The long-awaited showdown between the Dons Boys Varsity Lacrosse Team and the Monte Vista Mustangs took place this past Tuesday night and the pre-game hype didn’t disappoint. 

The game began with a face-off win by the Mustangs and an immediate goal, to give them the initial lead. Unbowed, the Dons answered with a series of swift goals from Dylan Olsen, soon followed by brother Cooper and Owen Estee. What ensued was a good ole fashioned shoot-out under the Acalanes lights. The Dons proceeded to demonstrate superior Offensive cohesion than the Mustangs, while both sides seem to be evenly matched on the Defensive side of the field. 

By halftime, the Dons headed into the locker room with a 6-4 lead, confident in their competitive abilities. By the third quarter, Dylan Olsen, Owen Estee, Zach Appel, and Cooper Olsen were back on the attack, passing, dodging, and shooting at a ferocious pace, helping to widen Acalanes’ lead to 8-5. As the fourth quarter began, it was clear that the Mustangs had plenty of fight left in them.

Under the direction of an excellent coaching staff, the Mustangs mounted a 4-point comeback and by late in the quarter they had surpassed the Dons 8-9. With a couple of minutes left in regulation play, the Dons dug deep and fought hard, when suddenly Appel ripped a game-tying goal with 1 second remaining; sending the match into overtime. Winning the overtime face-off, Monte Vista swiftly marched down the field, quickly spun the ball around the crease, and snuck in a shot to edge out the Dons and send them to a 3-2 record.

I would be remiss if I didn’t note that the boys have lost 2 games (of their 5 played) by a total of 3 points. Make no mistake, this team is L-E-G-I-T and on any given night, they are a force to be reckoned with! Next up, the boys face Amador Valley at home under the Friday Night Lights. Let’s go boys!