos had an impressive goal and his tenacious play throughout the night helped the Dons perform well in the second half.

Despite their improved second-half performance, the Dons ultimately couldn’t overcome the deficit and lost the game 11-5. However, the team showed resilience in the second half, showing signs of the 10-3 team they have been this year. The Dons will host Miramonte this Friday at home for the annual Matt Lynn night.

Hope to see you there, Dons fans!