DAVIS, Calif. – Senior Mika Shinoda and junior Jaycee DeFazio each scored two goals as St. Francis protected an early lead in a 5-1 win over Davis in the Delta League girls' soccer season finale Monday night at Halden Field. This followed a 2-1 win by the Troubadours' junior varsity Gold squad, in which Caitlin Hafensten scored the game-winner 75 seconds into extra time.
The SFHS varsity, which clinched the Delta League championship last week, ends the regular season with a 14-4-3 overall mark, a 9-2-1 league record and the conference's top seed heading into the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section postseason.
Junior Micaela Romo also scored a goal, putting the Troubies on the board in the ninth minute when her corner kicked hooked its way inside the Blue Devil cage. St. Francis continued to expand its lead in the first half, with DeFazio assisting Shinoda in the 18th and 23rd minutes. DeFazio then scored a goal of her own in the final minutes before the halftime break, taking an assist from recent JV Gold call-up Mia Barsotti.
Junior goalkeeper Isabella De La Cruz nabbed three saves in her first half of work before handing the goal box over to senior Rory Peters.
Except for a successful Davis penalty kick three minutes into the second half, the Troubadour defense locked down after the break, allowing no shots on frame. Meanwhile, Barsotti and sophomore Yasmin Azar sent shots toward the Davis goal. Azar nearly extended the lead when she drove the ball 50 yards up the left side, then fired at the far post past the Blue Devil keeper. Only a defender blocking the attempt prevented the score.
Shinoda contributed to the game's final goal by drawing a yellow card a few paces above the penalty area in the 74th minute. DeFazio stepped in to handle the set piece, and planted a shot into the net, setting the score at 5-1.
The dominating varsity win followed a junior varsity thriller in which Becca Weil assisted goals by Hafenstein and Jianna Reyes. The Troubies took the lead in the 14th minute when Weil faked a shot, tapped the ball to Reyes at her left. Reyes fired in a goal from the penalty arc for the first shot by either team.
St. Francis continued to pressure the Davis cage throughout the first half, with Weil, Camdyn Zucker and Hafenstein getting good chances. Reyes, Alexandra Karlshoej and Sophia Fahey also threatened in the second half, but Reyes' goal stood up as the lead until the 67th minute. Blue Devil Abigail Paterniti lofted a high-arcing shot into the SFHS cage for the equalizer.
With all 80 minutes expired and the unseen extra time running, Weil played an outlet pass to Hafenstein, who drove the rest of the way for the go-ahead.
Monday's JV Gold game represents the team's season finale. The Troubies finish at 15-1-2 for the year.
The Sac-Joaquin Section tournament will begin with first-round games at home sites on Friday. Pairings will be announced at the CIF-SJS website later this week.
