BAKERSFIELD, Calif.-- A historic match was played at the CSU Bakersfield Main Soccer Field Thursday night as the Roadrunners bested NM State by a score of 2-1. CSUB advanced to the second round of the Western Athletic Conference Tournament with the win. The victory marks the first postseason win in program history and featured a record-setting performance by redshirt freshman Aminah Settles.

“Tonight's win was a huge one,” said Gary Curneen, Head Coach of the 'Runners. “It's a big mental obstacle to overcome for these girls. We'll enjoy this here and the good news is we have Seattle tomorrow, so, that will bring us back down to earth. It's a special night for the program for sure.”

The Roadrunners and Aggies played to a scoreless first half despite Bakersfield taking a 7-5 shot advantage and both teams creating close chances. NM State nearly took the lead less than three minutes into the second half when Sabrina Ruiz's shot deflected off of the CSUB crossbar.

CSUB netted the first goal of the match when a hand ball in the box created a penalty kick situation for redshirt freshman Alexa Orrante. Bakersfield's midfielder placed the ball in the right corner, beating the NMSU goalkeeper for a 1-0 lead in the 70th minute.

Six minutes later, the 'Runners created a two-goal advantage using one of their go-to moves. Settles, who led the WAC in conference goals this year on her way to WAC Freshman of the Year honors, chased down a ball from Haley Vicente and buried her 11th goal of the season. With the goal, Settles put CSUB up 2-0, tied the CSUB Division I single-season record for goals, and broke the single-season record for points with 23.

NM State battled down to the end of the wire, pushing the 'Runner defense up against a wall several times in the final minutes. The Aggie offense finally broke through with 34 records remaining when Morgan Campbell's corner kick found Ruiz for a goal. While NM State continued to press, the 'Runners held on to the lead and earned their first postseason win since the program's inaugural season in 1996.

Redshirt senior Tori Ornela stepped up in the goal, making crucial saves for the 'Runners in vital moments. The Lemoore, Calif. native stopped eight shots on the night to bring her season total to 105, just two saves shy of her own CSUB Division I single-season record and only eight away from the school's all-time record.

Senior Taylor Wheeler added to the history books on Thursday night. With a spot in the starting XI, the Fullerton, Calif. native made her 79th career appearance, tying the CSUB all-time record. Assuming she starts again on Friday night, Wheeler will break the record with an even 80 matches played.

With the win, CSUB advanced to the second round of the WAC Tournament. The fifth-seeded Roadrunners will face off against No. 1 Seattle U on Friday night. The second-round match will start at 7 p.m. here at the Main Soccer Field. For more information on tickets for the rest of the conference championship, visit www.gorunners.com/tix.

~GoRunners.com~