RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif. – Junior midfielder Jane Tattersall scored six goals with three assists for a game-high nine points, while junior Brynley Hodge and freshman Keira Miles each added another four goals, leading St. Francis to a 17-2 win over Rocklin in the varsity nightcap of a non-league prep girls' lacrosse doubleheader at Mather Sports Complex Monday night.
The Troubadours extend their winning streak to four, improving to 7-3 overall. The St. Francis junior varsity held on to win the opener, 11-9, moving to 8-1 for the year.
Tattersall scored all six goals in the first half, helping the Troubies craft an 11-0 start. Two of those goals came on Miles' trips to the eight-meter arc. Rather than taking the shot, the SF freshman passed off to Tattersall for goals in the 12th and 13th minutes.
For her part, Miles scored one goal on a feed from Karly Okamoto in the ninth minute, then opted to assist Tattersall on the back-to-back free positions to make it 8-0 and 9-0. However, Miles poured in three goals in the final 9:14 of the second half: one on an eight-meter, then two on quick sticks off dimes from Tattersall and Elizabeth Barger.
Hodge had two goals in each half. She scored off the opening draw just 10 seconds into the contest, then drove in for the game's third goal at the 19:58 mark. Hodge completed her hat trick on a Tattersall assist in the 39th, then repeated the combination to make it 14-2 with 7:14 left in the game.
Okamoto matched Tattersall's assists total, while tying Barger and sophomore Zia Smith with three draw controls. Barger netted two goals in the first half then had the assist to Miles in the final 20 seconds of the contest. Her second goal set the board at 10-0 with 12 minutes left before halftime, invoking the running clock and largely leading SF to slow down its offense onslaught.
Another scoring highlight belonged to freshman Sara Ellis, who posted an assist in the fourth minute despite playing low defender. She drew an illegal screen well in her own defensive third, scampered down the field untouched into the attacking third, then assisted Tattersall for the Troubies' second goal.
While the varsity won with little challenge, a depleted SF jayvee squad held off a second-half challenge by the Thunder in clinging to the 11-9 win. Zoe Smith scored four goals with an assist, while Gianna Erdmann matched the five points in the form of a hat trick and two assists. Olivia Alvernaz added two goals, while Jade Abalateo and Lena Schnack netted one apiece.
Erdmann was instrumental in digging St. Francis out of an initial 2-0 hole. She drew a charge from the Thunder goalie, then converted the ensuing eight-meter chance to equalize at 2-2 in the ninth minute. Erdmann later assisted Smith for the go-ahead in the 10th. Then in the 13th, she attempted a crease roll that Rocklin goalkeeper Emma Pfitzer stopped. However, Erdmann picked up the ground ball and promptly scored on the second chance to extend the lead to 4-2.
Smith then contributed on the next three Troubie goals, first scoring off the draw following Erdmann's score. She followed with assists to Abalateo and Alvernaz, with the first of those two goals coming in unusual fashion. With Abalateo cutting in front of the cage, Smith attempted to feed her the ball from the right side. Abalateo failed to catch the pass, but the ball bounced from her net and sailed past the unsuspecting goalie into the net.
The 7-2 start became a 7-4 lead at halftime, as Rocklin's Siena Crivellone netted two quick scores in the final minutes before halftime. After Schnack opened the second half with a successful drive, Crivellone and Maria Tew then combined for three unanswered to cut the SF margin to just 8-7.
Rocklin never equalized, but managed to pull within a single goal on two more occasions: Evan Peterson's goal made it 9-8 with 10:38 remaining, then Tew completed her double hat trick with 5:44 left to bring the margin to just 10-9. Tew had a chance to tie the game in the 47th minute by earning a trip to the eight-meter arc, but yanked the shot wide left.
Brianna Akins won a ground ball with 2:20 left and Sonalika Prasad came up with a key steal with 1:16 remaining, further protecting the slim Troubie lead. Prasad's steal set the stage for Erdmann's hat trick goal with less than a minute left to go, setting the board at 11-9 and giving SF some breathing room. Zoe Smith won the following draw, allowing the Troubies to run out the clock and protect the win.
The victory marks the sixth straight for the St. Francis jayvees, and the closest margin of victory of the year. Sophomore goalkeeper Sofia Rainbolt also came up in the clutch with eight saves, including seven during her team's 7-2 start.
The two Troubie lax teams return to action on Friday to complete the 12-day homestand, hosting area power Vista Del Lago at 5:30 and 7 p.m.
