The Dragon Coalition began their regular season with their first tournament sunny Santa Barbara. Drawing on a much smaller roster than in their fall series, DCo knew the six games would be a grind, but they were up to the challenge.

They began their first day facing BYU, an athletic team that wasn’t afraid to get physical. Pushing each other to work harder than their opponent, the Dragons pulled out a 9-8 win. Bringing that energy into their next game against Cal Poly SLO, DCo came up with a resounding 12-3 win. They continued their reign of terror against UCSC, defeating them 13-7. Third-year Kate Lindeman was on fire all day, racking up scores as a skilled deep shot receiver. The return of Shaina Jewett-Wolf also proved essential, providing strong leadership both on and off the field.

On Sunday, DCo squared up against southern California’s best teams, starting with regional powerhouse and perennial rival UCSB. Although their team size doubled that of UCSD, the Dragon’s roar could be heard as loud as ever. Although they ultimately fell 9-11 against the tournament hosts, DCo is confident that a win against them later in the season is possible. From there, they conquered UCLA in a slow 9-6 game. Bringing the heat in their last game, they roasted USC, taking half 8-0 before trouncing them 13-5. Rookie Jessie Finkelor stepped up to put in work on the starting offensive line. As usual the dynamic duo of Ava Hanna and Abbi Shilts was practically unbeatable, frequently completing points in five passes or less because of their practiced throwing and receiving. 

Next in the queue is UCSD’s 3-day home tournament President’s Day weekend. They are looking to win on their home turf against the best teams in the nation.