TheBakersfieldCalifornian.com

The Cal State Bakersfield men's soccer team has played well all season. Monday night, the Roadrunners finally played well enough, though, to get their first win of the year.

David Velasquez and Christian Duarte each scored as CSUB beat Cal State Fullerton 2-1 in nonleague play on the Main Soccer Field.

The win came in front of a new CSUB regular season attendance record of 1,325.

Despite the one-goal final margin, the Roadrunners (1-1-3) dominated, taking five more shots and two more corner kicks than the Titans (1-5).

"We probably played not as good today as we have the other four games," CSUB coach Simon Tobin said. "We've been playing very well, but it's always a little worrying when you're waiting for your first win. Though we're racking up the ties, win's always better than a tie."

David Velasquez scored the game's first goal in the 37th minute with a left-footed bouncer from 10 yards out into far-corner of the net.

It looked like that might be the only score of the night until each team netted a goal in the final seven minutes.

First Duarte made a long run, weaving between a pair of defenders, before directing the ball into the net from eight yards away.

Just 49 seconds later, the 'Runners committed a turnover deep in their own end, allowing Fullerton forward Jesse Escalante to score from short range. That would be the final bit of drama for CSUB, which controlled the most of the action over the final six minutes.

For Tobin, the win was a big relief.

"There's a lot of pressure on us this year after doing so well (last season)," he said. "People are saying 'Well Bakersfield hasn't won,' when we have been playing probably just as well as last year. ...It eases us a little bit and I don't we'll play as tight now."

CSUB was without star forward Gyasi Zardes. The Soccer America preseason All-American sat out a second straight game due to a leg injury.

CSUB continually put pressure on Cal State Fullerton throughout the first half, taking nine shots, five of them on goal.

The Titans had three shots on goal during the first 45 minutes, including a hard blast by Bobby Reiss, just moments after Velasquez's goal, that CSUB goalkeeper Eric Shannon deftly tipped over the crossbar.

Shannon finished with nine saves in recording his 32nd career win, third most in school history.

Women: UCSB 1, CSUB 0

Paige Gankema scored in the 12th minute to lift the Gauchos to their first win of the season.

With about 20 minutes left in the first half, Leilani Skinner deflected in an apparent game-tying goal. However, the referee waived off the score, ruling a handball violation on Skinner.

"It's disappointing to just continue putting ourselves at a disadvantage early on in games," CSUB coach Melissa Phillips said. "For how well play and how much we've out-played all of our opponents, we're just not getting the results we're looking for in terms of that.

"It's a little bit of just growing up and some lessons to learn about humbling ourselves and that performance isn't what matters. Results are what matter. And having that edge about you is what matters."

CSUB outshot UCSB 14-9.

The game's attendance of 607 is the largest for a CSUB women's soccer regular season game since the school moved up to Division I.