SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Freshman Abby Clark and sophomore Alyssa Cheah each scored first-half goals while sophomore goalkeeper Maggie Buffleben tallied four saves, boosting St. Francis' junior varsity Red to a 2-0 shutout over Rio Americano in prep girls' soccer action Friday afternoon.
The Troubies win their fourth consecutive, improving to 12-2-1 overall. This is the second time they have defeated the Raiders in 2022, having opened the year with a 4-1 win back on November 30.
Oddly, both goals came in the first half when St. Francis played into the strong eastbound breeze. Clark scored the first goal in the 17th minute, bringing the ball up along the ride sideline, centering the ball to Sofia Rabinovitz inside the 18, then scoring when Rabinovitz returned her the ball. The Troubies made it 2-0 in the final minutes before halftime after Olivia Hamm drew a hard foul just beyond the Rio goal box. Cheah came in for the penalty shot, and converted to double the lead.
Buffleben came up with a lunging save on a direct kick in the 72nd minute, getting a glove on a cross-cage short toward the high right corner. That was the Raiders' main threat to get on the board after the break, after they failed to score on several chances with the wind at their backs in the first half.
Friday marked the second of a five-game homestand for the JV Red, which returns to action on Tuesday against Oak Ridge. Game time is 3:30 p.m. from the campus pitch.
