SACRAMENTO, Calif. – St. Francis and Davis, the two undefeated members of the Delta League, fittingly played to a 0-0 draw in the varsity opener of a girls' prep soccer doubleheader at Cristo Rey High's Adamson Family Sports Complex Wednesday night.
The Troubadours finish their regular season at 15-0-4 overall and 10-0-2 in league play. The Blue Devils move to 12-0-2 or the year, with a matching 10-0-2 mark in Delta League contests. Davis and SF share the league championship and occupies the top two slots on MaxPreps.com's Sac-Joaquin Section rankings ahead of another unbeaten team, Woodcreek (12-0-1).
The Blue Devils outshot the Troubies overall by an 12-8 margin, with a 6-0 edge in shots on goal. Ava Hawkinson had four stops in her first half in front of the cage, then Isabella De La Cruz followed with three saves in her second-half duties. De La Cruz had perhaps the defensive play of the game in the 55th, when a hard shot off the foot of DSHS senior Lauren Lemmo went right on frame. De La Cruz made a diving stop to knock the ball over the end line, then the Troubies held off any shot on the ensuing corner kick.
Overall, each team had its best chance on set plays. Junior Elizabeth Barger had such opportunities in the second and 35th minutes, the latter of which came when she drew a yellow card about 30 yards out. Her kick missed just off the upper right corner. Meanwhile, Davis senior Una Keller had set pieces in each half. Her attempt in the 28th minute sailed high, while her kick in the 47th caromed off the crossbar. De La Cruz pounced on the putback attempt to keep the game scoreless.
St. Francis appeared to have the game-winner in the 73rd when Micaela Romo sent the ball into the far corner, but she was ruled offsides early in her endeavor to get behind the Blue Devil defense. Romo also threatened in the 64th, when she barely missed a header on a Brooke Castro pass; and in the 76th, when she fired from the right flank. However, that second shot sailed slightly high of its target. Madeline Welch also put a good knock toward the Davis goal on a picturesque feed from Jaycee DeFazio, but that attempt also went high.
Maggie Koerwitz, Brooke Harmon and Elise Thomas also came up in aid of Hawkinson, blocking shot attempts in the first half.
The game also served as Senior Night, with the team honoring 12 total Troubie seniors before the game: Castro, DeFazio, De La Cruz, Hawkinson, Romo, Thomas, Welch, Sofia Ceballos, Ella Crisologo, varsity manager Becca Weil, plus JV Red managers Julia Porter and Emily Lemes.
JV Gold hosted Davis' JV for the Wednesday nightcap, with the younger Troubies coming away with a 2-0 win. No other information is available.
The SF-Davis matchup marks the season finale for JV Gold, which finished its 2022-23 season with a 19-1 overall record and a perfect 12-0 against the Delta League. Furthermore, the Troubies went undefeated against fellow JV teams, as the lone loss – a 1-0 setback against Inderkum on December 3 – came against a varsity squad. Of the 16 straight wins to end the season, 13 were by shutout, with only Vista Del Lago (Dec. 6), Pleasant Grove (Dec. 12) and Franklin (Jan. 25) managing to score.
The St. Francis varsity will learn its CIF-SJS playoff opponent later in the week. Check to GoTroubies.com or the department's Instagram, Twitter or Facebook channels for specifics on dates, times, locations and opponents.
