Box Score (San Francisco) - The USF Dons (3-5) looked right at home Friday night at Negoesco Field against Portland State (4-5) after being out on the road for nearly three weeks.
USF blanked the Vikings, 2-0, in a closely contested, and occasionally contentious, game.
Junior
Gabby Guaiumi got the start in the goal and earned her first career win for the Dons.
Guaiumi went largely untested in the first half but earned her stripes in the second, making three saves including a spectacular diving stop on a free kick from just outside the 18-yard box.
The Dons' net-minder went into a full-dive and barely got enough of the rocket-shot to send it over the goal, preserving the shutout.
Sophomore midfielder
Christina Moberg gave the Vikings' defense fits all night and was rewarded for her efforts with a goal and an assist. Moberg opened the scoring in the 32nd minute when she was able to get her head on a ball sent in beautifully by the Dons' Lauren Abuali. Moberg got enough of the ball to punch it out of the keeper's reach into the upper far corner.
Moberg set up the Dons' other goal in the 53rd minute after taking possession in traffic near the midfield stripe and popped it up into the box where the speedy freshman
Mackenzie Krieser was able to bring the ball down and beat the Portland State keeper and a defender to find the net.
Krieser has now started all-eight games of her career and has netted four goals and chipped in two assists.
Neither team was really able to take full control of play and USF midfielders
Tyler Campagna and
Jaciara Mello did a fantastic job of settling the play through the midfield and setting up the offense.
USF's defense stood strong against the pressure the Vikings put on in the second half. When the Dons went up by two goals and the Vikings' chances slimmed, the game started getting rougher.
After their first back-to-back wins of the season, the Dons will next face their biggest test yet when the No. 25 California Golden Bears come to the Hilltop on Sunday, September 18 at 1 PM.
USF will close out their non-conference schedule next week at Seattle and Washington.
