MORAGA, Calif. – A poor start for CSU Bakersfield and a well executed set piece by Saint Mary's College was all it took for the No. 17 Roadrunners to drop their first match of 2010 with a 1-0 defeat on the road against the Gaels. CSUB drops to 4-1-0 while Saint Mary's improves to 4-1-1.

While it might be difficult for any team to win every match during a soccer season, this loss will hurt just a little bit extra for CSUB. The Roadrunners admittedly did not play their best soccer in the first half, but they were expecting the exact set piece that Saint Mary's scored on – a long throw in flicked at the near post to Justin Grider at the back post for a header and the only goal of the match.

“I never like to lose; I hate it,” CSUB head coach Simon Tobin said. “But when I addressed that exactly just before the match and we still concede, that's when it gets really frustrating. We didn't play our best in the first half and it cost us.”

Saint Mary's is no stranger to upset victories. The Gaels have already knocked off previously No. 9 ranked Northwestern and No. 19 Cal this season, and the win over the Roadrunners marks the third time in four wins that Saint Mary's has defeated a ranked opponent, meaning that the Gaels might be seeking their own national ranking soon.

Despite falling behind while not playing its best soccer, CSUB regrouped at the half and played some of its best soccer of the year in the second half. But the Roadrunners simply could not find the back of the net as Saint Mary's sat back and played defense, making CSUB's job of scoring that much more difficult.

“We played absolutely beautiful soccer in the second half,” Tobin said. “We totally dominated. We must have had about 80 percent of possession. They only came into our half of the field two or three times. But they did what they had to do to keep us from scoring.”

CSUB now has a short week before heading to the UNLV Tournament in Las Vegas, Nev., where it will face No. 10 UC Irvine on Friday at 4:30 p.m.