November 12, 2004

SEATTLE — Josh Wicks was the reason the Cal State Bakersfield field men’s soccer team had made it this far, so it was no surprise that he was the star of the show in the first round of the NCAA Far West Regional Friday afternoon at Championship Field in Seattle

The Roadrunner’s senior goalkeeper made what could’ve been the biggest save of his career moments after converting the go-ahead penalty shot as CSUB advanced to the championship match of the Far West Regional with a 5–4 penalty kick victory over Cal State Dominguez Hills.

Wicks, who tied the school record with his 13th shutout of the season, made eight saves while facing 23 shots through the first 110 minutes as the game officially ended in a scoreless draw.

But his outstanding play didn’t stop there. After both teams converted their first four attempts in the shootout, Wicks put CSUB ahead blasting the fifth attempt past the diving keeper.

Cal State Dominguez Hills’ hopes of extending the shootout—and their season—rested on the shoulders of the CCAA Player of Year, freshman Kei Kamara. After the referee’s whistle, Kamara approached the ball and shot to the near post but Wicks guessed correctly and made the save, sending CSUB into the second round for the first time since they won it all in 1997.

The Roadrunners, who defeated the Toros 2–0 to win the CCAA championship last week, were defeated 1–0 by Cal State Dominguez Hills in the opening round of the 2001 NCAA tournament, their last appearance in the national playoffs.

The game was an epic back and forth battle between the two top teams in the CCAA through the first 90 minutes. The Toros dominated the first half but failed to convert on their numerous opportunities. The best chance for the icebreaker came in the 38th minute as midfielder Adrian Szasz picked off an errant pass and found Kamera all alone inside the box, one on one with Wicks. However, in what may have been a preview of things to come, Wicks guessed correctly, diving to his right and making a great save to keep the score level.

Both teams struggled to put together a good scoring chance until late in the second half when the Roadrunners nearly put the match away. In the 82nd minute, a great through ball by midfielder Lyle Martin (Stockdale HS) to Matt O’Sullivan (Preston, England) created a one–on–one chance with the CSUDH keeper, Kyle Polak, who managed to make a sliding save.

In the second overtime period, Martin was the recipient of a great cross, but his wide-open shot from the near side of the penalty box was right at Polak.

It was the seventh time in 11 NCAA appearances Cal State Bakersfield has had a match go into extra time and the second time a winner was decided on penalty kicks. The Roadrunners lost in a shootout to Seattle Pacific in 1994.

Cal State Bakersfield battles for the NCAA II Far West Region championship against the top seed and undefeated Seattle University on Sunday at 1 p.m. The Redhawks, who enter the match as the No. 1 team in the latest NSCAA/NCAA II national poll, defeated the Roadrunners 2–0 in Bakersfield earlier this season. The winner of that match advances to the national quarterfinals where they will face the Midwest Region champion on Nov. 20.

	1st	2nd	OT	OT	Final
CS Bakersfield (15–4–4 overall)	0	0	0	0	0
CS Dominguez Hills (17–3–3 overall)	0	0	0	0	0

Scoring Summary	Time	Assists	Description
None

Shots on Goal: CSUDH 23; CSUB 20
Fouls: CSUDH 6; CSUB 9
Cautions/Ejections:
None

Corner Kicks: CSUDH 3; CSUB 5
Goalie Saves: CSUDH 6 (Kyle Polak); CSUB 8 (Josh Wicks)

Attendance: 154

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California State University, Bakersfield Athletic Department
9001 Stockdale Highway, Bakersfield, CA 93311-1022
Phone: (661) 654-3071 • FAX: (661) 654-2376