ROSEVILLE, Calif. – Junior Maya Wenceslao scored a hat trick against Sierra in a round-robin matchup, then Sara Ellis, Audrey Ellis and Gia Navarrete each netted two goals in the fifth-place game with River City later in the afternoon, as St. Francis wrapped action at the Woodcreek Invitational girls' prep water polo tournament at Roseville Aquatics Complex Saturday.

The Troubadours (3-7) fell to Timberwolves, 12-8, then followed with an 18-8 loss to the Raiders. St. Francis' Day 2 opponents entered the weekend respectively ranked No. 20 and No. 3 in the Sac-Joaquin Section by MaxPreps.

Two of Wenceslao's three goals against Sierra came courtesy of five-meter fouls. Audrey Ellis drew the first such opportunity with 1:20 left in the first, which allowed SF to equalize an early defensive battle at 1-1. Wenceslao's second penalty goal took place after Navarrete and T-Wolf goalkeeper Ella Wright went scrambling for a rebound late in the third quarter. Navarrete drew the foul, and Wenceslao converted.

Wenceslao also scored at the 4:32 mark in the second on an assist from Sara Ellis, who sent a pass from set to the 2/3 spot for her teammate to claim a 3-2 lead. Unfortunately for the Troubies, their lead lasted for only that possession. Sierra converted back-to-back 6-on-5 opportunities to regain the edge and ignite what eventually grew into an 8-1 run into the third.

St. Francis finished the morning game with three unanswered goals. Rose Haag's steal at midtank gave way to an Emma Dietrich goal with 3:41 left. Haag then drew a kickout that allowed Wenceslao to assist Audrey Ellis on the ensuing power play. Finally, Navarrete assisted Savannah Hamilton on a counterattack with 1:16 left.

Then against third-ranked River City, the Ellis sisters each scored goals in the first quarter, but only after the Raiders had kicked off the game with four unanswered. That margin swelled to 13-2 by halftime, with senior Reagan Eisberg scoring seven of those goals, largely in transition.

St. Francis closed the gap somewhat in the second half. Audrey Ellis had the rebound and putback off Wenceslao's initial blocked shot with 5:13 in the third, Hamilton scored on a Wenceslao feed at the 2:40 mark in that quarter, and Navarrete buried a perimeter shot after a 6-on-5 opportunity expired with 1:10 to go. Then in the fourth, Sara Ellis finished a counterattack on an Ava Jack pass with 2:47 to go, Wenceslao netted her lone goal a minute later, and Navarette's shot hit bar-down and into the cage with 36 ticks.

Yet during that time, RC sophomore Catharina Habda-Guimaraes scored five goals, including a penalty goal on her own drawn foul to start the fourth, to keep her team on top by at least double figures.

The Woodcreek Invite is the second of four regular-tournaments for SF varsity water polo, with Granite Bay's Grizzy Classic standing next on the schedule. In the meantime, both Troubie squads return to Sierra Foothill League play at Jesuit against Whitney (Monday) and Del Oro (Wednesday).