SACRAMENTO, Calif. – SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Junior Alyssa Cheah and sophomores Sarah Bashore, Sofia Rabinovitz and Jada Dwyre each scored goals to lead JV Gold to a 4-0 win over Pleasant Grove in the nightcap of Friday's Delta League girls' soccer doubleheader at Cristo Rey's Adamson Family Sports Complex.
The JV Gold win followed 3-1 victory by the Troubadour varsity squad. Senior Jaycee DeFazio scored two goals, including the game-winner in the 58th minute, leading St. Francis in Friday's opener. The Troubadours, ranked No. 8 nationally by the United Soccer Coaches, remain undefeated at 11-0-3 for the year.
DeFazio scored the only goal of the first half, converting an assist from Yasmin Azar that began with a Maggie Koerwitz throw-in from the left sideline. Then PG and SF traded goals in the second half on relatively fluke plays. Eagle senior Francesca Hahn fired a shot that resulted in an unintentional handball in the box. This sent Halah Elbeshity to the mark for a penalty kick, which she converted for the equalizer in the 49th. The Troubies had multiple chances to go ahead in the next eight minutes, with Azar and Koerwitz managing attempts. However, Hahn blocked one such attempt while Alyssa Bessemer had two of her 15 total saves in that span.
Then in the 58th, DeFazio split two Eagle defenders and fired a low tracer from 25 yards out, near the field's lacrosse eight-meter arc. The shot went through the hands of the otherwise reliable Bessemer and into the net.
Barsotti later netted an insurance goal in the 74th minute. Brooke Harmon centered a pass to Tacori Abril, who had her shot blocked. Barsotti was there for the rebound and putback, setting the board at 3-1.
Both varsity and JV Gold return to action on Wednesday for more Delta League play at Franklin, the first of three straight road dates. In the interim, JV Red hosts West Park for a 3:30 tilt on Tuesday. This will mark Red's first game back on the campus grass field since the November 29 season opener.
