MATHER, Calif. – Junior midfielder Keira Miles punched in four goals while senior attacker Karly Okamoto added two, junior Sara Ellis led the defensive back line with four caused turnovers, and senior Sofia Rabinovitz made her career debut at goalkeeper to propel St. Francis to a 7-5 win over Del Oro in the varsity nightcap of a Sierra Foothill League girls' lacrosse doubleheader at Mather Sports Complex Tuesday night.

The Troubadours improve to 5-1 overall and in league play, while the Golden Eagles suffer their first loss to dip to 5-1 for the year and 4-1 in SFL games. The win gives St. Francis a half-game lead atop the league standings, with Del Oro and Oak Ridge now tied for second.

The critical point of the game took place just a minute and 45 seconds after the opening draw, when sophomore goalkeeper Jayel Miller went down with injury while executing a clear attempt. Officials paused the game to allow Miller to exit, but the Troubies now had a dilemma: Miller had played every minute in the crease in all 15 games in 2024 and the first five games of the current season, with no other player on the roster even having played the position for the junior varsity team.

Rabinovitz, an all-league attacker for the SF soccer team and a defender in lacrosse who sat out her entire junior season, volunteered to replace Miller. After Miles converted an eight-meter to give her team a 1-0 start, Rabinovitz halted a Presley Macktinger free-position shot on the other end – the first of five saves in the contest.

The St. Francis defense also stepped up in support of its ad hoc goalie. The Golden Eagles had outscored their opponents by a 71-28 margin entering Tuesday's contest, including back-to-back shutouts to start the year, but managed only 12 shots for the contest. Lizzie David, Chloe Tanner and Olivia Hamm also made defensive plays to keep DO out of the net throughout the win.

Facing a 3-2 deficit late in the first half, Ellis came up with an interception in the critical scoring area to thwart a DO opportunity. The takeaway led to Karly Okamoto's equalizer with 2:45 left before the halftime break. Miles drove for a pair of goals early in the third quarter to keep SF on top by a 5-4 margin, then Rabinovitz halted back-to-back shots by Golden Eagle sophomore Grace Sjolie midway through that frame. Ellis then blocked an eight-meter attempt in the final minutes of the third, further helping SF preserve its lead.

While Del Oro managed to hold off two Miles' eight-meter attempts to start the fourth, the Troubies extended their lead to 6-4 when Hamm set up Zia Smith for a goal with 10:09 to go. The Golden Eagles' Riley Weber posted a steal against a St. Francis counterattack. Rabinovitz stepped up for the initial save against Weber, but the DO sophomore then assisted Sjolie just under the three-minute mark, trimming the margin to 6-5.

Oddly, the goal circle loomed large in the final minutes of the game. Miles scored her fourth goal on yet another eight-meter, and was initially called for a crease violation. However, the trailing official overruled that decision on the grounds that Sjolie had pushed Miles into the circle. The goal counted after all, giving SF a 7-5 lead. Then when Macktinger won the subsequent draw, Sjolie appeared to have scored with 1:09 remaining – only for that goal to get disqualified by a crease violation.

The varsity win followed a 13-0 shutout victory for Del Oro against the Troubies' junior varsity squad. Sophomore Claire Gabri posted nine saves in the first half but the Golden Eagles dominated possession for the entirety of the game. Sophomores Taylor Crotsley and Lucia Shepard each had two draw controls, freshman Delaney McGahan and junior Evelyn McNearney came up with two ground balls apiece, but the younger Troubies only managed seven shots overall.

St. Francis returns to action on Thursday for continued SFL play at Oak Ridge. First draw times are 5:30 (JV) and 7:15 p.m. (varsity) in El Dorado Hills.