EL DORADO HILLS, Calif. – Goalkeepers Angelina Delaini and Maggie Buffleben combined for 10 saves while senior Yasmin Azar managed six shots, including one in stoppage time, but St. Francis and Oak Ridge ultimately settled for a 0-0 draw in the varsity nightcap of a non-league girls' high school soccer tripleheader Wednesday night.

The Troubadours move to 8-3-1 for the season.

The varsity defensive battle followed a total of 10 goals in lead-in games, as St. Francis JV Red lost to the Trojan frosh-soph squad by a 3-2 final, then JV Gold beat Oak Ridge JV by a similar 3-2 score. The five total Troubadour goals came from two players: sophomore Evelyn McNearney scored a brace in the Red loss, while sophomore Holland Sperber posted a hat trick for Gold.

In the varsity contest, Oak Ridge largely dominated possession for the first half and much of the second half, although, both teams managed opportunities to crack the scoreboard. Azar put all three of her first-half shots on goal but each attempt was halted by the Trojan goalkeeper. Meanwhile, Delaini had four saves in front of the Troubie cage, including one against a header in the box on a corner kick in the 14th.

In the second half, momentum began to shift toward SF around the 65th, around the time OR senior Kailey Dickey had her long free kick corralled by Buffleben. St. Francis had seven shots from this point forward, starting with a long drive by Azar up the left side of the field. The future Coastal Chanticleer turned in and fired, but the Trojan keeper came up with the stop.

One of the more unusual Troubie scoring chances belonged to Estella Bacsafra in the 73rd. She cracked a shot from just beyond the penalty box. A Trojan defender stopped the attempt with her hands, but no violation was called.

With less than a minute remaining, OR senior Samantha Liaty drew a foul in the center of the attacking end, less than 10 yards above the box. Savanah Miller came in for the kick, which she launched over the Troubie wall and easily on frame. However, Buffleben made her sixth save on the try. Finally, with 10 remaining, Azar drew a foul in a similar location – about 25 yards out. Her shot sailed just high of the cage.

Prior to the varsity matchup, Sperber scored all three goals of JV Gold's 3-2 win over the Trojans. She had the finish when freshman Norah White played a perfect ball up to her in the 12th, then scored on a solo goal in the 24th to double the Troubie lead to 2-0. Oak Ridge got one back in the 32nd, thanks to a hard blast from freshman Georgia Freitas to the high right corner.

Then in the 55th, Sperber completed her first SF hat trick since her JV Red visit to Davis on January 18 last season. Credit Madeline Squaglia for the goal, as her cross from the left corner found Sperber with a wide-open look in the box. Freitas later cut into the Troubie lead with a goal off a throw-in in the 72nd, but sophomore keeper Gabriela Briscoe posted her third save in the final seconds of the game to preserve the win.

Wednesday's tripleheader began with the JV Red comeback bid against the Trojans. Presley Hawkey scored on a cross-cage shot in the 13th then assisted Ava Neal in the 26th to get ORHS started with 2-0 lead. SF freshman keeper Kaitlen Takeuchi made the initial save on Hawkey's attempt, but Neal was on hand for the putback.

The Troubies came out firing in the second half, with Lauren Mikacich unloading a shot resulting in an SF corner kick in the 49th. Although the corner did not result in a shot, this served as a prelude to a flurry of scoring opportunities. McNearney converted assists from Ava Larkin and Liv Vasques-Martin in the 58th and 60th to tie the contest at 2-2. Unfortunately, OR's Sophia Barbato buried a shot from 20 yards in the 70th to reclaim the lead.

St. Francis had one of its best chances to equalize in the 73rd, and oddly not on a shot. Freshman Gianna Barnes sent a long serve into the mixer that went untouched by either team. The ball ended up striking the upper left corner of the frame. McNearney, the apparent target of the pass, could not get to the carom in time to get a shot.

The Oak Ridge tripleheader is the final St. Francis soccer action of the calendar year, as all three teams opt to take a hiatus from action rather than play during the holiday break. The Troubies return to action on January 3: varsity and JV Gold in a road Delta League doubleheader at Cosumnes Oaks, JV Red in a road game at Ponderosa.