Acalanes closed out the regular season in style Thursday night, earning a 2–0 victory over Mt. Diablo in front of a large, energetic home crowd.
The evening began with a heartfelt Senior Night celebration, as each senior reflected on their families and their soccer journey at Acalanes. This year’s senior class includes:
- Eli Foster
- Shiraz Kamran
- Omri Noiman
- Aidan Parnell
- Kyler Roberts
- Santi Vignoles
- Luke Wilson
- Harry Zimmerman
- Maor Ziskind
The match itself was tightly contested early, with both teams pressing hard in a physical first half. Acalanes generated quality chances through Kyler Roberts and Omri Noiman, while strong midfield pressure from Zachary Birrell and Ben Karpuk helped control the tempo. The teams went into halftime scoreless at 0–0.
The breakthrough came early in the second half. Eli Romick delivered a perfectly struck free kick into the box from 30 yards out that found Noiman’s head for a decisive finish — followed by a clinical knee-slide celebration in front of the home crowd. Acalanes doubled the lead midway through the half after Charlie Phillips — who consistently gave Mt. Diablo trouble with aggressive runs down the left wing — was dragged down in the penalty area. Noiman calmly converted the penalty in the 60th minute to make it 2–0.
The Dons continued to apply midfield pressure, highlighted by strong work from Karsten Harmeyer, while the defense held firm to preserve the clean sheet. Romick, Parnell, Zimmerman, Trevor Krick, and Caleb Nguyen coordinated effectively to turn away Mt. Diablo’s late pushes and secure the shutout victory.
Next Up
Acalanes now turns its attention to the NCS Playoffs, with first-round matchups to be announced this weekend.
