Oct. 18, 1999
Storyline: The UNLV men?s soccer team hits the road for a pair of Mountain Pacific Sports Federation matches this week ... the Rebels are 0-2 in league play after home losses to No. 2 UCLA and No. 18 Cal State Fullerton ... UNLV has not won an MPSF match since a 2-1 overtime victory over UC Santa Barbara in 1995 ... the Gauchos made a trip to Las Vegas in September to compete in the Coors Light Soccer Classic, but did not face UNLV.
About Cal State Northridge (7-7-0, 1-3-0): The Matadors snapped a three-game losing streak Sunday with a 5-4 double-overtime victory over San Diego State ... it was their second victory over the Aztecs, and their first in the MPSF this season ... Michael Pries and Federico Arroyo rank fourth and fifth among the conference scoring leaders, respectively ... CSUN is coached by Terry Davila, in his first year as a collegiate head coach ... the Rebels lead the all-time series, 5-4, but lost the last three when the two school competed during UNLV?s first stint in the MPSF ... UNLV pulled out a 3-2 win in overtime in 1992 before dropping each of the yearly matches from 1993-95.
About UC Santa Barbara (9-5-0, 2-2-0): The Gauchos ride a two-match winning streak entering the week, but will have to defend that against New Mexico on Friday before hosting the Rebels on Sunday ... UCSB dropped its first two league games at Cal State Fullerton and UCLA before knocking off San Diego State and UC Irvine last weekend ... like the Rebels, UCSB split matches at the 1999 UNLV Coors Light Soccer Classic in Las Vegas, falling to Kentucky and defeating West Virginia ... goalkeeper Stewart Sanders ranks No. 2 in the conference with a 1.00 goals against average and an impressive five shutouts ... head coach Tim Vom Steeg is in his first year at the collegiate level ... UNLV leads the series 15-9-4, including a 3-0 win in Santa Barbara last year.
UNLV Head Coach Barry Barto: The winningest coach in the history of Rebel soccer, Barto is in his 18th season at the helm of the UNLV men?s program and his third as the school?s Director of Soccer ... he has a record of 175-134-34 (.560) at UNLV and a career record of 260-159-40 (.610) in his 24th year ... since his arrival in 1982, Barto has built Rebel soccer into a nationally recognized program, with five NCAA tournament appearances ... he recorded his 250th career win on Oct. 6, 1998 with the team?s victory over St. Mary?s.
Homecoming in Storrs: Sunday?s match at UC Santa Barbara will mark a homecoming of sorts for Rebel midfielder Brent Storrs (San Diego, CA/San Dieguito). Storrs was a nine-game starter for the Gauchos in the 1996 season and played in 15 games, scoring two points on two assists ... Storrs, who retains junior eligibility, did not play collegiate soccer for two years before making the UNLV team this fall.
Ranked Opponents: The schedule has not been a particularly easy one for UNLV this season. Five of the Rebels? 13 opponents have made an appearance in one of the three top 25 polls. Most recently, the Rebels were swept by MPSF rivals UCLA and Cal State Fullerton. One other opponent -- UMBC -- has not made an official appearance in the top 25, but also received votes in this week?s NSCAA poll. UNLV?s 4-3 victory over No. 18 Gonzaga on Sept. 19 was the Rebels? first win over a ranked opponent since bumping off No. 2 Rutgers, 2-1, on Sept. 11, 1994.
Counter Attack: Sophomore forward Jason Melendez (Lakewood, CA/Mayfair) was the bright spot in a rather rough week for UNLV. Melendez scored two of UNLV?s three goals versus UCLA and Cal State Fullerton and has matched his season goal total from a year ago. After an outstanding freshman year in which he scored five goals and five assists, he has followed with five goals and four assists this season. Melendez needs just four assists to break into UNLV?s career top 10 ... after exploding for a season-best six goals against Centenary on Sept. 26, UNLV netted just four goals in its next four games ... freshman Tuomas Talvio (Helsinki, Finland) recorded both a goal and an assist versus Cal State Fullerton to hold on to the No. 2 scoring position on the Rebel squad ... sophomore midfielder Andrew Hooker (Victoria, BC, Canada) broke out of a scoring slump after he headed in a free kick from B.J. McNicol (Centerville, UT/Viewmont) to defeat Air Force 1-0 on Sept. 24. He also scored the Rebels? go-ahead goal in a Sept. 26 match against Centenary, and was named the UNM Invitational?s Best Offensive Player. Defending the Post: Sophomore goalkeeper Bojo Ackah (Agoura, CA/Cascade College), who had a 1.10 goals against average heading into conference play, was rocked for six goals in each of the Rebels? first two league games ... his GAA is now 3.10 and his record has fallen to 2-4 ... despite that, he will get the start at Cal State Northridge as UNLV?s other keeper, senior Ryan Bledsoe (Las Vegas, NV/Eldorado) was red-carded during the Cal State Fullerton match and will miss Friday?s game.
Tournament Champs: After four attempts this season, the Rebels finally brought home a tournament championship by winning the UNM Invitational on Sept. 26. The Rebels knocked off MPSF foe Air Force in a non-conference match before icing the tourney crown with a 6-3 victory over Centenary. The six goals represented UNLV?s highest offensive output since a 7-2 victory over UC Santa Barbara in 1993. UNLV had hosted tournaments in each of the previous three weeks, splitting each weekend with a win and a loss. The title was the first since taking the Nike Goal Rush Classic in Fresno, CA last year and keeps alive a string of five years in which UNLV has gone unbeaten through at least one in-season tourney. Close Calls: Talk about a number of close calls. Down 2-1 in the season opener at San Diego on Sept. 1, the Rebels pressed forward late in the match in hopes of scoring the tying goal. However, the Toreros looped it over the top of the aggressive defense and scored a third goal. Since that match, nine of the 12 games UNLV has played have been decided by one goal. Two of those opponents, Kentucky and UMBC, managed just 1-0 victories. UNLV went 4-7 last year in matches decided by a single score and are 4-5 in those contests this year.
Close Calls II: UNLV played its first overtime match of the year, falling to Vanderbilt 2-1 just nine minutes into extra play. That game marked the first time in 30 matches that the Rebels have gone the extra period. UNLV played five overtime matched in 1997, six in 1996 and five in 1995, but managed to complete all 18 games on the ?98 slate in regulation. Prior to the Vanderbilt match, UNLV?s last overtime game was a 1-1 tie against former WAC rival Fresno State in ?97. UNLV has not won an extra-inning affair since a 2-1 victory over Cal State San Bernardino late in the 1996 season.
Up Next: Following the Rebels? two road matches, they will close the home slate with MPSF games against UC Irvine and San Diego State on Oct. 29 & 31.
