RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif. – Junior midfielder Brynley Hodge amassed game highs of four goals and seven draw controls, while sophomore Zia Smith added a hat trick and the game-preserving draw control, helping St. Francis hold off Granite Bay, 12-11, in the varsity opener of a girls' lacrosse doubleheader at Mather Sports Complex Saturday.

The Troubadours, playing in their first action since March 31, improve to 9-3 for the year. The SF junior varsity squad lost the nightcap by a 22-3 final, moving to 8-3 overall.

Sophomore Karly Okamoto tallied two goals with two assist for four total points. Junior Jane Tattersall netted two goals against her former program, while freshman Keira Miles accounted for the remaining goal. Junior defender Brianna McGahan led the Troubie defense with four steals.

SF came out strong, with Hodge, Tattersall and Miles scoring three goals in the span of two minutes to forge a 3-0 lead. The Grizzlies, who scored eight of their 11 goals on eight-mater chances, hit back-to-back opportunities in the 16th minute to close the gap to 5-4, but the Troubies finished the first half with three straight. Okamoto assisted Smith for a goal in that outburst, then converted a goal of her own from Hodge with 2:47 left. St. Francis held an 8-4 advantage at the break.

GB goalkeeper Lillian McDaniel had four saves in each half, with five total coming against Troubie eight-meter opportunities. One of her stops led to a Hanna Christopherson goal on the other end as part of a 4-0 run, trimming the SF lead from 12-7 with almost 16 minutes left, to a 12-11 margin with 18.8 ticks left. 

Smith won the subsequent draw control to grant possession to the Troubies, then Hodge successfully outran the Grizzly defense in the far right corner to kill the remaining clock.

The St. Francis JV did not fare as well against Granite Bay's speedy attack, surrendering six unanswered goals before Olivia Alvernaz got the Troubies on the board with a second-chance goal off a crease roll. The Grizzlies held a 13-1 halftime lead, although Chloe Tanner opened the second half with an interception and a scamper toward the cage for her team's second score. Sophomore Sofia Rabinovitz hit the third SF goal with approximately 10 minutes remaining, firing in an eight-meter shot from roughly seven meters out.

The Troubies return to action on Monday by hosting Bella Vista. This doubleheader features the program's Booster-Q barbecue and Senior Night, at which Abby Gillum, Lauren Morr, Louise Morr and Hayley Labia will be honored prior to the varsity first draw.