Last Friday, the Acalanes Women’s Water Polo Team hosted 22 teams from around Northern California for the 18th annual Acalanes Invitational! The games started at 10am but it wasn’t until the traditional lunchtime game when things started to heat up! The Dons showed up and packed the Heaston pool and the Pep Band and Cheerleaders got the party started as the whistle blew to start the most anticipated game of the year! 

Acalanes vs. Rio Americano

The Dons gave the crowd a great show from the first whistle when sophomore Anika Rehn easily won the sprint and junior Malin Stone found the back of the to get Acalanes on the board. The crowd was electric as the goals kept coming from Malin and senior Finley Graff. The score was 8-0 at the end of first half. The Dons kept up the cheering and the players kept playing great water polo in Q3 with more goals from junior Emiko Kuniyoshi, and steals from sophomores Jayna Guiro and Lucy Kerr, and two from freshman Althea Topp. Q4 was filled with even more excitement as junior Lily Teicher stuck one in the twine to bring the total to 12-0 when the final buzzer sounded. Truly a great start to the tournament for the Acalanes women!

Acalanes vs. Davis

Next up for the Dons was a 4pm game versus Davis. Acalanes came out fast and strong with a nice backhand from Finley Graff. This was followed by another strong goal from Anika Rehn to give the Dons a 2-0 lead. Davis picked up their pace and earned their first goal followed quickly by another to tie up the game! The Blue Devils had the momentum and scored another goal to take the lead. But junior Lily Briones earned a 5m and Malin Stone stuck the ball in the twine to tie up the game. Davis fought back with another goal before the end of the quarter. The battle continued in Q2 with the Dons earning goals from sophomore Elinor Chen and Lily Briones but Davis managed one more as well so it was a tie game at the half. Q3 started with the Blue Devils scoring early but the Dons weren’t letting up. Both teams scored but Davis was up by one going into the 4th.

Q4 started with Anika Rehn sprinting her heart out to snag the ball and give the Dons the first possession. Jayna evened the score with a quick goal followed by back to back steals. Strong defence on both sides continued but Davis found the back of the net to take the lead with two minutes left. Finley Graff intercepted a pass to get the ball back and Malin Stone sent the ball to the back of the net with authority to tie the game and take the teams to golden goal OVERTIME!

The clock was set to 3 mintues and whichever team scored first took the win! The Acalanes mens teams cheered loudly for Dons as overtime started. Davis won the sprint, but Acalanes defence was fierce and they weren’t able to score. The Dons took control the Blue Devils also stepped up their defence and prevented any goals. The game looked more like a swim meet than a water polo game, neither team able to score. With less than a minute left in the game, Acalanes took goal keeper Lucy McShane out of the goal and sent her into the field. The Dons were patient and a shot was taken but deflected by their goalie but it was live. Lucy, who normally tries to keep the ball out of the cage, was quick on her legs, grabbed the ball and shoved it in the cage to score and win the game! 

 

Acalanes vs. Campo

Saturday morning started with Acalanes taking on the Campolindo Courgars. The Cougars were quick to get on the board, but Jayna Guiro stole the next ball and a quickly passed to Anika Rehn who got the Dons on the board and tied up the game 1-1. The Dons continued to show their strength with strong blocks from goalie Lucy McShane and a 5m goal from Malin Stone to take the lead as the quarter ended. Campo was ready to go in Q2 and scored two right off the bat. The Dons came back with a great pass from Elinor Chen to Lucy Kerr who scored to once again tie up the game going into the half. 

The second half started with the Cougars coming out strong and scoring but Anika Rehn easily tied it up on the next play. Campo continued to fight and another goal before the quarter ended, taking the lead by 2. The Dons weren’t done yet and Anika started Q4 with a great sprint and Jayna scored off a power play. Lucy Kerr was on fire and after a great block by goalie Lucy McShane, Lucy Kerr stuck one in the twine to tie up the game 6-6. The Dons had the momentum and Anika Rehn scored the next goal to take the lead! The Cougars weren’t giving up and tied the game up with less than a minute to go. The final few seconds of the game were a whirlwind, but it was a hard fought battle. In the end, Campo was able to score one more goal to take the win. 

Acalanes vs. Carondelet

The Dons final game was for 3rd place against the Carondelet Cougars. The Cougars got on the scoreboard first, but it didn’t take long for Finley Graff to tie up the game. A great steal from Althea Topp gave the Dons possession once again and Finely was able to find the back of the net again to take the lead. Both teams were looking strong and taking great shots, but the goalies were blocking machines. Carondelet was able to score one more and tie up the game as the quarter came to an end. 

Quarter two was another battle of the defense. Carondelet scored first, but on the next play, Finley Graff sent another backand into the twine to tie it up. The Cougars earned a 5m and scored to take the lead 4-3. Carondelet had great momentum in Q3 and were able to add two more goals.

The Dons came out strong in Q4 by winning the sprint and getting the ball to Elinor Chen who found the back of the net. The Cougars scored on the next play, but Finley Graff responded with another goal to bring the game within two. Great blocks by Lucy McShane kept the Cougars at bay and Elinor Chen had another great goal to bring the Dons within one. Unfortunately, the Dons ran out of time and Carondelet took the win. Acalanes fought hard and can’t wait for our next match against Carondelet. 

The 18th Acalanes Invitational was a huge success! The Dons placed 4th with lots of competitive games which indicates a great season ahead. So great to see so many strong water polo teams as well as college coaches scouting from Cal, St. Mary’s, and Indiana University. Many thanks to all the families who dedicated time and effort to makes this weekend happen!

 

What’s next for Acalanes Water Polo?

Come cheer on the Dons at their next two home games!

Friday, Septemeber 18th: San Ramon Valley @Acalanes

4pm Varisty

5pm JV

Saturday, September 19th: Clovis North @Acalanes

11am JV

12pm Varsity