SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Sophomore Yasmin Azar and freshman Sarah Bashore each netted goals to lead the St. Francis junior varsity Gold squad to a 2-0 win over Davis in Delta League girls' soccer action at Cristo Rey High School Thursday night. Meanwhile, the Troubadours' JV Red team lost a 3-1 battle to Oak Ridge on its campus field.
The St. Francis varsity game against the Blue Devils was postponed due to COVID protocols in the Davis program. The JV Gold remains undefeated at 9-0-2 while the JV Red slips to 9-2-1 overall.
Azar scored the game-winner 15 minutes into the contest when Mia Barsotti centered a pass from the left corner into the mixer. Azar corralled the cross then promptly sent the ball into the cage. Bashore's goal came in the 75th minute, as she collected an entry pass from Caitlin Hafenstein, then managed to lob the ball out of reach of the DHS keeper for the insurance goal.
Azar's goal marked her team-leading 13th of the year. Bashore, daughter of beloved SFHS JV Red basketball coach John Bashore, notched her first.
The Troubies outshot their guests by a 15-5 margin although Davis had several opportunities to equalize prior to Bashore's goal. Freshman Kailani Compton fired shots that barely missed left and right in the 44th and 73rd, respectively, while Audrey Aguirre's direct kick from just left of the penalty box slipped over the crossbar. Troubies' sophomore goalkeeper Maggie Buffleben, called up into action from the JV Red squad, gloved an Alisa Clayton attempt in the 50th minute as well.
Earlier on Thursday, the JV Red team surrendered two goals early in the first half before matching the visiting Trojans in the final 62 minutes of the game. Sofia Rabinovitz had two breakaway opportunities thwarted by the Oak Ridge keeper in the first half, but eventually put her team on the board in the 70th. She picked up a takeaway at midfield, slid down the left sideline, then fired cross cage for the Troubies' lone goal.
The Trojan goalkeeper also made key saves against Jada Dwyer in the 60th and another on a penalty kick in the 73rd. Alina Gutierrez was fouled hard at the top of the 18, sending Rabinovitz to the penalty marker. But a diving stop prevented St. Francis from cutting the deficit in half.
The Trouble varsity and JV Gold teams return to action for continued Delta League action at Pleasant Grove on Tuesday. Game times are 3:30 and 5 p.m., respectively. The JV Red also head to Folsom that same afternoon for a 3:30 tilt.
