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.

“They stepped up their physicality and got a lot tougher on the ball,” said Wong. “And we dropped off a little bit. They pushed up another forward and were really pressing us. It took us a bit to adjust.”

St. Francis took the early lead in the game on a goal by sophomore A.J. Tanner.

“It was pretty shocking not only to the team but me as well,” said Tanner. “If I had to be honest, I put it more as a cross. But I was proud to get it in for the team.”

Freshman Grace Barger scored her second goal of the season to put the Troubies up 2-0. The momentum changed in the second as Franklin (9-3-3, 3-3 Delta) looked to get back in the game.

“They are dangerous and have really good attacking players,” said Head Coach Maryclaire Robinson. “They took one out of the back to get one and it was working. They had chances. They got two right away but they gave up one. It was super dangerous.”

Franklin scored back-to-back goals to even up the game. After the Wildcats tied the game at 2, St. Francis took the lead for good on the goal by Wong. It was her first goal of the season.

“Meridith Wong buried that goal,” said Robinson. “It was a big-time goal. It was not an easy finish.”

The defense did the rest

“Our team defense was fabulous today,” said Robinson. “It was not one player today. It was St. Francis. That was huge. Where we are today is just different. We have grown a lot. We are doing some good work.”

Tanner, who scored earlier in the game, made two spectacular plays to prevent a late game-tying score by the Wildcats. In a mad series in front of the SF goal, she cleared the ball once off the line and stopped a second with her body to assist goalkeeper Kaitlyn Hendrickson, who had 11 saves of her own.

“Our overall defensive effort was good,” said Tanner. “We put out good effort. We could not have done anymore. We did really well defending them. My two stops were heart-stopping. They were good for the team.”

St. Francis plays three times next week starting with a game at Monterey Trail on Tuesday and games against Grant on Jan. 26 and Davis on Jan. 27.

SF – Tanner, Barger, Wong.