File photo – The Del Norte Warriors

On Tuesday evening the Del Norte Warriors managed to do something no other H-DNL girls soccer team has done this season.

On the final day of conference play, the Del Norte girls welcomed Little 4 champs Ferndale to Crescent City and handed the Cats their first loss since the opening day of the season by a score of 1-0.

Lillie Franklin scored the only goal of the game midway through the second half and goalkeeper Avery Ritter posted the first clean sheet of the fall against a Ferndale team that had scored in every game before Tuesday.

Also in the Little 4 on Tuesday, the St. Bernard’s girls defeated South Fork 6-0 for their biggest win in conference.

But the story of the day was in Crescent City.

“We worked hard for that, for sure,” Del Norte head coach Shawn Eckart said. “We spent the whole week watching film and working on drills and (the players) wanted it. It was their senior night.

“They said ‘we’re going to stick together and play our game,’ and they did. Everyone was doing their job just like they were supposed to.”

The Ferndale girls had wrapped up this year’s conference championship with three games to spare and Tuesday’s result might not be the worst thing as they get set for next week’s North Coast Section playoff opener.

“Despite the loss, the girls really didn’t play terrible. We just didn’t play to our full potential and unfortunately it cost us,” Ferndale head coach Bailey Davy said. “We had control of the ball the majority of the game, but we never really attacked the goal.

“Scoring hasn’t been one of our struggles this season, but today it was.”

It was senior day for the Warriors, who honored a four-player class of Aurora Mitchell, Hollyn Wakefield, Lilianna Ramirez and Teexeshe Scott before kickoff.

Scott and Wakefield, in particular, had good games in defense and midfield, respectively.

But it was the play of junior Avery Ritter between the posts that really helped seal the win against a team that came into the game averaging 4.5 goals a game in conference play.

“If it hadn’t been for our goalie, I don’t think it would have come out so good,” Eckart said.

The loss should’t have an impact on the Cats’ postseason seeding and they remain the top-ranked team in NCS fall soccer, followed by No. 2 Kelseyville, No. 3 St. Bernard’s and No. 4 Arcata.

The playoff brackets will be announced this weekend.

“I think there was a lot to learn from today’s game,” Davy said. “I’m looking forward to watching the film back with the team and breaking the game down.

“We’ve got our work cut out for us as we move on to prepare for playoffs.”

The loss ended a 17-game unbeaten run for the 16-2-1 Wildcats.

St. Bernard’s, meanwhile, posted their second conference win, taking a two-goal advantage into halftime and adding four more goals after the break.

“We delivered a commanding performance today, showcasing utility, composure and grit across all lines of play,” SB head coach Jeff Sellars said.

Malia Masayos and CJ Figas each netted twice in the win, while Eliana Sellars added a goal and two assists.

Alyssa Boham closed out the scoring, with Sariah Vainuku assisting on that goal.

“It was a true team performance,” Jeff Sellars added. “Organized, unselfish and full of determination.”

Kaitlyn Amis continued to impress in goal for the Crusaders and recorded the clean sheet, with Macie Wantt, Carli Baum, Paula Bullock and Xochitl Granados combining to anchor the defense and help keep the Cubs scoreless.

As usual, Boham helped control the midfield along with the ever-reliable Amber Smith, while Vainuku was “tenacious driving the ball forward and creating several dangerous chances in the attacking third,” according to Jeff Sellars.

Up front, Masayos continued to work well with Eliana Sellars and Figas, as they have been doing for much of the season.

The SB head coach also praised the performances of Ella Eads, Andrea Torres-Zaragoza and Princesa Gutierrez, who “brought fresh energy and intensity, immediately impacting the game with hustle and defensive pressure.”

File photo