On a foggy evening in Lafayette, the Varsity Girls Soccer team ground out a hard-fought 2–0 victory over the visiting Maria Carrillo Panthers, improving to 2–0 on the young season. The Panthers’ sideline brought plenty of energy with their chants of “Let’s go Pumas!”, but the Dons composure and steady pressure ultimately tipped the match.

The opening half was a defensive battle ending in a 0-0 tie. Ella Culbertson set the tone early with a strong clear, and the Panthers threatened with another sequence that was denied by defender Sierra Goyert. Maria Carrillo looked poised to break through on a promising opportunity, but the play was whistled offside. Neither team had a shot on goal until Caroline Tumilty’s shot with 13 minutes remaining in the half.

Just before the break, the Dons nearly broke through on a sharp sequence from Reese Tierney to Grace Eppinger to Lilly Polkinghorn. Grace Eppinger later juked past her mark for a beautiful cross — but no one was in position to finish.

The offensive action opened quickly after halftime. With 35 minutes remaining, Grace Eppinger slipped a crisp assist to Michaela Barbano, who scored the game’s first goal.

Goalie Alexa Bantique anchored the defense with five total saves, including a pair of difficult long-range stops. She got help from the defense, including Edie Berzansky who cleared a ricochet that would otherwise have been a goal.

Defender Avery Dement also delivered several clutch plays — blocking a free shot, winning tackles, and heading away a free kick. The Dons sealed the win late when Caroline Tumility, after “caging in” a loose ball on the ground, later went on to score her third goal of the season, again assisted by Grace Eppinger.

The team hits the road for the first time this season to take on cross-town rival Camplindo on Wednesday, December 10th @ 7PM