NORTHFIELD, Vt. — A penalty kick in the 34th minute was all that the Southern Vermont College women's soccer team needed to capture its first victory of the season, winning 1-0 in the opening game of the Norwich University Kickoff Classic over the hosting Cadets Friday afternoon.

Mountaineer senior Karina Meza (Los Angeles, Calif.) knocked home what proved to be the game-winning goal for her first of the season while sophomore keeper Melissa Mascari (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) made eight saves for her first clean sheet on the year (1-1).

The Mountaineers (1-1) finish off their stay in Northfield on Saturday as they take on Johnson State College at 4:30 p.m.

Southern Vermont jumped on the board in the 34th minute after junior striker Lauren Nesshoever (Chittenden, Vt.) took a pass and went breaking towards the net through open space. As NU sophomore keeper Leandra Flores-Nieves (Colorado Springs, Colo.) came off her line to take away the angle, Nesshoever attempted to flick the ball around her as a self-pass; Flores-Nieves (0-2) would trip up the Mountaineer on her slide to corral the ball, and the penalty kick was awarded to Southern Vermont. Meza stepped up to the dot and knocked the ball perfectly to the upper right-hand corner, a shot hardly contested by the Norwich goalie that put SVC in front.

Southern Vermont owned an offensive advantage throughout the second period of play, racking up a 7-1 edge in shots on goal. None of those found the back of the net, however, as the Cadets and their replacement keeper, freshman Brooke Dewyea (Piercefield, N.Y.), kept the deficit at one. SVC's strong defense limited the NU chances through the closing 45 minutes, maintaining the narrow lead that the Mountaineers would hold for a tournament-opening victory.