VAN NUYS — As the diagonal pass from midfielder Gabby Gonzalez swept through the penalty area, Sergio Garcia wasn't as focused on the ball in his sights as he was the words in his head.

"Anybody can attack the ball with his head," Oxnard College mens soccer head coach Ross Greaney had told Garcia as they've worked to make his 6-foot-4 attacker a more dangerous scorer. "But if you bring the ball down off your chest, you can get off a cleaner shot."

A simple lesson learned turned into a spectacular goal and a priceless away win for Garcia and Oxnard on Monday at Birmingham High.

After 70 minutes of scoreless soccer, Garcia used his chest to settle Gonzalez's cross, beat his defender and volley home the game-winning goal as Oxnard won at Los Angeles Mission College, 1-0.

"It's funny," said Garcia, "but it's all I could think about."

Its first win at Mission, the three-time defending Western State Conference champion and a state finalist a year ago, under Greaney pushed the Condors (9-3-5, 6-) back into first place in the Western State Conference by two points with four games to play.

The Birmingham High field was the site of Oxnard's painful season-ending loss in 2005, when Mission scored in the final seconds to snatch the WSC title after its public-address announcer had already congratulated the "WSC champion" Condors.

"It's taken three years to get a win on this field," said Greaney, "but it's worth it.

"This is huge."

Mission and Santa Barbara City, which lost 1-0 at Citrus, entered the day tied atop the conference with 19 points. Oxnard, which also beat Mission 2-0 on Sept. 28, has never won the WSC title outright.

"We're the best team Oxnard College has had," said Garcia. "We have to take advantage of it."

The quality and timing of the goal prompted teammate Jesus Araujo to ask Garcia if he had sold his soul to the devil. Garcia, whose late goal also saved a point at Moorpark on Friday, said he just missed that winning feeling.

"I was tired of tying," said Garcia. "This was a must-win game."

Both teams played like it. After a scoreless first half, Mission came close as forward Rudy Marvilla headed just wide from Francisco Flores' attacking free kick.

Oxnard stopper Luis Jungo, playing on an injured ankle, led the Condors midfield in a back-and-forth game that wasn't over until Oxnard goalkeeper Danny Murrillo's fine save on Ben Oliva's stoppage-time drive.

The battle was apparent all over the body of Oxnard defender Jon Schwarze, whose wounds included a cleat mark on his back, a toe without a toenail and scrapes on every joint.

"There's this guy and this guy and this guy. " said Schwarze as he pointed out his bruises, before exulting the win with a shout at the sky.