Acalanes battled back from a two-goal deficit to earn a hard-fought 2–2 tie against Northgate on Thursday night, controlling the tempo for much of the match and playing aggressively until the final whistle.

Northgate struck early, scoring on a counterattack in the 4th minute to take a 1–0 lead. The Dons responded by increasing pressure, with attacking runs from Luke Wilson and Omri Noiman creating sustained chances. In midfield, Ben Karpuk delivered a strong defensive performance, while Harry Zimmerman shut down several attacks from the right back position. Acalanes continued to press late in the half, generating scoring opportunities through pressure from Karsten Harmeyer, Zachary Birrell, and Harrison Sheffler.

The Dons came out energized in the second half and applied relentless pressure, but Northgate extended its lead early after converting a penalty kick in the 46th minute. Acalanes finally broke through in the 56th minute when Noiman showed great composure on a through ball, finishing cleanly after strong hustle from Shiraz Kamran helped create the opportunity. Noiman struck again in the 74th minute, calmly working his way past the defense before beating the goalkeeper to level the match at 2–2.

Acalanes continued to push for a winner in the closing minutes, with Grant Matter and the rest of the back line delivering solid defensive play to hold off Northgate counterattacks. The Dons were pressing late in search of a decisive goal when the final whistle brought the match to a close.

Next Up
The Dons hit the road on Saturday to take on University High School in San Francisco, with kickoff set for 1:00 PM.