Box Score SAN RAFAEL, Calif. — Using comparative scores this month plus last season's results, the Dominican University of California women's soccer team notched a sizeable win on Wednesday.

First-half goals by Julianna Bratsberg and Mallory Engelhardt led the Lady Penguins to an impressive 2-1 non-conference victory, but it was a goal that Englehardt alertly prevented that was the difference against Western Washington.

The victory over the Vikings, who had five seniors returning from a team that posted a 10-4-4 record last year, was noteworthy for the Lady Penguins (2-1) because Western Washington in its season-opening game on Sept. 1 played UC San Diego, the defending NCAA Div. II runner-up, to a 0-0 tie in two overtimes.
Even Vikings goalkeeper Jamie Arthurs was impressed.

“She said, 'Nice header, No. 24,'” said Bratsberg, who wears No. 24 for Dominican.

In fact, Bratberg's goal was textbook teamwork. Outside back Emily Whitaker had pressed up to the offensive zone and sophomore forward Tori Selesia, her teammate, alertly slid back to field Whitaker's position. She was in perfect position to intercept a Vikings' pass in the middle third of the field then kicked the ball ahead to Whitaker who made a beautiful cross from the right to Bratsberg, who headed the ball past Arthurs.

“It was a fantastic goal,” said Dominican Director of Soccer Jon Delano. “It was good soccer.”

It was the first goal allowed by Western Washington in three games this season.

“That's awesome,” said Bratsberg. “It's something we've been working on so it's a good example of what we're doing in practice. Textbook.”

Engelhardt's goal was unassisted, a case of being in the right place at the right time. Katie Brown's throw-in from the side came out of the pack in front of the goal and bounced to Englehardt. She drilled it past Arthurs.

“It was set-up perfectly. It just ricocheted right off,” said Engelhardt. “The entire left side of the goal was open so it was drill and placement at the same time.”

Still, Engelhardt was more proud of her defensive gem than her goal with 1:32 remaining in the first half. She produced a heads-up play moments earlier to save a goal. Penguins goalkeeper Megan Herring made a diving save on a shot by the Vikings' Joana Houplin, but the ball perilously bounced out of Herring's hands. Fortunately, Engelhardt was close by to kick away the rebound from the empty net, the only Dominican player in the vicinity to come to the rescue.

 “It kind of came out of nowhere,” said Engelhardt. “I was standing at the top of the box and I looked back and nobody was there and I saw it rolling. My leg still hurts but it was worth it.”

That play and her subsequent goal were crucial, especially after the Vikings' Emily Frankland scored 12 minutes into the second half. Western Washington applied pressure throughout the second half but the Penguins' back line of Brown, Megan Hanson, Whitaker, and Kathryn Ripple held off the Vikings with some help from the bench.

“I thought we were very good in the first half,” said Delano. “We didn't get as much pressure on the ball in the second half but I thought we made some good adjustments. Jillian Nunes, Mary Wheeler, and Lexi Humphry were fantastic for us in the second half.”

The Lady Penguins play at Academy of Art University in San Francisco on Treasure Island at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 10 before returning to the San Rafael campus for its Pacific West Conference opener on Sunday, September 18 against Hawai'i Pacific University.