SAN RAFAEL, Calif. – Dominican women's soccer christened the new turf at Kennelly Field with a 1-0 victory over Northwest Nazarene on Thursday afternoon.
Michelle Salas Viniegra recorded the first shutout of her senior season for the Penguins (1-0-0) with six saves, thanks in large part to her defense pushing the Nighthawks' (0-1-0) attack to shoot from long distance most of the afternoon. NNU finished with 10 shots total, while Dominican was efficient in its chances methodically placing three of its four shots on frame.
Four minutes into the second half, the Penguins earned a free kick with
Janae Schwan delivering the ball into the box. Alex Barrass leapt high to punch the ball back toward the top of the box where
Ayla Moore waited for it to come down just enough to boot it out of the air with her right foot and high into the center netting for the 1-0 lead. Dominican continued to do the quiet work for much of the second half stringing together long stretches of possession to keep Salas Viniegra comfortable in her net.
Dominican started the game with several strong possessions earning four corner kicks in the first 11 minutes. Moore had the best chance in the 11th minute as she attempted to one-time a ball toward the back post but the keeper was able to react quickly enough to push the ball wide of the goal. The Nighthawks began to find some momentum in the 21st minute as Attie Jo Westbrook got loose for a shot from the top of the box but it went right into the waiting arms of Salas Viniegra. The senior goalkeeper made her presence known in the 25th minute as she parried away a dipping ball toward the left post and her defense had her back on the rebound blocking Jadalynn Ramos's shot out of play to end the threat.
Dominican will hit the road Saturday as it takes on Chico State at 7 p.m. at University Soccer Stadium.
