SAN JOSE, Calif. – The stat sheet will show sophomore midfielder Jesus Sanchez (Chula Vista/Castle Park HS) as the hero of Sunday afternoon's CSUB men's soccer 2–1 overtime victory at San Jose State. Sanchez played a great give–and–go with freshman Gyasi Zardes (Hawthorne/Leuzinger HS) before one–timing the match winner home in the opening seconds of the first overtime.

What the stat sheet won't show, however, is the play that made Sanchez's heroics possible. As he has done more than once already this season, sophomore Justin Finch (Garces HS) saved the day at the end of regulation, clearing Oscar Yniguez's shot off the line in the 88th minute to allow the match to get to overtime at all.

“First of all, I can't say enough about Justin,” said CSUB Head Coach Simon Tobin. “That's not the first time he's done that for us. His level of commitment and the fact that he never gives up allowed him to make that play and gave us a chance to win.”

Victory didn't seem to be in the cards early for the Roadrunners, who were playing the final match of a nine–match road trip and coming off a hard fought draw at Sacramento State Friday. San Jose State pounced on an early letdown to score just eight minutes in when Josh Boemecke knocked home his seventh of the season from the CSUB doorstep.

“We had no life in the first half,” said Tobin. “But the boys responded very well after halftime. Then, after we tied it up, that gave life to San Jose State and they had chances.”

CSUB finally drew even just before the hour when Zardes rang a shot off the cross bar and sophomore Keeyan Ghazanfarpour (Duvall, Wash./Cedarcrest HS) nodded home the rebound.

After Finch's heroics gave CSUB new life, the 'Runners took the game by the scruff of the neck immediately in overtime when Chris Widdy (San Pedro HS) won the ball in the midfield and laid it off for Sanchez. Sanchez fed Zardes on the wing then made a great run down the middle, which Zardes rewarded his effort with the pass that Sanchez finished ably to earn CSUB its hard fought three points.

“Chuy (Sanchez) has just been incredible for us and is certainly making his case as the best player in the conference,” said Tobin.

Sunday's win assures the 'Runners that they will maintain sole possession of first place in the MPSF Pacific Division entering next weekend, when they will turn around and host San Jose and Sacramento State.

“After taking points on their fields this week, they will be gunning for us for sure,” Said Tobin. These are two teams in form that will go all out when they play us in Bakersfield, but as I've told our boys, we have a good enough team to play with anybody when we're on our game. ”

 Goals by period       1  2 OT  Tot
 ----------------------------------
 CSU Bakersfield.....  0  1  1 -  2
 San Jose State......  1  0  0 -  1

 SCORING SUMMARY:
  1.   8:09 SJSU Boemecke, Josh (7) (Casteneda, Roberto) - open goal , punted it from 5 yards out
  2.  57:42 CSUB Keeyan Ghazanfarpour (2) (Gyasi Zardes) - headed home rebound off crossbar
  3.  90:37 CSUB Jesus Sanchez (5) (Gyasi Zardes) - short pass, one-time bottom right corner

 Shots: CSU Bakersfield 19, San Jose State 14
 Saves: CSU Bakersfield 3 (Eric Shannon 2; TEAM 1), San Jose State 7 (Lester, Jonathan 7)