COLUMBUS, Ohio ? A valiant effort by goalkeeper Steve Trojanowski was nearly enough to force overtime against Big Ten powerhouse Ohio State, but the Buckeyes finally broke through with a goal in the 87th minute, to claim a 1-0 win over the CSUB men's soccer team Wednesday in Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.

The Buckeyes (6-3-2 overall), listed at No. 6 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of American Great Lakes Region, entered the match ranked No. 3 in the Big Ten in goals per game (1.80) and No. 2 in shots (16.4 per game). On the flip side, Trojanowski entered the week tied for the top saves leader in the NCAA Division I.

Despite Ohio State' 24 total shots, Trojanowski and the rest of the Roadrunner defense held strong for nearly 87 minutes of play, pushing to reach overtime, but a hard tackle by CSUB's Wayne Lampart set up a free kick opportunity not far outside the box.

Xavier Balc sent the ball into the front of the Roadrunners' goalmouth where Doug Verhoff headed it into the net.

“We're disappointed that with three minutes remaining we let them score off of a free kick,” said CSUB Head Coach Simon Tobin. “If we had taken (Ohio State) to overtime, they would been frustrated and have been under a lot of pressure to win.”

With just 3:45 seconds remaining, there was little the Roadrunners could do as they were unable to get off a shot before the end of regulation.

“This was one of our better games of the season and it was against a good team,” said Tobin. “We played well and our work ethic was fantastic, which makes the even more disappointing to take.”

CSUB finished the night with 10 shots, forcing OSU's Casey Letchem to make five saves.

The shutout loss was Bakersfield's fourth straight, dropping its season record to 2-7-3. The streak also marks the first time the ?Runners have been shutout in four straight matches since the 1999 season.

The Roadrunners continue their seven-game roadtrip Thursday, traveling to Radford, Va., to take on Radford University at 4:30 p.m. PST.