SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The St. Francis freshmen soccer team had an impressive season, showcasing the talent across the program. The Troubadours were led by first-year head coach Lindsey Mair and assistant Gabby Trenton.

“I thought I had an idea of what the season would be,” said Mair. “It was completely different. A lot of the girls had the greatest talent so the biggest challenge was to bring them together as a unit so they played well together. It is not always just one player that makes a huge difference. You need a whole team to work as an engine. That was our goal, Gabby and I, and the girls rose to the challenge and did a fantastic job.”

The team opened the season playing the JV bracket of the Cal Spring Classic in Woodland. They went 2-2 and finished in third place.

“Especially since we were competing at the JV level, they were excited to represent their school,” said Mair. “Tournaments always bring teams together with the sense of camaraderie.”

Savannah Tijerino-Santos, who also played on the freshmen basketball team, led the squad with 29 goals, scoring in 15 games and recording 10 multi-goal games.

“She has a great ability to put the ball in the back of the net and speed,” said Mair. “But what I love most about her is she has the greatest spirit for her school. She wanted to work hard and do everything she could for her team.”

The highlight of the season for Tijerino-Santos came in a six-goal outburst against Roseville. It was the third game of three or more goals on the season.

“Her speed is an amazing strength of hers but it her ability to control the ball and have composure to make sure she finishes it,” said Mair.

Monet Lopez also had a solid season in the goal-scoring department, recording 17 during the season.

“She is a phenomenal player,” said Mair of Lopez. “She is a smart player and her ball skills would jump leaps and bounds above her competitors. She had a nose for the goal with a beautiful shot. If we needed a goal right away, we could tell her whether it was an assist or putting it in by herself.”

Mair also credited the play of goalies Kaitlyn Hendrickson and Amira Araj, who combined for 151 saves on the save while allowing just four goals.

“Our two goalies did an amazing job,” said Mair. “They had around 70 saves each and were a huge part of our defense. They were a positive influence and kept the team organized and spirits up.”

The defense allowed just 24 goals on the season anchored by defender Darby Carillo.

 “She is 5-0 tall and a stick but nobody could take her down and nobody could get past her,” said Mair. “If they did, they would regret it later as should would be right on top of them right away.”

Mair named Abby Padilla the team Most Valuable Player.

“Abby is an all-around great player,” said Mair. “She played center mid for us, playing offense and defense beautifully. She won every single ball in the air and is a hard worker.”

Other award winners included Kaitlyn Hendrickson with the Coaches Award, while Carillo was named the Defensive MVP and Tijerino-Santos was selected the Offensive MVP. Navneet Dosanjh was recognized as the Most Improved.

The team finished with a 15-4-1 overall record.

Coaches Award - Kaitlyn Hendrickson

Most Valuable Player - Abby Padilla

Offensive MVP - Savannah Tierjino-Santos

Defensive MVP - Darby Carillo

Most Improved -Navneet Dosanjh