Long Beach State University Athletics
Dominguez Named Big West Defensive Player of the Week
9/14/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
IRVINE, Calif. - Junior Celeste Dominguez (Long Beach, Calif.) has been named the Big West Women's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week the conference office announced Monday.
This is the first career honor for Dominguez, and the third for Long Beach State this season. The Beach has claimed three of the four defensive player of the week awards as junior Ashton McKeown (Aug. 24) and senior Melanie Fox (Sept. 7) were previously recognized by the league.
Dominguez was the centerpiece of a defensive effort that yielded only nine shots on frame and one goal in 207 minutes of action last weekend. She started and played 188 minutes as the 49ers' defensive center midfielder.
LBSU opened the week with a tough 1-0 overtime loss at Loyola Marymount on Friday. The Lions registered the game-winner on a 45-yard shot that looped over the head of keeper Ashton McKeown at the 97:03 mark. That snapped a 391-minute scoreless streak for the Beach defense.
Dominguez and the 49ers quickly regrouped, coming back two days later to notch their fifth shutout of the year in a 0-0 double-overtime tie against a talented USC squad at McAlister Field. Long Beach State kept the Trojans off balance all day, forcing the home team into shots from long distance and bad angles as only five of their 23 attempts were on frame.
Against USC, Dominguez had the tough task of marking Notre Dame transfer and two-time Gatorade National High School Player of the Year Morgan Andrews. Dominguez did not let Andrews get a single shot on goal.
The Beach has allowed three goals in eight games this year. They lead the Big West and rank ninth in the nation with a 0.34 goals against average.
The 49ers (4-2-2) will face another tough week on the road as they head to Cincinnati on Thursday, Sept. 17, and No. 24 DePaul on Sunday, Sept. 20.
