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The Rebels entered 2017 having to replace a combined 30 goals and 27 assists by the now departed Lily Sender, Susie Bernal, Jordan Magnin and Dakota Blazak, and if the first weekend was any indication of how they will fare, they have only reloaded.

After a jittery first half in the season-opener, UNLV settled down and played its game, scoring three goals over the final 25 minutes to shutout Drake 3-0. Sophomore Kate Ballou, who is returning from a torn ACL, sparked the offense off the bench with a spectacular goal from 40 yards out that sailed right under the crossbar to break a scoreless tie. Michaela Morris netted the second goal on a header off a beauty of a cross by newcomer Amanda Galbraith while fellow newcomer Caitlyn Kreutz added an insurance goal in the 88th minute. The scoring barrage continued in Sunday’s contest as the Rebels scored four goals in the first 11 minutes, with two goals and an assist coming from Galbraith, in an eventual 5-1 win over Wright State.

For her two-goal, two-assists performance, Galbraith earned her first Mountain West Offensive Player Week honor and was named to TopDrawerSoccer’s National Team of the Week. The undefeated start also helped the Rebels nab a No. 14 ranking in the United Soccer Coaches’ West Region poll, a spot ahead of the University of Washington.

Visit unlvtickets.com to purchase tickets in advance.

SCOUTING THE COMPETITION 

• Utah Valley opened the season in Hawai’i, losing a 2-1 heartbreaker in overtime, but bounced back with a 2-1 win over Houston Baptist to go 1-1 over the weekend. Sophomore Breanna DeWaal leads the Wolverines with two goals on the year.
• Southern Utah heads into the weekend still looking for its first win of 2017 after an 0-2 opening weekend, dropping road games to UC Riverside (1-0) and Boise State (5-1).

NEWS & NOTES

• UNLV started the season 2-0 for the second straight season and for the third in four years under head coach Chris Shaw.
• The Rebels are looking for a 4-0 start for the second straight year, which would match their best start in program history set last year.
• For the second consecutive year, UNLV nabbed the first Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week award of the year with Galbraith earning her first career honor.
• Galbraith, a junior college transfer, and fellow starting forward Caitlyn Kreutz, a San Luis Obispo transfer, made an immediate impact in their first action as Rebels, combining for three goals and two assists on opening weekend.
• The United Soccer Coaches, formerly the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, released its first regional rankings of the year, with UNLV ranked No. 14 in the West Region.
• Chris Shaw is in his fourth year with a 38-22-5 overall record.
• The Rebels were picked to finish third in the Mountain West preseason coaches poll, their highest spot in the poll since 2013. San Diego State and San Jose State were picked to finish one-two, but UNLV’s five first-place votes were the most of any school.
• Senior Chidera Akubuilo, the reigning Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year, collected several preseason honors. She became the first Rebel to be named to the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List, the most prestigious award in collegiate soccer. She was also named to TopDrawerSoccer.com’s Women’s DI Best XI Third Team and is ranked No. 23 on the site’s Women’s Collegiate Top 100.
• The Rebels return two All-Conference First Team selections in Akubuilo and Sophie Cortes, a second team selection in Jordan Sallee and two Mountain West All-Newcomer team selections in Paige Almendariz and Georgia Kingman.
• Sallee also garnered preseason honors as she was ranked No. 66 overall and the No. 9 senior keeper on Everybody Soccer, a site dedicated to collegiate goalkeepers
• Freshman Erykah Browne was a member of El Salvador U20 team this summer, playing in a World Cup qualifying tournament in Nicaragua in June.

LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – The honors keep rolling in for UNLV women’s Soccer as Amanda Galbraith was named to Top Drawer Soccer’s National Team of the Week and the Rebels were ranked 14th overall in the West Region by United Soccer Coaches.

Galbraith, a forward from Petaluma, California, scored two goals and registered two assists in wins over Drake and Wright State on opening weekend and was awarded the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week for the first time in her career.

The United Soccer Coaches, formerly known as the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), has reorganized its weekly national and regional rankings after rebranding in early August. The organization continues to release a weekly national top-25, but has pared down its regional rankings to include 15 teams ranked in each of the five different regions (East, Midwest, South, Southeast, West). After appearing in the Pacific Region poll last season from Oct. 10 through the end of the season, the Rebels were ranked No. 14 in the first West Region poll Tuesday.

UNLV has started the season 2-0 for the second straight year and for the third time in four years under head coach Chris Shaw. After the first weekend of play, the Rebels boast a top-10 offense in the country, ranking tied for eighth in total goals (8) and total points (25) and tied for sixth in total assists. Individually, Galbraith ranks tied for 13th in the country in total points (6).

UNLV will be home for the second consecutive weekend, taking on Utah Valley Friday, August 25 at 7 p.m. and Southern Utah on Sunday, August 27 at 1 p.m. at Peter Johann Memorial Field. To purchase tickets visit UNLVtickets.com. Season tickets 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, good up to three hours before game time. Kids 12 and under are always free at UNLV women’s soccer contests.

LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – UNLV women’s soccer’s offense stayed hot Sunday as the Rebels scored four goals in the first 11 minutes of the game en route to a 5-1 win over Wright State at Peter Johann Memorial Field. The dominant performance helped UNLV win its own invitational and start the season 2-0 for the second straight year.

After a scoreless first 65 minutes of the season, the Rebels scored seven goals over the next 36 minutes between Friday’s second half and Sunday’s flurry of goals to begin the game. Dating back to last season, the Rebels are now unbeaten in 12 straight regular season contests and have gone undefeated on opening weekend three out of the last four years since head coach Chris Shaw took over.

Junior college transfer Amanda Galbraith had a big day in her second career game as a Rebel, netting two goals and picking up an assist on a third. Through the first two games, the Rebels’ transfers – Galbraith and Caitlyn Kruetz – have already played a big part in replacing the offensive production lost from last year, combining for three goals and two assists. Senior Sophie Cortes, the Rebels’ engine in the midfield, added a goal and two assists as well.

THE TURNING POINT: In the third minute, sophomore defender Paige Almendariz and Galbraith connected for goal number one, with Almendariz sending a cross from the left side to Galbraith in front of the goal. Galbraith took one touch, made a quick turn and buried the ball in the left corner to put the Rebels up 1-0. Less than two minutes later, redshirt sophomore Michaela Morris nabbed her second goal in as many games after receiving a pass from Cortes, dribbling through the Raider defense and slapping one past the Wright State keeper. UNLV wasn’t done yet. Keeping the pressure on, sophomore midfielder Georgia Kingman sent another cross from the left side to Galbraith in the middle, who made another great move in front of the goal and finished it into the net to get her second goal just shy of the 10 minute mark. On the ensuing kick off, Galbraith found herself with the ball again, this time about 40 yards out, and lofted the ball over the Wright State back line to a streaking Cortes, who took a couple touches and slotted the ball past the goalie for the fourth goal.

STAT OF THE GAME: The Rebels out-shot the Bulldogs 30-8, scoring five goals on five assists. For the second-straight game, UNLV allowed single-digit shots.

REBEL OF THE GAME: After registering an assist Friday night, Galbraith scored her first two goals as a Rebel and added an assist on the beautiful ball to Cortes.

QUOTABLE:

On the four quick goals to start the game:

“We talked about getting off to a good start because of the heat and Wright State being from Ohio and not being used to it. Honestly, I didn’t expect a four goal output in first 11 minutes, but we are very excited about that.”

On transfers Galbraith and Kruetz:

“We had high expectations of both Amanda and Caitlyn. We knew with what we lost from last year, we needed to find a way to replace those goals, thats why we brought them in. Amanda coming in from junior college is a big jump, but she’s a quality soccer player and our preseason training environment allowed her to play at the faster pace.”

REBEL NOTES: 

* The Rebels won their first two games of the season for the third year out of four under Shaw.

* Dating back to last season, the Rebels are unbeaten in 12 straight regular season contests.

* Eight goals in the first two games is the second-most under Shaw. UNLV scored nine in that span last season.

* Senior keeper Jordan Sallee picked up her second win in as many games, making four saves.

* Freshman Robin Pollard scored her first career goal in the 82nd minute on an assist from Cortes.

* The tournament honors for the UNLV Invitational include:

• Most Outstanding Player: Sophie Cortes, UNLV
• Most Outstanding Offensive Player: Amanda Galbraith, UNLV
• Most Outstanding Defensive Player: Chidera Akubuilo, UNLV
• Most Outstanding Goalkeeper: Jordan Sallee, UNLV
• All Tournament Team: UNLV: Sophie Cortes, Michaela Morris, Chidera Akubuilo, Amanda Galbraith; Wright State: Niki Romero, Sarah Colvin, Aaliyah Patten; Drake: Rebecca Rodgers, Alyssa Brand, Rachel Wanninger; Weber State: Chansi Crompton

NEXT FOR THE REBELS: The Rebels will be home again next weekend, taking on Utah Valley Friday night at 7 p.m. and Southern Utah Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. at Peter Johann Memorial Field. Purchase tickets at unlvtickets.com.