Brayden Campos (pictured above) only had a moment to talk. He needed to rush off to night class after scoring in the 107th minute of a 2-1 win over No. 12 Vanguard on Thursday at The Master’s University. Fortunately, there wasn’t much to describe. The goal happened so quickly.

Campos one-timed a volley from the edge of Vanguard’s penalty box, the shot ricocheting off the far post, rolling inside the near post and lifting the Mustangs to their second overtime win in a row.

It was TMU’s first win over Vanguard since Sept. 20, 2016, a game the Mustangs also won on a golden goal in double overtime.

For Campos, a sophomore, this was the second game-ending goal of his TMU career.

“I couldn’t tell if it was going to go in,” said Campos, whose other golden goal came in the 109th minute against Hope International last season. “I saw it go off the post, and once I saw it hit the side of the net, I started celebrating. I knew all the guys were going to be happy.”

They were. Master’s is 9-2 overall and 1-0 in the Golden State Athletic Conference, which will see its regular-season champion advance directly to the round of 16 of the NAIA national tournament.

Each game is weighty, and this one, against a team rated first in the conference since the beginning of the season, was heavier than most.

The Mustangs took a 1-0 lead early in the second half because of Luis Garcia Sosa’s persistence. The junior midfielder had his first shot blocked, but he gathered the rebound and scored from 6 yards out in the 48th minute. Vanguard answered in a timely fashion, Marc Trejo scoring 10 minutes later to even the score.

TMU struggled to connect passes after that, but its backline kept the Lions at bay on a day neither team wanted to be on Reese Field any longer than necessary. Temperatures reached into the high 90s. But Campos sent TMU fans home happy, scoring for the second time this season.

This one came after Garcia Sosa lofted a high-arcing pass from near midfield that Trevor Mangan corralled deep in Vanguard’s penalty box. A defender kicked it away – right to Campos.

TMU head coach Jim Rickard jumped and pumped his fist as Campos’ shot rolled into the net. Rickard took two steps forward as if to run onto the field with the players. Then he composed himself.

“I wanted them to have their moment, the team,” Rickard said.

He added that he might join an on-field celebration if Master’s can win the GSAC’s regular season title for the second time in program history later this fall, a feat that would send the Mustangs to the NAIA tournament’s final site in Orange County because the conference receives a bid, as host.

Still, Rickard knows the Mustangs have much work to do.

They will host Arizona Christian at TMU on Saturday before playing three daunting road games in early October – at William Jessup, at No. 21 Menlo and at No. 17 Westmont.

But the feeling Thursday?

“Stoked. Happy. Relieved that we scored before the game ended,” said defender Cameron Molyneux. “It’s good to start conference 1-0.”