File photo

It was another busy day of action for the H-DNL teams on Saturday, as the Arcata boys took over sole possession of top spot in the league standings.

The Tigers traveled to Del Norte and tied the Warriors 1-1, but with Fortuna enjoying a bye that was enough to move Arcata one point ahead in the standings.

Also in boys action on Saturday, McKinleyville defeated St. Bernard’s 6-0, while Eureka got its first league win, defeating South Fork 6-2.

The H-DNL girls teams were also played three non-conference games.

Ferndale traveled to Eureka and knocked off the four-time defending North Coast Section champs 2-1, while Del Norte defeated Arcata 2-1 and Fortuna got the better of South Fork 7-0.

A scheduled game between the St. Bernard’s and McKinleyville girls was canceled with the Panthers forced to forfeit due to a lack of players available.

Up in Crescent City, Julien Gillespie netted the only goal of the game for the league-leading Tigers, who are now 4-0-1 in the H-DNL and sit one point ahead of the Huskies.

It was an opportunity the Arcata boys may feel slipped away after two Del Norte players were handed red cards.

“We are dissatisfied with the result, but we only dropped a point and our destiny is still in our hands,” said Arcata head coach John Davidson, whose team is unbeaten in eight games.

After a midweek bye, the Tigers will host Fortuna next Saturday in a pivotal top-of-the-table clash.

The Del Norte Warriors, meanwhile, kept their championship hopes on track after overcoming an early deficit.

Adrian Garcia netted the equalizer midway through the first half, with Sebastian Espinoza assisting on the goal.

The Warriors played two men down for much of the second half, but held firm down the stretch for a crucial point.

“My boys showed resilience to hold on for the draw,” Del Norte head coach David Sanyaolu said. “We even had chances to score to win it despite the number disadvantage.”

The Panthers, meanwhile, took care of business against St. Bernard’s, posting their second win in league play.

And they did so with a good team performance.

“We played as a team and moved the ball around well,” head coach Brady Burtchett said. “The whole team contributed to the win.”

The Loggers, meanwhile, were led by Isaiah Herbst, who scored four goals in their win over the Cubs, while Levi Grossman and Angel Martinez each also netted once each.

“In the first half I thought we matched intensity well and didn’t let it drop,” Eureka head coach Tommy Learmouth said. “The second half was a little rough for us to find a rhythm, but a great opportunity for all our players to get some valuable minutes.”

Luiz Gonzalez and Landon Lasso each had two assists in the win, while Grossman also had an assist.

“Each day this group comes out and works hard,” Learmouth added. “They are not happy with how we started this league campaign but are working hard to come together and get this right.”

In girls action, meanwhile, Del Norte posted an impressive and rare win over Arcata.

Lillie Franklin scored the opening goal of the game and the Warriors carried a slender one-goal lead into halftime.

Bella White doubled the advantage in the second half, but the Tigers would score late in the game to make for an exciting finish.

Overall, it was a fundamentally sound performance by the Del Norte girls, especially in defense.

“The team structure was really solid,” head coach Shawn Eckart said. “My back line was communicating a bunch more and the overall movement was a lot cleaner.

“They were working hard and working together.”

The Warriors also welcomed back influential senior Aurora Mitchell, who missed a midweek loss to Ferndale because of injury.

Elisabeth Lopez also contributed in the win and played one of her best games of the season, helping to set some of her team’s attacks in motion with her vision on the left wing.