LOOMIS, Calif. – Junior goalie Claire McManus made a combined 26 saves in two wins Saturday as the St. Francis water polo team went 3-1 at the Woodcreek Invitational. The Troubadours posted a pair of wins on Saturday over host Woodcreek and Sonora.
St. Francis (6-3) opened with a 3-2 loss to Los Gatos on Friday afternoon with goals by Kendall Houck ad Emma Johnson but rebounded to find the cage Friday night with a season-high 17 goals in a win over El Camino 17-1. Senior Alyssa Jacobsen and junior Libby Slater led the team with three goals apiece with Houck, Zoe Sloat, Karissa Petersen and Johnson adding two goals each. Baya McIntosh and Riley Glenn each scored their first career goals in the win with freshman Gauri Mathrakot scoring her second of the season.
"I learned that we need to work better as a team," said Head Coach Emily Whalen. "We have a lot of really good players but it is a matter of figuring out what each player can do the best and capitalize on that."
On Saturday, the Troubies defeated host Woodcreek as Slater and Houck scored twice and Caroline Wilkins, who was celebrating her 18th birthday, Petersen, Johnson and Jacobsen added goals.
Playing Sonora, SF fell behind in the first half but rallied to tie the game by half time and then took a 6-4 lead in the third quarter with goals by Wilkins and Jacobsen. McManus and the Troubadour defense held the lead, allowing just one goal the rest of the game and stopping several late shots as the Wildcats tried to tie the game. She finished with 16 saves.
"Claire played great goal and had a lot of high corner blocks which is really hard," said Whalen. "It shows she is really strong on her legs and more aware the shots are coming."
Junior Zoe Sloat has also credited for her defensive effort by Coach Whalen.
"Zoe is a huge help in there," said Whalen. "She consistently and constantly shuts down any center who is in there whether they are bigger than her or not. She does not allow a pass in and her composure is something we can all focus on."
Slater finished with seven goals on the weekend and Houck added six. Jacobsen contributed five goals.
"I think we played really well as a team," said Sloat. "Especially against Sonora we were down earlier in the game, we rose back up."
St. Francis hosts its first home game on Thursday against Granite Bay at 8:00 p.m. The JV team will start play at 7 p.m. and the Booster Club will hold their annual Booster Que for all players, fans and coaches.
Woodcreek Invitational
Los Gatos 3, St. Francis 2
SF – Houck, Johnson.
St. Francis 17, El Camino 1
SF – Jacobsen 3, Slater 3, Houck 2, Sloat 2, Petersen 2, Johnson 2, McIntosh, Mathrakot, Glenn.
St. Francis 8, Woodcreek 3
SF – Slater 3, Houck 2, Wilkins, Petersen, Johnson, Jacobsen.
St. Francis 6, Sonora 5
SF – Wilkins 2, Sloat, Slater, Houck, Jacobsen.
