SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Freshman midfielder Marissa Ow posted a goal and an assist, while junior goalkeeper Maggie Buffleben came up with five saves in her first half in front of the cage, leading St. Francis' JV Gold to a 3-0 shutout of Rio Americano in the opening game of Friday's girls' prep soccer doubleheader at Cristo Rey's Adamson Family Sports Complex.

The JV Gold victory preceded another shutout, as Abby Clark netted the lone score in JV Red's 1-0 victory over River City in the nightcap.

The Troubies' Gold squad improves to 17-1 after its showdown against another area power: Rio's jayvees entered the contest with a 10-1 mark of their own. JV Red improves to 11-3-3 in its penultimate game of the season.

JV Gold and Rio locked up in a scoreless defensive battle in the first half, with both teams' defenses halting opportunities on each end of the field. Raider freshman Zoe Zaretsky fired three shots on frame in the first nine minutes, but Buffleben blocked the first two. On the second effort, Zaretsky had a second look at the cage, but Troubie sophomore Estella Bacsafra was there for the team save. Buffleben later made back-to-back diving stops against Rio's freshman phenom Raegan Rossi, who leads her team with 12 goals this season. Defenders Sarah Bashore and Emma Bugarin also helped contain the Raider attack, which controlled possession for much of the first half. 

St. Francis had its chances in the first half, with Blough unloading three shots, including two on goal. However, one of the better Rio defensive efforts prevented such a shot. Sophomore Nikki Porter – the sister of St. Francis varsity manager Julia Porter – covered Blough on a counterattack so tightly that the Troubies' No. 2 goals leader could not get another attempt off.

Sofia Rabinovitz, St. Francis' leading scorer, also had a pair of shots turned back in the second half, including one that Rio sophomore Kate Ludington blocked. Soon after, the ever-dangerous Blough turned and fired at the Raider cage, only to have that shot just miss along the left post.

On a corner kick in the 60th, Blough appeared to have broken the scoreless tie: she played a corner kick to Rabinovitz, who returned the ball to Blough. A long blast from the right side eluded Rio keeper Caroline Siler, only to carom off the corner of the cage. Finally, on another corner from Blough in the 65th, St. Francis got on the board. A challenge from Jada Dwyre was deflected over the end line, sending Blough to the flag on the right side. Blough sent the ball to Rabinovitz, who then fed Giuliana Del Guerra for the go-ahead.

Blough then doubled the lead to 2-0 in the 69th. Ow advanced up the left sideline, then centered the ball to her fellow ninth-grader well above the penalty box. Blough found the back of the net in her seventh and final attempt. Ow later scored a goal of her own in extra time, thanks to a Dwyre throw-in from the right side.

St. Francis JV Gold has now won 14 straight, with nine of the last 10 victories coming by shutout. The Troubies' three goals is also the most given up by Rio, which had surrendered just seven scores leading up to Friday's meeting.

JV Red followed with its 1-0 win over River City, also known as the Raiders. Clark scored in the 27th minute on one of just 14 Troubadour shots. Aubrey Lesnau notched six saves at goalkeeper before exiting the game in the 72nd due to injury. Holland Sperber, the team's goals leader, replaced Lesnau in front of the cage and picked up two more stops. This marked Sperber's first appearance at keeper for JV Red, although she played that exact position for the jayvee water polo team last fall.

The JV Gold Troubies join their varsity sisters at Elk Grove on Monday as part of a doubleheader, while JV Red hosts Davis that afternoon for its season finale.