SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Senior center Abigail Benavidez posted a hat trick while fellow senior Sophia Santsche-Chavez notched 11 saves and four steals, but a counterattack goal with just three seconds remaining lifted Rio Americano to an 8-7 win over St. Francis in the Troubadours' home opener at Jesuit High Wednesday night.

St. Francis slips to 3-2 for the season. The varsity loss preceded a 13-5 setback for the Troubie junior varsity

Seniors Miranda Ferguson and Addison Hutchcraft also scored two goals each for the Troubies, which held two-goal leads at 3-1 midway through the second quarter; and 5-4, after Benavidez converted back-to-back penalty shots at the 3:13 and 2:46 marks in the third.

Rio freshman Natalie Jeske capped a 3-0 Raider comeback with her 6-on-5 goal with 5:43 to go in the fourth, giving her team a 7-6 edge. However, Hutchcraft came up with the equalizer after the next restart, evening the contest at 7-7 with more than five minutes remaining.

Both teams successfully held off power plays down the stretch, while Santsche-Chavez and her Rio counterpart, freshman reserve Lauren Tomlin, came up with big saves. In the end, Raider sophomore Dylan Tiska landed the game-winner in the final seconds.

In the nightcap of an overall quadrupleheader with the Jesuit boys, the St. Francis jayvees surrendered a 7-2 start to Rio, then fell behind further to 12-2 at halftime before the Raiders opted to kill the clock throughout the second half. Sophomore Savannah Hamilton scored in each of the first and fourth quarters, while Kendall Douglas, Ava Jack and Della Smith also found the back of the net.

Both SF teams begin their inaugural Sierra Foothill League seasons on the road at Rocklin on Wednesday, Sept. 11. In the interim, the JV squad will compete in McClatchy's CKM Opener on Saturday.