Soccer

• St. Francis finished with a 15-5-4 overall record, losing to No. 14 Folsom in the Sac-Joaquin Section quarterfinals.  The No-6 seeded Troubadours defeated No. 11 Modesto 3-0 in the opening round.
• St. Francis was 10-2-2- in Delta League play, finishing second overall in the team standings. Sophomore Janae DeFazio tied for the Delta League individual lead in goals with 16 and led the league in points.
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. – St. Francis senior Monet Lopez will continue her soccer career at American River College. She will be part of the St. Francis Signing Day Celebration on Wednesday, joining 11 classmates who have made commitments to play a sport in college.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The St. Francis soccer team lost to Folsom 1-0 Friday in the Sac-Joaquin Section quarterfinals. It was the second 1-0 loss to Folsom this season.

“It is extremely disappointing,” said Head Coach Maryclaire Robinson. “Give credit to Folsom. They came out, hustled and worked for it and won almost every ball in the air. We did not get in a rhythm. This was not our best.”‘

Abby Padilla is in her second season on the St. Francis varsity soccer team and fourth season with the program overall. She has seven career goals overall, including one last season on varsity against Grant. She has always worn No. 12., and overcame having open heart surgery when she was five years old. She has been accepted to Northeastern University but is waiting on decisions from other schools before making her collegiate choice.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The St. Francis soccer team is seeded sixth in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I bracket released Friday afternoon.

“We are working really hard in practice,” said senior Arianna Avila. “It is what makes us a good team because we push each other to the max so during the playoffs it will payoff.”

The Troubadours hope the payoff will be a long playoff run.  SF will open at home (Granite Regional Park) on Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 3 p.m. against Modesto. The Panthers are 13-3-3 on the season with a 9-1-2 league mark in the Modesto Metro Conference.

ELK GROVE Calif. – Sophomore Janae DeFazio scored the game winner in extra time to give St. Francis a 3-2 win over Franklin on Tuesday.

Savannah Tijerino-Santos scored in the fourth minute to give the Troubadours a 1-0 lead. The assist came off passes from Elise Urkov pass and Janae DeFazio, who connected with Santos.

Franklin tied the game on a penalty kick in the 32nd minute and took the lead half way into the second half on a second PK.

DAVIS, Calif. – Senior Savannah Tijerino-Santos scored to give St. Francis a lead but Davis answered with two goals to pull out a 2-1 victory on Thursday night.

“We played them last Friday and lost 4-1 and we played tonight on a rainy night and lose 2-1,” said Head Coach Maryclaire Robinson. “They are very good and they are at the top of the league for a reason. But we battled them and anytime you play them you get a little better because they are so fast. I feel very good.”

Aly Shebert is in her second season on the varsity team after previously playing only club soccer. She has also run track at St. Francis but decided to go out for soccer last year. This year she has the opportunity to compete in both with the move to winter. She hopes to play club soccer in college.

What does it mean to you to play on the team at St. Francis?
“For me, it means being a family and it like having a second family at St. Francis. You see them every day and get along with them. You learn to work together as a team.”

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Senior Meridith Wong scored the game-winning goal in the second half to give St. Francis a 3-2 win over Franklin on Thursday.

“Elise (Urkov) played it through and I took a touch and whacked it,” said Wong. “It feels amazing. I feel lucky to have been able to be playing and make a difference for my team.”

Wong’s goal put the Troubadours back on top after the Wildcats erased a 2-0 first-half lead.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Sophomore Lindsey Porter had a hat trick as six players scored in the Delta League opening 8-1 win over Grant.

Sophomore Elise Urkov scored the first goal of the game in the first minute off an assist by Abby Padilla. Padilla then assisted Porter on the first of her three goals. Freshman Marli Berry (Urkov), sophomore Anna Huber (Blakeman) and sophomore Janae DeFazio (Huber) each scored in the half as the Troubadours led 5-0.

Ari Avila is a second-year varsity member. She likes to draw and paint in her free time. She has committed to play at Fresno Pacific University.

What does it mean to you to be named a captain?
“It means a lot because I have tried to put in a lot of hard work. I want to bring together all of our classes to make a really good team. It is an honor to be able to lead that group and be a role model.”

DANVILLE, Calif. – Sophomore Janae DeFazio provided the equalizer and senior goalkeeper Kaitlyn Hendrickson kept El Camino Real out of the goal to finish the Tri-Valley Classic with a 1-1 tie against El Camino Real at Sycamore Valley Park.

“The last two games – Foothill and El Camino Real – were fantastic opponents,” said Head Coach Maryclaire Robinson. “These last two games were a great test for us. It was team defense, we battled and we had to play faster. There is no doubt in my mind we are better this evening than this morning when we got here.”

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The St. Francis soccer team scored three unanswered goals to comeback and post a 3-2 win over Christian Brothers in the Holy Cup matchup at Hughes Stadium Thursday night.

“Amazing team effort and character,” said Head Coach Maryclaire Robinson. “I am very impressed especially under the conditions.”

Christian Brothers (5-1) scored early to take the lead in the contest and added a second goal early in the second half. Sophomore A.J. Tanner  got the Troubadours back in the game with a strong second half, scoring twice to tie the score.

St. Francis High School Soccer Student-Athlete Web Store

• Deadline: November 27th, 2016 (11:59 p.m.)
• All orders will be delivered to St. Francis High School with an estimated ship date of December 22nd.
• No returns or exchanges on decorated apparel
• No orders will be taken after the deadline: November 27th

St. Francis High School Soccer Parents Web Store 2016

PROGRAM:

• will be comprised of 3 teams = JV Red, JV Gold & Varsity
• JV Red will train & play a majority of their home games on campus
• JV Gold & Varsity will train & play their games at Granite Regional Park

TIMING:

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – St. Francis Catholic High School has earned recognition as one of 88 schools of distinction from the NFHS Network for the efforts of the Sports Media Club in producing TroubieTV.

TroubieTV produced 58 events in 2015-16 including games and contests from the sports of basketball, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, volleyball and water polo. They also showcased the three St. Francis National Letter-of-Intent celebrations, the Homecoming Pep Rally and International Night among the other broadcasts.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – St. Francis High School and the Troubadour Athletic Department will partner with SportsLeader over the next four years to implement their Catholic virtue-based formation program for coaches.

“In offering athletics programs at St. Francis we seek to use sport as a context for physical, intellectual, and spiritual growth,” said Athletic Director Mark McGreevy. “Our partnership with Sports Leader represents a continuation of that great Troubie tradition in a very intentional way.”

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The St. Francis athletic department placed second overall in the All-Sports Award standings for the Delta League among the girls programs for the 2015-16 season, losing to Davis by two points. The Troubadours recorded a league-best seven combined first and second-place finishes.

“We congratulate Davis and appreciate the great competition in our league,” said Athletic Director Mark McGreevy. “Winning is not a primary goal but a byproduct  of doing things well and we are proud of the efforts of our student-athletes and coaches.”

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Four years ago Emily Bloom could never have envisioned giving a speech at graduation and she has no idea what she would have said. But after her experiences at St. Francis Catholic High School, she now has something to say.

“I could not have given a speech at Memorial Auditorium and I would not have had anything to say,” predicted Bloom of herself as a freshman.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The St. Francis soccer team was awarded a No. 5 seed in the Sac Joaquin Section playoffs starting Tuesday, May 10. The Troubadours will host No. 12 Pitman at 4:00 p.m. at St. Francis.

Pitman, located in Turlock, won the Central California Conference with a 10-1-4 mark and went 15-6-5 overall. The Pride are led by Rayana Plancarte, who led the team with 21 goals and 14 assists.

St. Francis finished the regular season with a 13-3-4 record, including a 7-3-4 mark in the Delta League action to finish third overall

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Junior Ariana Avila dribbled almost the full length of the field and placed the ball in the net to give St. Francis an early lead in a 4-0 victory over Monterey Trail. The game was the final regular season home game for the season including the 13 seniors.

Erin Barr is a third year player on the varsity team. She has two goals this season and seven over her Troubadour career. She has signed to play at Master’s College this fall.

How excited are you about your collegiate choice?
“I am so excited. It is something I have always looked forward to doing since I was a little girl. I leave in less than a month and half. It is coming up quick.”

Bridget Foy is in her second season on the varsity team and fourth overall in the soccer program. She is undecided on her college coach but will be choosing between UC Santa Barbara and UCLA. She has ties to both schools and is excited about her choice. She has scored 19 career goals over her four-year career.

What has being a member of the soccer program meant to you?
“It has shown me what it is like to be in a supportive team environment and taught me to play for others than myself.”

Emma Marchant is in her first season on the varsity and third year overall. She made the team after being cut as a junior. She spent her offseason on the swim team. She will be attending San Diego State in the fall with hopes to become a physical therapist after studying kinesiology.

Can you believe it is second semester of senior year?
“It is a weird combination of still being a kid and going out into the world and be your own person. I am really excited.”

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Freshman Lindsey Porter scored her first two career two goals as St. Francis posted an 8-2 win over Grant on Monday.  Overall, seven players scored in the game for the Troubadours.

“It felt good that we worked as a team,” said Porter. “We played good St. Francis soccer and played composed and simple on the ball. It felt good to finally finish my chances for goals.”

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The St. Francis soccer team lost for the first time this season 3-0 to Franklin Monday.

“You got to hand it to them,” said Head Coach Maryclaire Robinson. “They beat us to the ball and their transition was great. They dictated play and we played around it. They set the standard.”

The Wildcats (6-3, 2-2) score three times in the second half to hand the Troubadours their first home loss since 2014. St. Francis had a undefeated streak of 18 games at home (14-0-4) dating to a April 9, 2014 loss to Pleasant Grove (2-1).

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Freshman Janae DeFazio scored the equalizer and senior goalkeeper Meredith Kaeser recorded 13 saves as St. Francis tied Elk Grove Monday afternoon in the first game following the Spring Break holiday.

“Today was a hard day and it was not our best day,” said Head Coach Maryclaire Robinson. “Some of the simple things we had to work harder for and they had a great chance.”

The Thundering Herd (3-4-3) took the lead in the 40th minute on a goal by junior forward Toree Oliver.

• All orders will be delivered to St. Francis High School on or before March 16, 2016
• No returns or exchanges on decorated apparel
• No orders will be taken after the deadline: February 17, 2016
• Proceeds benefits St. Francis Athletics

Parents are encouraged to order t-shirts with the student availability.

https://stfrancisparents16.itemorder.com

Lacrosse Student-Athlete Adidas Apparel Order

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Five St. Francis seniors signed to play soccer in college next fall at schools across the country and were celebrated at a National Signing Day ceremony on campus Wednesday morning.

“It has been awesome to share this with my teammates,” said Hailey Barrett, who will play for the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos. “I have played with these girls for a few years and they are some of my best friends. I loved watching them sign. It was super cool to experience it with them.”

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – St. Francis senior Erin Barr will play soccer at The Master’s College next fall.

“The first time I visited there was in 7^th grade when my brothers were touring colleges,” said Barr about discovering her college choice. “I was interested but didn’t really know what the school was about. I came back and the coach contacted me about coming for a visit. I loved it. It is a great fit spiritually, academically and athletically.”

Spring sports start on Feb. 8 for the sports of lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming and diving and track and field. Please have your daughter’s current physical on file with the athletic department to insure her participation in the first day of tryouts. The physical must be on the form on the school website. You can find it here.

DIVING: Practice starts on February 15: 3:00-4:30 p.m. at Capital Diving. Workouts the rest of the season (2/22-4/27) will be M/W/F from 3:30-5:00 p.m.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Former Troubadour soccer standout Anna Gregg, a 2015 graduate of St. Francis, was named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Fall High School All-America team, the organization announced Monday.

Gregg, she was one of 43 named to the national team, recently completed her freshmen season at Colorado College. She saw action in 22 games and recorded two assists.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Senior soccer player Aly Barr sees her future and it will be at William Jessup University in Rocklin.  She has verbally committed to the school to play soccer next fall, following in the footsteps of one of her older brothers and continuing a family soccer tradition in college.

“I really love the campus,” said Barr. “The school is a lot like St. Francis, small and people want to get to know you. I really like the soccer team and coach.”

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Former college basketball coach and athletic director Stan Morrison was the keynote speaker for the St. Francis athletics department retreat in August 2015. Morrison started his coaching career at El Camino High School before embarking on a career that would include head coaching jobs at Pacific, USC, San Jose State Basketball coach and as the AD at both UC Santa Barbara and UC Riverside.

Morrison had several messages for the Troubadour coaches intertwined among his tremendous coaching experiences and stories that highlighted his talking points.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Alumna Anna Gregg ’14 will represent Colorado College and the United States at the 2015 World University Games in Gwangju, Korea, from July 3-14.

The 20 players competing as Team USA in Gwangju, Korea, are a collection of current, former and future Tigers, including 10 who helped CC advance to the 2013 NCAA Tournament after claiming the Conference USA regular-season and tournament championships. Eligibility is limited to U.S. citizens who are current athletes or recent graduates, born between Jan. 1, 1990, and Dec. 31, 1997.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The St. Francis Booster Club Leadership and Scholar-Athlete Scholarship Awards were presented at the Senior Awards Ceremony May 13 and numerous student-athletes were recognized among the honorees.

Soccer player Anna Gregg and water polo’s Lauren Charter received the Scholar-Athlete Awards, while cross country/track athlete Miranda Myers and basketball player Susie Rogers received the Leadership Awards. 

Each student-athlete will receive a $1000 scholarship to be used for their school. 

ELK GROVE, Calif. – No. 2 Seed Franklin scored twice in the first half and added a third goal to defeat No. 5 seed St. Francis 3-0 in the final of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I playoffs Saturday.

“The ride was fantastic,” said Head Coach Maryclaire Robinson. “That is the concern when you have such a big win in the semis against such a tough opponent to try to keep it together. We had some hurdles. We were a little thin in the back not to take anything away from Franklin. It was not our day.”

FAIRFIELD, Calif. – Junior Sydney Altobell found the perfect time to record her first goal of the season to lead No. 5 seed St. Francis to a 1-0 victory over No. 4 Armijo Thursday. The Troubadours advance to play No. 1 seed Davis Wednesday, May 13 at Davis.

Altobell broke a scoreless game with a left-footed strike from about 30-feet that cleared the Armijo goalie with about six minutes left in the first half. St. Francis (17-2-2) made it stand in posting their seventh consecutive shutout and 16th of the season.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Senior Anna Gregg recorded a hat trick in the first half as defending section champions St. Francis posted a 6-0 win over No. 12 Woodcreek in the Sac-Joaquin Section opener Tuesday. The Troubadours play the winner of No. 4 Armijo and No. 13 Franklin (Stockton) on Thursday.

“It is a good feeling going into playoffs like this,” said junior Bridget Foy of the opening win. “When you start out with a good win, it gives you so much confidence. We can go into the next game and keep playing as a team and doing what we do.”

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Defending Sac-Joaquin Section champion St. Francis will enter next week’s playoffs as the fifth overall seed and will host No. 12 Woodcreek on Tuesday, May 5 in a first-round game at 4 p.m. Tickets are $6 for adults, $4 for K-12 and children 5 and under are free.

The Troubadours finished third in the Delta League with a 10-2-2 and posted a 16-2-2 overall mark in the regular season under Head Coach Maryclaire Robinson. St. Francis won the Cal Spring Classic in February as part of six consecutive wins to start the season.

ELK GROVE, Calif. – Anna Gregg scored a career-best four goals to lead St. Francis to a 4-0 victory over Sheldon Monday night. She improved her Delta League leading goal total to 26 for the season. St. Francis improved to 14-1-2 and 8-1-2 in league play. SF is ranked No. 3 in the state by MaxPreps.

The four goals marked the 10th multiple-goal game of the season for Gregg, who had recorded hat tricks against Elk Grove and Pleasant Grove.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Senior Anna Gregg scored two goals but Davis responded both times to force a 2-2 tie in a matchup of two of the Delta League and state’s top teams Monday.

“We are in a place where we are moving forward,” said Interim Head Coach Maryclaire Robinson. “You can see it and feel it. I am really pleased with that. Would I have liked to get a “W” if we could have held on, sure, but they are a good team.”

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Senior Anna Gregg recorded a hat trick to lead St. Francis to a 4-0 victory over Pleasant Grove Wednesday night.

“We are playing as a team more than ever,” said Gregg. “It feels good to win.”

St. Francis (12-1-1, 6-1-1), which tied the Eagles in their first meeting to start league play last month, won their sixth consecutive overall and fifth straight via shutout, posting a combined score of 28-0 over that stretch.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Junior Hailey Barrett scored the only goal of the game and the St. Francis defense came up strong led by 16 saves by goalies Catie Brown and Allie Carmickle to post a 1-0 victory and hand Franklin their first loss of the season.

“I thought the team did a great job of playing for each other today,” said Interim Head Coach Maryclaire Robinson. “We created a lot of chances in the first half and got a little unlucky in front of the net. Yet they were not deterred. They passed and defended hard.”

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Junior Meredith Cook scored a goal in the 16th minute and St. Francis never trailed in posting a 3-1 win over rival Christian Brothers Tuesday afternoon.

Cook scored on an assist by senior Anna Gregg to give the Troubadours the early lead. Gregg added two second half goals with the first giving St. Francis (5-0) a 2-0 lead. The Falcons would cut the deficit to 2-1 but Gregg would score again in the 76th minute to seal the victory.

Gregg now has five goals and four assists on the season in five games.

WOODLAND, Calif. – The St. Francis soccer team remained undefeated in the Cal Spring Classic with a 4-0 shutout win over Sierra late Friday night. The Troubies got goals from junior Bridget Foy, senior Addie Wallace, senior Savannah Watson and senior Lydia Molitor.

“It was a great showing,” said Head Coach Maryclaire Robinson. “It was a little nerve-wracking in the first game. We got the little kinks out. They were honest early and yet we managed. I am really pleased. We had some great leadership on every layer on the field.”

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – St. Francis senior Izzy Chelini will play at Cal Lutheran next fall after committing to the school this fall. She plays for the San Juan soccer club, one of three Troubadours affiliated with the team.

“Izzy has been playing with us since the under nines,” said San Juan director Tony Perez. “She has always stood out as one of our most technical players on that team. She has made the most out of her skills.”

Perez likes her priorities in selecting a school.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – St. Francis senior Addie Wallace will sign a National Letter-of-Intent to attend and play soccer at Villanova University next fall. She will participate in a ceremony at St. Francis Wednesday morning at 9 a.m.

“I really liked the school and coaches,” said Wallace about her recruitment to the Philadelphia school.  “It has been nice to know where I was going especially since I love the school.”

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Madison Kimball had a good idea what she was looking for in her college experience. So she took an active role in deciding her path and has found her perfect school. The St. Francis senior is committed to attend and play soccer at Loyola University Chicago.

“I wanted a Jesuit school with a good soccer program and academics,” said Kimball. “We were looking at the different options and my mom asked me about Loyola-Chicago. At first, I thought it might be a little far away.”

St. Francis alumnae are succeeding at the collegiate level across the country. Here is collection of news and notes from the last week about the former Troubies. Submissions can be sent in to Assistant AD Steve Shaff at sshaff@stfrancishs.org.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The St. Francis soccer team will be recognized by the Sacramento Republic FC Friday as part of their second annual Sacramento Soccer Day festivities prior to the game against English Premier club West Bromwich Albion FC on Friday, July 25 at Bonney Field.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The St. Francis soccer team earned the No. 1 ranking in the state of California and No. 17 national ranking by MaxPreps following their Sac-Joaquin Section win last weekend. The Troubadours ascended to the No. 1 ranking after finishing a 21-3-5 season with a postseason run that included wins over Armijo (4-2), Enochs (5-4), Granite Bay (1-0) and Oak Ridge (1-0) in the SJS playoffs.

St. Francis won their 13th section title in school history and first since 2010.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – St. Francis junior soccer player Anna Gregg was named the River Cats Girls Soccer Player of the Year at the High School Awards Ceremony before Sunday’s game against the Tacoma Rainers.

“It means so much and feels so great,” said Gregg of the Player of the Year honor. “I set a goal to help to the section championship and that was accomplished. I could not be happier.”

Gregg and her St. Francis teammates captured the Sac-Joaquin Section title on Saturday on her goal to defeat Oak Ridge 1-0.