SAN RAFAEL, Calif. –Dominican women's soccer broke through early in the second half Saturday afternoon, riding
Janae Schwan's goal and a strong defensive effort to a 1-0 victory over Cal Poly Humboldt at Kennelly Field.
The Penguins (4-2-1) finished with a 15-4 advantage in shots and held the Lumberjacks (2-2-2) without a shot on goal.
Rylee Buesing earned the shutout in goal for Dominican, while the Penguins' back line limited Cal Poly Humboldt to one first-half shot and three attempts after the break.
Dominican created pressure early, earning two corner kicks in the opening six minutes before
Brisa Navarrete sent the Penguins' first shot high in the ninth minute. Schwan put the first attempt on frame in the 15th minute taking a shot off a bounce and forcing Ariana Beddoes into a save as she leaned against her left post.
Dominican nearly found the breakthrough in the 34th minute as
Riley Gergurich collected a ball near the top of the box and put a shot off the top of the woodwork. The rebound fell into the middle of the box where Warfield took a quick shot that went high. Two minutes later
Clea Jimenez Donovan crossed a ball from the right side to
Takoah Castillo right in front of goal who tried to tap it in but the ball sailed high of the crossbar and the teams went into the half tied 0-0.
The Penguins wasted little time taking control after the break.
Kiana Ayllon dribbled down the left side of the end line and slipped a pass to Schwan near the left corner of the 6-yard box. Schwan one-touch chipped her shot over the goalkeeper and toward the back post, putting Dominican in front 1-0 in the 47th minute.
Dominican continued to search for a second goal after the opener.
Lyric Gomez-Muniz forced a save in the 55th minute down the right side. Less than a minute later the Penguins quickly moved the ball as Warfield flicked a beautiful pass to Ayllon in the middle of the box but she was unable to get her foot around the bouncing ball and pushed the shot wide right. Schwan added another look in the 57th minute as she screened a defender turned to her left to get some space near the same spot as her goal but the ball went inches high of the crossbar. In the 65th minute a Humboldt defender fell trying to gather the ball in the final third of the field and Gergurich took advantage dribbling to the top of the box and forcing Beddoes into a diving save at the near post.
The Penguins controlled much of the possession late, earning three straight corner kicks in a 59-second span in the 72nd and 73rd minutes. Cal Poly Humboldt managed only one shot over the final 25 minutes, and Dominican kept the Lumberjacks from putting a shot on target the rest of the way to secure the shutout.
Dominican will hit the road Monday to face Cal State East Bay at 2 p.m. at the Oakland Roots Training Facility.
