LAS CRUCES, N.M.-- Behind a go-ahead goal from the team's leading scorer, Aminah Settles, the Roadrunner women's soccer team defeated Western Athletic Conference foe NM State 2-1 on Friday.

“Every win on the road is huge but the fact that this is a big conference game makes it extra special,” said Gary Curneen, Head Coach of the 'Runners. “We started the game really well, hit a bit of a slump before the second half, but showed great character and resilience to see it out. We are delighted to get the win and special mentions go out to Tori Ornela and Alexa Orrante who were fantastic. Now we focus on Sunday and finishing the job.”

The match was a rollercoaster of momentum with the Roadrunners getting first dibs on an abundance of opportunities. CSUB started the match by outshooting NMSU 10-0 in the first half and managed to put one of those 10 shots away. In the 19th minute, freshman Sabrina Delgado took a shot on goal that rebounded right back out. The midfielder took aim again and finished in the back of the net to put the 'Runners up 1-0 with her third goal of the year.

After the initial swing in CSUB's favor, momentum changed tides and swung over to the Aggies who quickly matched the 'Runners in shots, 10 for 10. The Bakersfield defense deflected all attempts as Ornela, CSUB's veteran goalkeeper, saved four shots in the first half to keep the 'Runners ahead.

The second half started out going NM State's way as the Aggies scored their first goal of the game at the 54:56 mark. The team's leading goal scorer, Aileen Galicia, finished a ball sent in to the 18-yard box by Holly Abdelkader, tying the score at 1-1.

The 'Runners answered back eight minutes later with the eventual game-winning goal from Settles. The redshirt freshman scored her team-high fourth goal on a slotted pass from Orrante, who earned her team-leading third assist of the year. With a 2-1 advantage, the 'Runner defense continued to thwart the Aggie offense as Ornela picked up five second-half saves. With her third win of the year, the redshirt senior moved into a tie for third in CSUB history for career wins with 15.

Ornela's total of nine saves in the match tied her season high set just last weekend against Grand Canyon. The native of Lemoore, Calif. now has 312 saves in her career. Besides Ornela, five Roadrunners played all 90 minutes Friday afternoon as the unit came together for a quality team win on the road.

After earning points in each of the last two conference matches, the 'Runners (3-6-2, 1-0-1 WAC) will close their road trip on Sunday, Oct. 4, when they face UTRGV. First touch is scheduled for 1 p.m. (CDT) and links to live stats and live video can be found on the CSUB women's soccer schedule page.

~GoRunners.com~