San Rafael, CALIF. -- Freshman Morgan Newkirk, sophomore Brooke Vafi and freshman Olivia Johnson combined for 12 goals and five assists in another impressive showing that helped Dominican (6-0) power itself over conference foe UC Davis (4-4)
 
The game's weather conditions were not San Rafael's standard as most of the game was played in torrential downpour, high winds and sub-45-degree temperature. It was the defense that steadied the frozen ship in this matchup as the players in the back half found themselves playing a heavy role in the lopsided victory.
 
"We executed and capitalized on their mistakes," freshman Lusi Tapasa said. "We trusted each other, and I can say with full confidence that we were able to shut them down."
 
Dominican displayed great effort on the draw and held possession for most of the opening quarter in the harsh elements, but finishing its opportunities was a struggle early on. UC Davis was able to find the back of the net twice, bringing the score 4-2 and the end of the opening frame.
 
The Penguin coaching staff used the break between the quarters to correct the offensive downfalls which led to Dominican being in complete control for the remainder of the game. An 8-0 run that lasted the entirety of the preceding pair of quarters brought the score to 12-2 going into the concluding 10 minutes.
 
"We had to slow the game down & focus on the little things. We worked together to control the game and communicated effectively all over the field," assistant coach Victoria Tucci said. 
 
The defense was near flawless following a tightly contested first quarter that also included its fair share of Dominican mishaps as the Penguins continued hold control of every significant offensive stat, also. The surge from the two middle quarters transitioned into the final frame as the Penguins put five more goals on the board while seeing a heavy amount of production from their bench. Freshman Sydney Gunnerson found the back of the net on both of her free position shots while freshman Addecca Day-Lewis displayed steady defense. After all was said and done, Dominican left the field to the sweet serenades of its six straight victory, this time a 17-4 win over UC Davis.  
 
Dominican looks ahead to Saturday when it departs on its spring break trip as it travels to sunny Arizona to play NCAA DII Westminster and conference opponent Grand Canyon University with both games being played on the campus of GCU.