SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Senior goalkeeper Rory Peters posted 11 saves on the defensive end while junior Micaela Romo netted two goals on offense, leading St. Francis to a 3-1 win over Franklin in Delta League varsity girls' soccer action at Cristo Rey High Thursday night.
The Troubadours improve to 9-3-2 for the season and 3-1-0 in Delta League play.
Romo scored her first goal in the 25th minute, collecting a pass from Caroline Murdoch following a set piece. The free kick caromed off the Wildcat wall to Murdoch, who promptly played the ball to her teammate. Romo completed the brace in the 40th, this time on a header on the left side of the box. Midfielder Kate Killer advanced up the endline along the right side, then delivered a cross to Romo.
Killer ended the first half what appeared to be a long goal from nearly midfield. However, the officials ruled that the extra time had expired before the goal. St. Francis held a 2-0 lead at the break.
Peters came up with a clutch steal after Franklin sent a ball into the mixer, then had two diving saves in the 54th and 56th. Franklin's Jalena Kimber fired a shot that glanced off the left post to teammate Jessica Anderson. The Wildcat sophomore than tried to fire toward the opposite side of the cage, only to see Peters stretch out to corral the attempt.
The Troubies extended their lead to 3-0 on what was effectively an own goal. Mika Shinoda fired a hard shot high toward the cage. The ball ricocheted off the crossbar but caught FHS senior Ryan Guzman's attempt to clear it. Instead, Shinoda's shot found its way to the back of the net in the 58th minute.
Guzman ended up getting that goal back, scoring on a header in the 63rd to put the Wildcats on the board. SFHS defender Alex Davis had cleared out a Franklin corner then blocked a subsequent shot, but the ensuing corner found its way to Guzman.
In the nightcap, St. Francis' JV Gold suffered its first loss of the season, falling 1-0 to the Wildcats. The Troubies move to 10-1-2 for the year.
Franklin scored midway through the first half and had that goal stand up, even through a controversial moment down the final stretch of the second half. Sophomore striker Caitlin Hafenstein put back a rebound of an Alex Karlshoej attempt along the right side of the box for the apparent equalizer in the 71st. However, the Franklin keeper was injured on the play and had to exit the game. Hafenstein's goal was disqualified on the conclusion that a foul preceded the shot.
The Wildcats played the final nine minutes of regulation plus four minutes of extra time without a true keeper, instead using a field player with a yellow pinny normally used for substitutions. St. Francis managed four shots during that span, including three on free kicks. However, three sailed high while the fourth was stopped by the 'Cats ad hoc goalkeeper.
St. Francis completes a run of three straight Delta League home games on Tuesday against Cosumnes Oaks. The varsity plays at 4 p.m. followed by the JV Gold at 6. Meanwhile, the Troubies' JV Red squad had their Thursday afternoon game against Vista Del Lago canceled. That team returns to action at Rocklin at 7 p.m. Friday night.
