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Cortes Named To Scholar All-America Team

Senior Sophie Cortes tabbed a United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-America Second Team selection.

Dec. 14, 2017

LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – UNLV women’s soccer senior Sophie Cortes was named to the United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-America Second Team, the organization announced Thursday.

Cortes wrapped up her Rebel career in October as part of the winningest senior class in program history, with UNLV collecting 49 wins over her four years to go along with Mountain West regular season and tournament titles and the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance in 10 years. The midfielder is majoring in Hospitality Management and carries a 3.4 grade-point-average. Cortes is the only representative from the Mountain West Conference.

“I’m very proud of Sophie’s achievements this season,” said head coach Chris Shaw. “She exemplifies the definition of a student-athlete. She has been a success on the field and in the classroom, which is what every coach wants to see in their players. She had a great season and this award is the icing on the cake for her.”

The honor comes a year after UNLV saw former Rebel Lily Sender earn the program’s first Scholar All-America selection from the organization. Sender was also a second team honoree.

Earlier in the week, Cortes was named to the United Soccer Coaches Scholar West All-Region team as a first team selection, marking the second straight year a Rebel has appeared on the all-region teams.

Cortes, from Newhall, California, developed into one of the top players in the Mountain West during her four years at UNLV. The two-time MW All-Conference First Team selection had a breakout season in 2017, racking up 32 points on 12 goals and eight assists. The 32 points rank second all-time in a single-season, while her goals and assists were both tied for third-best. For her career, her 16 goals are tied for seventh all-time, her 49 points rank eighth all-time and her 17 assists are fifth-most in program history.

The Rebels finished the 2017 campaign 13-7 overall and 5-6 in conference play.

The full United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-America teams can be found here.

Musovski Second Rebel To Earn All-Region Three Times

Mehlich also named all-region.

Dec. 4, 2017

LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – Senior forward Danny Musovski became the second UNLV player to receive all-region three times in their career, as he was named to the United Soccer Coaches All-West Region First Team, the national organization has announced. Also honored was sophomore midfielder Timo Mehlichwith a second team selection, which is the first of his career.

Musovski was also named all-region in 2015 (first team) and in 2016 (second team). He joins Robbie Ryerson (1983-85) as the only Rebels to receive regional honors three times in their career. This also marks the second time in three years the Rebels placed multiple players on the all-region squads.

Musovski, a native of Henderson (Liberty HS), finished his career at UNLV as one of the top players ever to wear the Scarlet and Gray. He claimed WAC Offensive Player of the Year honors for the second time in his career after leading the nation in both goals (0.88 per game) and points (2.12 per game). His total goals (15) and points (36) ranked him fourth and fifth in the nation, respectively, despite missing five games during the season. Musovski closed out his UNLV career ranked third in total goals with 47, and third as well in total points with 117, and both marks were new WAC career records as well.

He set a WAC record for points in a game with nine after posting four goals and one assist against Oral Roberts (Sept. 24). Both his four goals, and his nine points, tied for the most in the nation in a game this season. His seven points off three goals and an assist in the win at San Jose State (Oct. 6) set a WAC record for total points in a conference game.

Mehlich, a native of Mönchengladbach, Germany, was second on the team in scoring this season with 16 points. He posted three game-winners on the season, including in the past two games, a 2-1 double-overtime win over No. 22 Seattle and Saturday’s 4-1 win at Grand Canyon, and was one of three Rebels to earn first team All-WAC honors for the season.

Cortes, Akubuilo Earn All-Region Honors

Seniors Sophie Cortes and Chidera Akubuilo tabbed United Soccer Coaches All-West Region selections.

Nov. 29, 2017

LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – UNLV women’s soccer seniors Sophie Cortes and Chidera Akubuilo were named to the United Soccer Coaches All-West Region teams, the organization announced Monday. Cortes earned a first team nod, while Akubuilo was tabbed a second team selection.

“I am very proud of Sophie and Chidera. They are truly deserving of the regional recognition,” said head coach Chris Shaw. “Both of them have represented UNLV in an exemplary fashion both on the field and off. Their class leaves UNLV as the winningest class in program history and these two have been a major reason for that success.”

Together, Cortes and Akubuilo led the Rebels to 49 wins over the last four seasons, which included winning the Mountain West regular season and tournament titles in the same year for the first time and helping UNLV reach the NCAA tournament for the first time in 10 years.

This marks the second straight year UNLV has landed two players on the all-region teams after not having anyone selected since 2012, with Akubuilo and former Rebel Lily Sender both earning first team honors after the 2016 season.

Cortes, from Newhall, California, developed into one of the top players in the Mountain West during her four years at UNLV. A dynamic and creative player, Cortes leaves as one of the top attacking personalities ever to play here. The two-time Mountain West All-Conference First Team selection had a breakout season in 2017, racking up 32 points on 12 goals and eight assists. The 32 points rank second all-time in a single-season, while her goals and assists were both tied for third-best. For her career, her 16 goals are tied for seventh all-time, her 49 points rank eighth all-time and her 17 assists are fifth-most in program history.

Akubuilo, a Torrance, California, native, is one of the top defenders to ever don the Scarlet & Gray. The four-year starter and two-year captain started 72 of 73 career games and became the first UNLV defender to earn Mountain West Defense Player of the Year honors after the 2016 campaign. Akubuilo is a two-time Mountain West All-Conference selection, having been named to the first team in 2016 and the second team in 2017. She wasn’t just a defensive threat as she scored eight goals and added two assists during her career. A dominate player on the UNLV back line, her shoes will be hard to fill next season.

The Rebels finished the 2017 campaign 13-7 overall and 5-6 in conference play. In addition to Cortes and Akubuilo, UNLV will lose Jordan Sallee, Michaela Kelsey and Courtney Anderson to graduation.

The full United Soccer Coaches All-Region teams can be found here.

Rebels Move To Friday’s Semifinals After 2-1 Win Over GCU

UNLV will play in its fourth straight semifinal.

Nov. 8, 2017

LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) –

UNLV freshman Marco Gonzalez broke a 1-1 tie in the 59th minute with his sixth goal of the year, lifting the second-seeded Rebels past seventh-seed Grand Canyon 2-1 Wednesday night in the final game of the first round of the 2017 WAC Men’s Soccer Tournament in front of a crowd of 1,203. This year’s tournament is being hosted by UNLV at Peter Johann Memorial Field, and the win moves the Rebels (11-9 overall) into Friday’s semifinal round. GCU meanwhile dropped its second game to the Rebels in the past five days to end its year at 7-11-1.

After a scoreless first half, all three goals were scored in a 12-minute span early in the second half. UNLV started first when WAC Player of the Year Danny Musovski notched his 15th goal of the year in the 48th minute, thanks to a long pass from the backfield by Oscar Velazquez. Musovski took the ball into the right side of the box before shooting cross cage for the score. GCU tied the game less then two minutes later, as a foul in the box led to a penalty kick, which was converted by Niki Jackson in the 50th minute.

THE TURNING POINT: The Antelopes were called for just two fouls in the second half. One of the two would provide to be costly for the visiting team. Awarded a free kick 25 yards out from the goal, Gonzalez took the kick for the Rebels and sent a ball curving to the right side of the goal, just outside of the reach of diving goalkeeper Jeremy Pollard, to put UNLV ahead 2-1 in the 59th minute.

#WACmsoc Tournament: @UNLVRebelSoccer Marco Gonzalez gives UNLV a 2-1 lead on a free kick in the 59th minute. https://t.co/0hd9tIPbmO pic.twitter.com/oc1Vfhoq0a

— WAC (@WACsports) November 9, 2017

REBEL OF THE GAME: Gonzalez scored a game-winner off a free kick for the second time in the past month, and the third time this season. It was also his sixth of the year, and he now ranks second on the team with 18 points this season.

STAT OF THE GAME: UNLV held a 20-9 edge on shots, including 15-6 in the second half.

QUOTABLE:
“He’s a good player and he gets a lot of chances. Tonight was a great game for him”
– UNLV Head Coach on Danny Musovski
“Marco’s had a fantastic freshman year and we obviously needed that goal, a great great result tonight.”
When asked about Marco Gonzalez’s game-winner
“Adam (Musovski) and Jordan (Chavez) also had strong games for us tonight, I was really happy with our defense. Now we face a Seattle team that’s probably excited for a rematch against us after we beat them in overtime a few weeks ago.”

REBEL NOTES:
* Musovski’s 15 goals on the year ties for the eighth most in a season in team history, along with David Cohen (1979).It was also the 47th goal of his career, giving him sole possession of third place in career scoring at UNLV.
* UNLV is playing in the WAC semifinal round for the fourth straight year. The Rebels would move onto the championship round in two of those years (2014, 2016), and would go on to win the tournament title both times.
* Friday will be the first-ever meeting between UNLV and Seattle in conference tournament play.

NEXT FOR THE REBELS: The second-seeded Rebels will play third-seed Seattle on Friday night at 7 pm, while the day’s first game will see top-seed Air Force and fourth-seed San Jose State kick off at 4 pm. The two winners from Friday’s game will meet in the championship game on Sunday at 1 pm at Peter Johann Memorial Field. The UNLV Soccer Foundation will host a free tailgate on Friday night starting at 5 pm, with free food and free drinks.

Single game ticket prices for the tournament are $8 for adults, $5 for youth ages 13-18, while kids 12 and under are free. More information is available at UNLVTickets.com.

Musovski Named WAC Offensive Player Of The Year

Senior forward is just one of three players to twice be named WAC Player of the Year.

Nov. 7, 2017

LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – UNLV’s Danny Musovski became the third men’s soccer player in Western Athletic Conference history to earn two Player of the Year honors, as he was named the 2017 WAC Offensive Player of the Year Tuesday night at the WAC Men’s Soccer tournament banquet on the UNLV campus. Musovski, who also earned the award after the 2015 season, joins SMU’s Daniel Hernandez (1996 and 1997) and Seattle U’s Kyle Bjornethun (Defensive Player of the Year, 2015 and 2016), as the only players to twice earn the top season honor in the WAC.

Musovski was also named first-team All-WAC for the third straight season. Joining him on the first team was sophomore midfielder Timo Mehlich, who was a second-team selection a year ago, while junior defender Adam Musovski was also a first-team selection. Junior midfielder Keven Partida was named to the second team, while freshman Marco Gonzalez was honorable mention. Gonzalez also made an appearance on the All-Freshman team, and was joined by midfielder Jesus Partida.

Danny Musovski, a senior forward and native of Las Vegas, is currently tied for first in the nation in scoring (points per game). He paces the conference in total goals (14) and points (34) as well as goals (nine) and points (22) in league play. He set a WAC record for points in a game with nine after posting four goals and one assist against Oral Roberts (Sept. 24), which is also tied for the highest point total in the nation this year. His seven points off three goals and an assist in the win at San Jose State (Oct. 6) set a WAC record for total points in a conference game. He holds the WAC career records for total points (115) and goals (46) coming into this week’s league tournament.

His younger brother, Adam, earns his first career all-conference selection. A two-year starter on the backline, he is the anchor of the Rebel defense. Mehlich, a native of Mönchengladbach, Germany, was second on the team in scoring this season with 16 points, which tied him for eighth in the league. He posted three game-winners on the season, including in the past two games, a 2-1 double-overtime win over No. 22 Seattle and Saturday’s 4-1 win at Grand Canyon.

Kevin Partida made a successful return to the field after missing the 2016 season with a knee injury. The Reno native was the Rebels’ leader in the midfield, while his younger brother, Jesus, earned freshman team honors after appearing in 18 games and posting three points for the year. Gonzalez, a native of Las Vegas, was the top scoring first-year player in the WAC as he tied Mehlich with 16 points off five goals and six assists.

NEXT FOR THE REBELS: UNLV is hosting the 2017 WAC Tournament on Wednesday through Sunday at Peter Johann Memorial Field. The second-seeded Rebels will play seventh-seed GCU at 7 pm in first round action on Wednesday. The day’s first game will see fourth-seed San Jose State take on fifth-seed UTRGV at 1 pm, while third-seed Seattle and sixth-seed CSU Bakersfield face off at 4 pm. Semifinal matchups are set for Friday at 4 pm and 7 pm, while the championship game will be played Sunday.

WAC Tournament Info Page

Single game ticket prices for the tournament are $8 for adults, $5 for youth ages 13-18, while kids 12 and under are free. All session passes are available at $20 for adults, and $12 for youth ages 13-18. More information is available at UNLVTickets.com.

2017 WAC MEN’S SOCCER SEASON HONORS

Offensive Player of the Year: Danny Musovski, Sr., F, UNLV
Defensive Player of the Year: Nathan Aune, Jr., D, Seattle U
Freshman of the Year: Josh Drack, F, Grand Canyon
Coach of the Year: Doug Hill, Air Force

2017 First Team All-WAC
Niki Jackson, Sr., F, Grand Canyon
Eric McWoods, Sr., F, Kansas City
Danny Musovski, Sr., F, UNLV
Tucker Bone, Jr., MF, Air Force
Timo Mehlich, So., MF, UNLV
Alex Roldan, Sr., MF, Seattle U
Nathan Aune, Jr., D, Seattle U
Jamie Carey-Morrell, Sr., D, CSU Bakersfield
Oscar Chacon, Sr., D, Air Force
Adam Musovski, Jr., D, UNLV
John Wendt, Sr, GK, Air Force

2017 Second Team All-WAC
Klint Parker, Jr., F, Air Force
Karson Payton, Sr., F, Utah Valley
Medo Youssef, Sr., F, Seattle U
Kevin Partida, Sr., MF, UNLV
Trey Pujats, Sr., MF, Air Force
Sergio Rivas, Jr., MF, Seattle U
Paul Hoffmeister, Sr., MF, Utah Valley
Anthony Ayala, Jr., D, Seattle U
James Sims, Jr., D, Air Force
Andy Rios, Jr., D, San José State
Detre Bell, Fr., GK, CSU Bakersfield

Honorable Mention All-WAC
Air Force: Danny Han, Luis Martinez, James Sims
CSU Bakersfield: Jeremie Charron, Sebastian Mentel
Grand Canyon: Josh Drack, Aidan McGlothan, Jeremy Pollard, Amer Sasivarevic, Khadim Seye
Houston Baptist: Decon Grant
UIW: Marjan Gamsjager
Kansas City: Filippo Errico
UNLV: Marco Gonzalez
San José State: Jeffery Dukes, Jeremy Romero
Seattle U: Josh Adachi, Ozzie Ramos
UT Rio Grande Valley: Michael Faber, Ilias Kosmidis, Angel Lopez, Dimitris Strantzalis
Utah Valley: Alec Felix

All-Freshmen Team
Max Allen, MF, San José State
Habib Berry, F, Seattle U
Detre Bell, GK, CSU Bakersfield
Josh Drack, F, Grand Canyon
Marco Gonzalez, MF, UNLV
Omar Lemus, D, San José State
Musa Morris-Demos, MF, Grand Canyon
Jesus Partida, MF, UNLV
Jeremy Pollard, GK, Grand Canyon
Ivory Randle IV, D, Seattle U
Ricardo Soza, MF, CSU Bakersfield

Musovski Earns WAC Record 6th Player Of The Week Honor

Senior forward is tied for first in the nation for points per game.

Nov. 6, 2017

LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – UNLV’s Danny Musovski has been named the WAC Men’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week for a conference record sixth time, the league office announced on Monday morning. He already set the UNLV record for total conference player of the week honors earlier this season with his fifth.

The senior forward notched his 13th and 14th goals of the season in the Rebels’ 4-1 victory at Grand Canyon on Saturday night. It was the first conference home loss of the season for the Antelopes, while the Rebels clinched the second-seed in this week’s WAC Tournament with the victory.

He scored the game’s first goal in the 23rd minute put the Rebels ahead by a goal, and then he added an insurance goal in the 76th minute to give UNLV a 3-1 edge.

Musovski, a Las Vegas native, currently is tied for first in the nation in scoring with 2.27 points per game. He is tied for fourth in total points in the nation with 34, and tied for sixth in total goals.

NEXT FOR THE REBELS: UNLV is hosting the 2017 WAC Tournament on Tuesday, Nov. 8 through Sunday, Nov. 12 at Peter Johann Memorial Field. The second-seeded Rebels will play seventh-seed GCU at 7 pm in first round action on Wednesday, Nov. 8. The day’s first game will see fourth-seed San Jose State take on fifth-seed UTRGV at 1 pm, while third-seed Seattle and sixth-seed CSU Bakersfield face off at 4 pm. Semifinal matchups are set for Friday at 4 pm and 7 pm, while the championship game will be played on Sunday.

Single game ticket prices for the tournament are $8 for adults, $5 for youth ages 13-18, while kids 12 and under are free. All session passes are available at $20 for adults, and $12 for youth ages 13-18. More information is available at UNLVTickets.com.

UNLV Hosts WAC Men’s Soccer Tournament

Watch men’s soccer, the 2016 defending Western Athletic Conference champs Wednesday, November 8th at 7pm as the Rebels host the league’s tournament at Peter Johann Soccer Field

Every home date is like a festival for UNLV soccer team

Thank you to Las Vegas Sun for the great article on the UNLV Soccer Tailgates!

https://lasvegassun.com/news/2017/oct/08/every-home-date-is-like-a-festival-for-unlv-soccer/

Musovski Picks Up Second National Player Of The Week Honor For 2017

The senior forward is the only player in the history of the award from the United Soccer Coaches to win national weekly honors three times.

Oct. 10, 2017

LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – UNLV senior forward Danny Musovski continues to rack up more honors and records during his final year with the Scarlet and Gray, as for the second time in three weeks he was named the United Soccer Coaches National Player of the Week the organization announced Tuesday. This is the fourth national player of the week honor of his career overall, and his second honor of the week after picking up WAC Offensive Player of the Week recognition on Monday.

Musovski is just the second Division I player in the eight-year history of the award to be honored twice in the same season, and is the only Division I player to have been named National Player of the Week three times by United Soccer Coaches.

The senior forward continued his recent scoring burst in the Rebels’ 5-2 victory at San Jose State on Oct. 6, posting three goals in the first 25 minutes of the contest for his second hat trick in a three-game span. He is the fourth player in UNLV history to record two hat tricks in the same season.

His first goal against the Spartans came on a penalty kick in the 5th minute. He then answered each of the two SJSU goals with a score of his own, his third in the 25th minute resulting in the eventual game-winner. Musovski added an assist in the second half to give him seven points for the day, which tied the WAC record for most points ever in a league contest. The seven points is also tied for the second-most points by a player in the nation this season, only trailing the nine points he posted on Sept. 24.

Musovski, a Las Vegas native, currently ranks fourth in the nation in total points with 22 and fifth in goals with nine, despite missing four games this season. He has moved into fourth place all-time at UNLV with 103 points, and also ranks fifth in goals and assists.

NEXT FOR THE REBELS: The Rebels come back to Peter Johann Memorial Field for a pair of home conference games, starting on Friday at 7 pm against UTRGV. That’s followed by a Sunday match against Incarnate Word at 1 pm. The UTRGV contest will be NYS Night for Rebel Soccer, while the Sunday contest is designated as this year’s Kick Cancer game, and the Rebels will wear pink jerseys for the contest. All fans wearing pink to the UIW game will receive $3 admission.

Single game ticket prices this season are $8 for adults, $6 for faculty/staff and seniors, or a special internet price of $5 is available for all tickets bought online at UNLVTickets.com, good up to three hours before game time. Kids 12 and under are always free at UNLV men’s soccer contests.