ELK GROVE, Calif. – Senior midfielder Miley Blough managed four shots while sophomore Monet Zauner added three more but St. Francis failed to find the back of the net in a 1-0 loss to Franklin in the varsity half of a non-league girls' soccer doubleheader Thursday night.

Despite the setback, the Troubadours (1-1) left with a sizable haul of toys for the Catholic all-girls school's annual holiday drive in support of the Stanford Settlement's Operation Cratchit. The Wildcats visited St. Francis almost exactly one year ago, saw the annual toy drive and "Booster-Q" barbecue, then reciprocated with versions of their own for the 2025 meeting between the two teams.

Franklin scored the game's only goal in the 20th minute on a 2-v-1 opportunity. The Troubies dominated play in the second half, according to head coach Maryclaire Robinson, but a free kick off the crossbar and a key save from Franklin keeper Emily Gipson on another set piece kept St. Francis off the board.

The varsity loss followed a 3-0 shutout for the Troubadours' JV Gold squad. Anna George, who had the lone SF goal in Tuesday's draw against Pioneer, delivered her second and third goals of the year against the Wildcats. Freshman Andrea Silva accounted for the third goal, with sophomores Mariko Palmieri and Sandra Wallace each earning assists.

The St. Francis varsity and JV Gold squads return to action along with the season debut for JV Red on Monday against Rio Americano. Gold plays at 4 p.m., varsity follows at 6 p.m., with Red taking the 7:30 nightcap at Cristo Rey's Adamson Family Sports Complex. The evening includes the aforementioned Operation Cratchit Advent Toy Drive along with the annual Booster-Q barbecue. Fans can find a link to an Amazon Wish List at GoTroubies.com.