The first game of 2026 was our Don’s fiercest competition yet in the form of a fast, aggressive Cal High opponent. Ready and firing right out of the gate, Cal High forced keeper Brooke Lewis (#0) into action with a great save and defender Liv Kemp (#5) into a powerful block on another breakaway.

Unfortunately, Cal High’s early barrage worked and they were up 1-0 after an impossible-to-get rocket slipped into the goal.

The Dons defense adjusted well to the pressure, and the level of play escalated to showcase a hustling effort led by Courtney Hamill (#10), Alexa Wall (#22), Audrey Tseng (#4), Tatum Walsh (#13), and Ashby Raher (#15).

Another flying save from Brooke about 10 minutes in!

Now more in their rhythm and occupying the breadth of the field, the Dons highlighted their offensive strengths and stamina in the form of solid shots from Lucy Hamilton (#8) and Averly Ammerman (#19), and smart midfield and sideline work from Allie Schofield (#12), Casey Lerch (#11), and June Natal (#7).

Farren Staino (#16) and Hannah Hoover (#2) had several almost connections (Hanna’s foot only wants that ball), and the half ended with a brilliantly executed team corner attempt that was just a starfish’s width above the crossbar.

The second half kicked off with fantastic ball movement and field IQ from our midfield (Casey, June, Avery, Tatum), some beautiful runs under enormous pressure by Ruby Coy (#9), and a gorgeous serve up from Talia Tichenor (#20) to Audrey that hit the far post and just missed.

The Cal High defense was real, y’all, and our Dons fought hard.

#0 does it again with a magnificent save on a difficult corner! This resulted in yet another corner, which the Aca defensive team cleared with aplomb.

Casey then took the ball all the way down the pitch – under assault – and got a well-earned free kick.

Then their goalie took our corner. Now I’m no aficionado, but it got a little confusing…  I guess there’s an obscure soccer rule that when the ball is touched twice in a row by a defender before it goes out, that player’s goalie gets to kick it to the other side of the field. Huh.  

At this late stage of the game, Cal High implemented their “Everything Out” strategy, which is challenging to play against. These awesome Dons should hold their heads high – they stopped a strong opponent in their tracks and played a tough match after a long break that no doubt included tons of exercise, rest, and healthy living.

Next up, Northgate at home this Thursday (1/8) at 5p.

Let’s GO Dons!