Posted: Jan 14, 2025
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Junior Miley Blough assisted senior Giuliana Del Guerra on set pieces in the seventh and 45th minutes, vaulting St. Francis to a 2-1 win over Oak Ridge in the varsity game of a Sierra Foothill League girls' soccer tripleheader at Cristo Rey's Adamson Family Sports Complex Tuesday night.
The Troubadours move to 7-2-3 for the season with a 3-2-1 mark in SFL contests. The Trojans slip to 3-3-2 overall and a 1-3-2 league record.
Freshman goalkeeper Mia Rabinovitz tallied a career-high 12 saves, including eight in the first half, eclipsing the 11 she amassed against Vacaville at the River City Raider Cup Classic in December. Del Guerra's brace marks her first of her SF varsity career, and her first of any kind since she scored twice in an 8-0 shutout of Sheldon in junior varsity action. Blough raised her team-leading assists total to seven. She previously had two dimes against Benicia (Dec. 13) and Whitney (Jan. 7).
Setting the stage for the first goal was sophomore Norah White, who drew a hard foul near the center circle in the seventh. Blough handled the kick, which OR keeper Cielo Alonso-Jojola handled. However, Del Guerra stood by for the follow-up, putting SF on the board. Oddly, this goal began more than 20 minutes of the Trojans dominating possession, with Rabinovitz locking down the cage against nine total shots. But that tide shifted down the stretch before halftime, with Estella Bacsafra, Madeline Squaglia, Carly Hall and Sofia Rabinovitz each managing shots.
Then less than five minutes into the second half, senior Maggie Koerwitz was fouled along the right side in front of her own team's bench. Blough again handled the kick, and sent a serve into the mixer in front of the Oak Ridge cage. In a near repeat of the first-half goal, Del Guerra came through with the finish to double the Troubie lead to 2-0.
The Trojans spoiled Rabinovitz' shutout bid by converting a corner kick in the 60th, with Taylor Brandon finding Makenna Gradek for the score. The 2-1 score held the rest of the way despite two shots each from Jada Dwyre and Carly Hall. OR senior Hannah Heinlein offered SF a brief scare when her long blast sailed over a leaping Rabinovitz in the 78th minute. Fortunately for the Troubies, the shot also nosed over the crossbar and safely into the net separating the field from Florin Perkins Road.
Other than that close call from Heinlein, St. Francis controlled possession for most of the final stretch to protect the win.
The varsity win followed a 4-0 setback for the Troubies' JV Red squad, which surrendered two goals in each half in Tuesday's opener. Oddly, SF enjoyed the majority of chances to start the contest, with Paityn Lowery single-handedly outshooting her guest by a 4-1 margin in the first 12 minutes. But the Trojans hit their marks from the left side of the field in the 25th and 35th to craft a 2-0 halftime lead, then extended their lead with additional goals in the 44th and 71st.
St. Francis picked up a 3-1 victory from JV Gold to close out the tripleheader, with freshman Tallas Schaedler assisting Emma Kryski in the 26th minute, Monet Zauner in the 47th, and Anna George in the 50th. The Troubies outshot the Trojans by a 17-1 margin in the first half but only held a 1-0 lead at the break. Kryski collected Schaedler's pass near the 18-yard line, and promptly deposited her fifth goal of the season to claim the initial lead.
Zauner, who had nine shots across an 11-minute outburst in the first half, hit her team-leading ninth goal of the season early after the break. About three minutes later, Schaedler played a perfect cross from the right corner to George directly in front of the Oak Ridge cage. The Trojans finally got on the board in the 62nd thanks to Sofia Izraelev's cross-cage goal from the right side of the box, one of just three attempts of the half and one of just two on goal.
Tuesday's set starts a four-game homestand for St. Francis, which returns to SFL action against fellow league newcomer Davis on Thursday. JV Gold plays at 3:30 p.m., varsity at 5:30 p.m., with JV Red finishing the night with a 7:15 start.
The Troubadours move to 7-2-3 for the season with a 3-2-1 mark in SFL contests. The Trojans slip to 3-3-2 overall and a 1-3-2 league record.
Freshman goalkeeper Mia Rabinovitz tallied a career-high 12 saves, including eight in the first half, eclipsing the 11 she amassed against Vacaville at the River City Raider Cup Classic in December. Del Guerra's brace marks her first of her SF varsity career, and her first of any kind since she scored twice in an 8-0 shutout of Sheldon in junior varsity action. Blough raised her team-leading assists total to seven. She previously had two dimes against Benicia (Dec. 13) and Whitney (Jan. 7).
Setting the stage for the first goal was sophomore Norah White, who drew a hard foul near the center circle in the seventh. Blough handled the kick, which OR keeper Cielo Alonso-Jojola handled. However, Del Guerra stood by for the follow-up, putting SF on the board. Oddly, this goal began more than 20 minutes of the Trojans dominating possession, with Rabinovitz locking down the cage against nine total shots. But that tide shifted down the stretch before halftime, with Estella Bacsafra, Madeline Squaglia, Carly Hall and Sofia Rabinovitz each managing shots.
Then less than five minutes into the second half, senior Maggie Koerwitz was fouled along the right side in front of her own team's bench. Blough again handled the kick, and sent a serve into the mixer in front of the Oak Ridge cage. In a near repeat of the first-half goal, Del Guerra came through with the finish to double the Troubie lead to 2-0.
The Trojans spoiled Rabinovitz' shutout bid by converting a corner kick in the 60th, with Taylor Brandon finding Makenna Gradek for the score. The 2-1 score held the rest of the way despite two shots each from Jada Dwyre and Carly Hall. OR senior Hannah Heinlein offered SF a brief scare when her long blast sailed over a leaping Rabinovitz in the 78th minute. Fortunately for the Troubies, the shot also nosed over the crossbar and safely into the net separating the field from Florin Perkins Road.
Other than that close call from Heinlein, St. Francis controlled possession for most of the final stretch to protect the win.
The varsity win followed a 4-0 setback for the Troubies' JV Red squad, which surrendered two goals in each half in Tuesday's opener. Oddly, SF enjoyed the majority of chances to start the contest, with Paityn Lowery single-handedly outshooting her guest by a 4-1 margin in the first 12 minutes. But the Trojans hit their marks from the left side of the field in the 25th and 35th to craft a 2-0 halftime lead, then extended their lead with additional goals in the 44th and 71st.
St. Francis picked up a 3-1 victory from JV Gold to close out the tripleheader, with freshman Tallas Schaedler assisting Emma Kryski in the 26th minute, Monet Zauner in the 47th, and Anna George in the 50th. The Troubies outshot the Trojans by a 17-1 margin in the first half but only held a 1-0 lead at the break. Kryski collected Schaedler's pass near the 18-yard line, and promptly deposited her fifth goal of the season to claim the initial lead.
Zauner, who had nine shots across an 11-minute outburst in the first half, hit her team-leading ninth goal of the season early after the break. About three minutes later, Schaedler played a perfect cross from the right corner to George directly in front of the Oak Ridge cage. The Trojans finally got on the board in the 62nd thanks to Sofia Izraelev's cross-cage goal from the right side of the box, one of just three attempts of the half and one of just two on goal.
Tuesday's set starts a four-game homestand for St. Francis, which returns to SFL action against fellow league newcomer Davis on Thursday. JV Gold plays at 3:30 p.m., varsity at 5:30 p.m., with JV Red finishing the night with a 7:15 start.
Schedule note: Saturday's home tripleheader underwent a reconfiguring of pairings... Initially, JV Red was scheduled for a 10 a.m. start against an opponent to be determined, with JV Gold and varsity hosting Colfax at noon and 2 p.m.... Instead, JV Gold will open the day with a 10 a.m. matchup with Rio Americano, with JV Red and varsity facing the Falcons at noon and 2 p.m., respectively... Saturday's action also features a tri-tip barbecue for $15, with tickets now on sale at GoFan.co.
