On a breezy San Francisco afternoon Thursday, the Dons Varsity Lacrosse team proved their grit. After a rocky start that saw the Lick Wilmerding Tigers jump out to a 3-0 lead in the first eight minutes, the Dons dug in. Grant Condy got the spark started, burying a shot late in the first to put the Dons on the board.

The second quarter belonged to the defense and the Dons. Mason Lanphere dominated the faceoffs, while goalkeeper Kyle Sanftner was a brick wall in goal. Buoyed by that defensive stand, Luke Dafferner and Curtis Sanders found the back of the net to erase the deficit for the Dons, sending both teams into the locker room locked at 3-3.

The momentum stayed with the Dons in the third. Caleb Mason caught fire, ripping two goals past the Tigers’ keeper, while Dafferner added his second of the night. Up 6-4, the Dons looked ready to run away with it—but the Tigers had one last roar. Lick Wilmerding scored two fast goals to tie it up and a frantic fourth quarter saw lead changes and great goals, including Condy’s second of the night to briefly regain a 7-6 lead. Despite tough defense from Anthony Quinn, Ryan Yun and and Andrew Iams, Lick Wilmerdineg took the lead back after another two-goal surge late in the game. The Dons ran out of clock in a 7-8 nail-biter. It was a physical, hard-fought battle in the city.

The Dons look to bounce back and defend the home turf tomorrow against Livermore. Let’s pack the stands, go Dons!