On Friday evening the Dons took on the Las Lomas Knights in their final game of the regular season—and capped it off in style. What a season it’s been. After a rebuilding year in 2023 that saw the team finish 3-13, the Dons flipped the script entirely. They entered this matchup with an impressive 13-3 record, marking an incredible turnaround in just the second season under head coach Nate Welcomer and staff.
Now, on to the action.
The Dons came out fast, with Luke Dafferner finding the back of the net just 30 seconds into the game. But the winds quickly changed and Las Lomas responded with four unanswered goals, putting Acalanes in an early and unexpected hole. The Dons’ offense would find its groove again though, with Caleb Mason leading the way with a nice goal to close out the first quarter, narrowing the deficit to 2-4.
From there, the momentum really shifted—and the Dons never looked back. They went on a dominant 8-0 run with goals from Luke Dafferner (hat trick!), Griffin Rotundo, and Jackson Tseng. By halftime, Acalanes had stormed ahead, leading 6-4.
The third quarter saw more offensive dominance. Dafferner opened the scoring again, followed by a strike from Griffin Rotundo. Then Alex Cortez charged down field and dished a beautiful assist to Caleb Mason for another goal (the second game in a row these two have found a stunning connection), extending the lead 10-5.
In the final quarter, the Dons’ defense held strong, limiting the Knights to just one goal. Standout defensive efforts came from long pole Leo Deignan, goalie Val Grossi, and the relentless hustle of Cortez and Henry Finegold. Offensively, Jackson Tseng added another goal, and capped the night with his own hat trick to seal the 11-6 victory.
Next up: playoffs. Let’s. Go. Dons!
