10/26/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Oct. 26, 1999
Storyline: The UNLV men?s soccer team hosts its final two matches of the season this weekend, squaring off against Mountain Pacific Sports Federation rivals UC Irvine and San Diego State ... the Rebels must win the three remaining games on the schedule to ensure themselves of a .500 season and a winning league record ... UNLV?s four seniors - Geoff Barto, Ryan Bledsoe, B.J. McNicol and Todd Roberts - will be honored in Senior Day ceremonies prior to Sunday?s match ... both of the weekend?s matches will be part of daily tripleheaders as the UNLV women?s soccer team is hosting the UNLV/Fila Tournament on the same days.
About UC Irvine (6-10-1, 1-3-0): The Anteaters have lost three straight and five of their last seven coming into Friday night?s match ... their last four matches come against the same last four opponents that the Rebels faced, with both squads posting identical 1-3 records ... UCI ranks third in the league in scoring and is led on the year by junior forward Eric Monteraselli, who is fifth in the conference in scoring with 20 points ... head coach George Kuntz is in his fifth season with the Anteaters, owning a record of 30-54-12 (.375) with the school and an overall coaching mark of 90-82-22 (.521) in his 10th year ... UNLV leads the all-time series 16-1-1, but suffered its first defeat at the hands of the Anteaters, 6-0, when the two schools last met in 1996.
About San Diego State (4-11-0, 1-4-0): The Aztecs have lost four in a row entering the week and will host New Mexico before challenging the Rebels on Sunday ... this weekend will not mark the first trip to Las Vegas for SDSU as the Aztecs played in the Coors Soccer Classic on Sept. 17-19 ... UNLV and SDSU did not meet in the tournament, although the Aztecs lost to both UMBC and Gonzaga by a 2-0 count ... head coach Chuck Clegg, in his 18th year at SDSU, has a career record of 194-129-40 (.590) ... the Aztecs hold the edge in the series, 13-8-3, including a 4-2 win in San Diego 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 176-135-34 (.559) at UNLV and a career record of 261-160-40 (.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.
Noting Last Week: UNLV 3, Cal State Northridge 1 - Freshman midfielder Ryan Cariss (Temecula, CA/Temecula Valley) came off the bench to score two goals in the second half and help UNLV snap a four-match losing streak. The win was also the first in MPSF play for the Rebels since a 2-1 overtime win against UC Santa Barbara late in the 1995 season. Sophomore forward Jason Melendez (Lakewood, CA/Mayfair) extended his scoring streak to three games with a goal early in the second half.
UC Santa Barbara 3, UNLV 0 - The Rebels? offense got off track against UC Santa Barbara, and Gaucho keeper Stewart Sanders recorded nine saves in shutting out UNLV. It was the third time this season the Rebel offense had been held silent. UCSB managed to keep a hold on third place in the MPSF Pacific Division standings.
Counter Attack: Sophomore forward Jason Melendez (Lakewood, CA/Mayfair) had a three-match scoring streak stopped in the 3-0 loss to UC Santa Barbara. However, his first goal against Cal State Northridge was his sixth of the year. Melendez has led the Rebels in scoring in each of his first two seasons at UNLV, and with 31 career points, he is on pace to finish sixth on the UNLV all-time scoring list. He currently leads all players on the roster in career goals, assists and scoring ... midfielder Ryan Cariss (Temecula, CA/Temecula Valley) has three goals on the year, two of them against Cal State Northridge. The freshman came off the bench to score the game winner and one insurance goal in the second half of the match. Cariss now ranks third on the team in scoring and fourth in shots taken. Defending the Post: This weekend?s matches will mark the last two home contests for four seniors, including stopper Todd Roberts (Las Vegas, NV/Durango). Roberts has been a mainstay in the Rebels? defense for four years and is regarded as the team?s top defender ... 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 both of the Rebels? first two league games. He recorded the team?s first league win over Cal State Northrdige, and allowed just two goals in 111 minutes of work over the weekend, dropping his GAA to 2.81 ... senior keeper Ryan Bledsoe (Las Vegas, NV/Eldorado) sat out of the team?s first game on its recent road trip after being ejected from the Cal State Fullerton match on Oct. 17. Bledsoe returned to the starting lineup at UC Santa Barbara and is the likely starter for the team?s remaining games.
Ranked Opponents: The schedule has not been a particularly easy one for UNLV this season. Six of the Rebels? opponents have made an appearance in one of the three top 25 polls, with UNLV going 1-5 in those matches. Most recently, the Rebels were swept by MPSF rivals UCLA and Cal State Fullerton. Other ranked opponents include San Diego, Washington, Gonzaga and UMBC. 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.
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: 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.
