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HIGHLIGHTS: Rebels finish non-conference play 8-1 thanks to these goals by @sophiecortesss and @_agalbraith_! #UsNowLV pic.twitter.com/yiRW2xJ0Ar
— UNLV Women's Soccer (@UNLVwSoccer) September 18, 2017
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – After four straight games on the road, UNLV women’s soccer returned home Sunday afternoon to wrap up its non-conference schedule against UC Riverside at Peter Johann Memorial Field. The Rebels used a pair of second-half goals from senior Sophie Cortes and junior Amanda Galbraith to edge out the Highlanders 2-1 and improve to 8-1 on the season.
With the victory, UNLV extends its winning streak to four games – its second such streak of 2017 – and finishes non-league play undefeated at home at 5-0. The 8-1 record is also the best non-conference winning percentage and best start through the first nine games in program history.
Cortes finished the weekend with three goals to bring her season total to seven, setting a new career high. The midfielder’s stellar senior season continues as she now leads the Mountain West in goals, shots (30) and points (18) in addition to be tied for first in assists with four.
THE TURNING POINT: After a scoreless first half, the Rebels took the lead on Cortes’ penalty kick in the 47th minute and seemed to grab the momentum, but the Highlanders responded with the tying goal in the 58th minute. With 15 minutes to play, sophomore Paige Almendariz sent a perfect long ball cross over the top of the UCR defense, right to a streaking Galbraith, who took one dribble and slotted it in the left corner of the goal with a left-footed shot for the game-winner.
STAT OF THE GAME: For the second straight game the Rebels were out-shot, this time 13-9, but still managed to win the game. Prior to Friday’s win at CSU Bakersfield, UNLV had lost the last two games it was on the losing end of that category dating back to last season.
REBEL OF THE GAME: Galbraith notched her second game-winner of the season and her fourth goal overall, which good for second on the team behind Cortes.
QUOTABLE:
“It was not one of our better performances. (UC) Riverside is scrappy, physical team and they threw us off our game a little bit. Sunday games are always hard, especially coming off a road game on Friday and playing at a different time than normal, just got us out of our normal routine. But we found a way to get a win even though we didn’t have our best performance and I think that is indicative of the character of this squad.” -Head Coach Chris Shaw
REBEL NOTES:
* The Rebels are 8-1 through the first nine games for the first time in program history
* Senior keeper Jordan Sallee had a strong weekend in the net with 11 saves on the weekend
NEXT FOR THE REBELS: With the non-conference slate behind them, the Rebels will begin Mountain West play on the road next weekend, facing New Mexico Friday, September 22 and rival San Diego State on Sunday, September 24.
Marco Gonzalez scores first two goals of his career in the victory.
Sept. 17, 2017
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) –
UNLV broke out of its scoring slump in emphatic fashion, as freshman forward Marco Gonzalez of Las Vegas sparked a 3-0 shutout of Gonzaga in the final game of the Johann Memorial Classic men’s soccer tournament on Sunday afternoon at Peter Johann Memorial Field. The Rebels improved to 2-5 on the year with their first goals since the season opener and would finish second in the tournament standings. Gonzaga (4-3) placed third, due to UNLV winning the tiebreaker with the head-to-head win. Saint Francis (5-3) was named tournament championships with a 2-0 weekend record that included Friday night’s 1-0 overtime win over UNLV.
THE TURNING POINT: UNLV scored the first goal of the game for the first time this season, allowing the Rebels to play while holding a lead just 13 minutes into the contest.
REBEL OF THE GAME: Marco Gonzalez, in his third career start, scored the Rebels’ first two goals of the game, in the 13th minute off an assist by Timo Mehlich, and in the 66th minute thanks to an assist from Oscar Velazquez. Those were the first two goals of his career as well, and gave the Rebels a 2-0 edge.
STAT OF THE GAME: UNLV did not allow a shot on goal until the 88th minute, and held a 9-1 edge on shots on goal.
QUOTABLE: “It feels good to get my first goal, but it was more important to get the win, that’s going to help us more for the rest of the season.”
– UNLV freshman forward Marco Gonzalez.
“We’ve been trying to get goals all year and haven’t had much success since Portland, so it was good to have that kind of performance today. As for holding our two opponents this weekend to just one total goal, obviously that’s the kind of defensive effort we’re going to have to play at to get to that next level, so we were very happy with the overall team effort these past two games.”
– UNLV Head Coach Rich Ryerson
REBEL NOTES:
* The third goal of the game came from senior Oscar Velazquez, his first of the season.
* With the two-goal game, Marco Gonzalez is now the team’s leader in points this season with five.
* Enrique Adame only had to make one save to earn his first shutout of the season.
* UNLV’s three goals were its first since a 3-2 win at Portland on Aug. 25.
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM:
Mario Mastrangelo – Saint Francis
Lusca Rosa – Saint Francis
Kaelon Fox – Saint Francis
Marcus Rojas – Saint Francis
Marco Gonzalez – UNLV
Timo Mehlich – UNLV
Oscar Velazquez – UNLV
Ben White – Gonzaga
Jalen Crisler – Gonzaga
Detre Bell – CSU Bakesfield
Jeremie Charon – CSU Bakersfield
Tournament MVP – Mario Mastrangelo – Saint Francis
Offensive MVP – Marco Gonzalez – UNLV
Defensive MVP – Kaelon Fox – Saint Francis
FINAL STANDINGS
1. Saint Francis – 2-0
2. UNLV – 1-1*
3. Gonzaga – 1-1
4. CSU Bakersfield – 0-2
* – UNLV wins tiebreaker due to head-to-head win
NEXT FOR THE REBELS: The Rebels are on the road for the final time in September with a Friday night contest at CSU Fullerton. Kickoff is set for 5 pm and will be streamed live by BigWest.TV.
UNLV is looking for its first win in Albuquerque since 2003.
Aug. 31, 2017
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com)
UNLV and New Mexico will be facing each other in men’s soccer for the first time since the two were rivals in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation back in the 2012 season when the teams face off Friday night in Albuquerque, New Mexico in a 6 pm (PT) contest. The 17th-ranked Rebels come in at 1-1 thanks to their 3-2 last-second double-overtime win at then No. 15 Portland in the season opener. The Lobos meanwhile started the year ranked in the top 20, but dropped a pair of one-goal games, both on the road.
A live video stream of the contest will be shown on the Mountain West Network, which can be accessed at UNLVRebels.com.
The Rebels will then return home to host Pacific in their home opener Friday, Sept. 8. The annual Alumni game is also set for that date as well, starting at 4:00 pm. It’s also a RED OUT night for the Rebels. There will be free t-shirts for the first 125 fans, while UNLV Faculty/Staff will receive four free tickets each and a free BBQ sandwich. Prior to the contest, from 5-6:30 pm, the UNLV Soccer Foundation will hold a free tailgate party, with free food, drinks and music. Admission is free to all ticketed fans.
Season tickets are on sale now and are just $35 for adults, $25 for UNLV faculty/staff and seniors. Single game ticket prices this season are $8 for adults, $6 for faculty/staff and seniors, though 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.
GAME #3
#17 UNLV (1-1-0, 0-0-0) at New Mexico (0-2-0)
Friday, Sept. 1 – 6 pm (PT) – Albuquerque, N.M. (UNM Soccer Complex)
Live Stats – Live Video
UNLV heads to Northern California for a Friday match at Sacramento State and a Sunday contest at UC Davis.
Aug. 31, 2017
Last weekend’s victories didn’t come without some drama as it took a golden header goal by senior star Chidera Akubuilo with less than three minutes remaining in double overtime to beat UVU Friday night. Sunday’s win against Southern Utah came a little easier at 3-1, but head coach Chris Shaw knows they need to continue to improve before they get into conference play.
The 4-0 start matches a program-best that was set just a year ago by the reigning Mountain West Champions. The two wins also extends the Rebels’ regular season unbeaten streak to 14, dating back to last year. While Akubuilo was the hero in Friday’s win, fellow senior Sophie Cortes was the team’s MVP over the weekend, scoring three goals in the two games to earn her first career Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week honor. After the Rebels went down 1-0 three minutes into Friday’s match against UVU, Cortes evened the score in the 17th minute, setting up the opportunity for overtime and Akubuilo’s game-winning score. In Sunday’s contest against SUU, Cortes scored goals 13 minutes apart, which ultimately proved to be the difference in the 3-1 game.
In addition to Cortes’ conference honor, Akubuilo was tabbed a Top Drawer Soccer National Team of the Week selection. The Rebels also appeared in the United Soccer Coaches’ West Region poll for the second straight week, coming in at No. 15.
SCOUTING THE COMPETITION
STATISTICAL RANKINGS
NEWS & NOTES
UNLV will play a third straight road game on Friday at New Mexico.
Aug. 28, 2017
CORVALLIS, Ore. (UNLVRebels.com)
Just three days after opening the season with a last second double-overtime victory, the 17th-ranked UNLV men’s soccer team again went to extra time on Monday, but this time the Rebels were the ones on the wrong side of the scoreboard after Oregon State slipped in a shot in the 91st minute. That gave the Beavers a 1-0 victory over the Rebels, moving both teams to 1-1 on the season.
THE TURNING POINT: Oregon State sent a shot towards the center of the goal that Rebel goalkeeper Enrique Adame was able to deflect to the right. However, Jordan Jones collected the ball on the post, slipped off a Rebel defender and sent a low shot that banged through the feet of another Rebel defender before it was stopped just over the goal line, resulting in the score.
STAT OF THE GAME: UNLV was limited to just three shots in the first half, and only two total on goal for the afternoon.
REBEL OF THE GAME: Kevin Partida, finished with one shot, was directing the Rebels’ efforts from the midfield against the Beavers.
QUOTABLE: “Disappointing after the win we had on Friday, to not get the result in OT. I thought the guys looked a little fatigued, I don’t feel that we were as sharp as I would have liked to have seen us.” – Head Coach Rich Ryerson.
REBEL NOTES:
* The Rebels were held scoreless in a regular-season game for the first time since a 2-0 loss at Gonzaga Sept. 23, 2016.
* Just hours before the game, UNLV received its highest national ranking since 1992, as the Rebels are 17th in this week’s Top Drawer Soccer Top 25 Poll. They moved in following the 3-2 double-overtime win over then No. 15 Portland to open the season on Aug. 25.
* UNLV’s two games this weekend were part of the Hensor/Zaher Nike Classic. Named to the all-tournament team from UNLV were Danny Musovski, Daniel Moran and Marco Gonzalez.
NEXT FOR THE REBELS: UNLV will play a third straight game on the road when it takes on former MPSF rival New Mexico on Friday at 6 pm in Albuquerque.