SAN FRANCISCO – Sometimes a pillow provides the perfect outlet for a prolonged period of frustration. Pound on that thing mercilessly. It's soft enough to be safe and pliable enough to bounce back. But for a soccer team, the best thing to pound is the back of the net.
 
Just ask the Chico State men. Carter Johnson jammed the golden goal into the back of the net 5:58 into overtime to give the Wildcats a 2-1 win against Dominican University of California in the Kezar Classic at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco on Saturday. The goal meant more than just one win for the Wildcats. It marked the end of a frustrating start to the season.
 

Chico State opened 2015 with one-goal losses at 8^th-ranked Seattle Pacific and Saint Martin's before settling for a scoreless draw against Academy of Art on Thursday. It's possible that more than a few pillows took a pounding during that stretch. But now, after finally finishing on the winning side of a tough road match, the Wildcats can return home and put all of that in their rearview mirror, and instead look ahead to Friday night's home opener.
 
Johnson combined with Rajaee DeLane on both of Chico State's goals Saturday. They teamed up to set up Omar Nuno's 5^th-minute goal. Johnson was fouled just inside of the midfield stripe to earn a free kick. He connected with DeLane making a short squre run inside the 18-yard box with free kick. DeLane made a deft touch of the ball back to the inside, turned, and hammered it toward the far post. Instead, it careened off of Nuno's chest and inside the near post. Nuno was hustling in thinking he might have a go at the bouncing ball but instead wound up about two yards from DeLane when he ripped the shot.

The official scorer initially credited DeLane with the goal, assisted by Johnson. But after a review of the video on Monday morning, it was determined that Nuno should be credited with the goal, assisted by Johnson and DeLane.
 
An own-goal – an attempted clearance the ricocheted back into the Wildcats' net – knotted the scored at 1 apiece in the 14^th minute.
 
Desipte a 10-4 edge in second-half shots, the Wildcats were unable to come up with the game-winner and found

themselves in overtime for the second time in three days.
 
This time, they didn't leave disappointed.
 
Following a scrum in the middle of field, the lightening-fast DeLane got to the ball for a breakaway. Once the goalkeeper came out to challenge him, DeLane played a pass to Johnson on the other side of the keeper, setting up his score into the open net.
 
Wildcats' goalkeeper Triston Montoya played the second half and overtime to earn his first collegiate victory, making one save in the process.

Four Wildcats were named to the Kezar Classic All-Tournament team: Johnson, Matt Hurlow, DeLane and Nuno.

Chico State is back in action Friday at 7 p.m. at home against Holy Names. It will mark the team's final non-conference affair before California Collegiate Athletic Association action gets started the following weekend.