September 9, 1998
LAS VEGAS -- The Rebels won the Coors Light Soccer Classic for the first time since 1995 this past weekend as they defeated Sacramento State, 3-1 and St. Mary's, 1-0 ... This is the best start for the Rebels since 1989 when UNLV went 2-0 before losing its third game 2-0 against South Carolina ... If the Rebels win Friday night's matchup with Memphis it will be their best start since 1985, when UNLV went 18-2-2 and won a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
Coors Light Classic Tournament Schedule:Friday, Sept. 11 Memphis vs. UNLV 7:00pm Central Florida vs. UCSB 9:00pmSunday, Sept. 13 Memphis vs. UCSB 12:00pm Central Florida vs. UNLV 2:00pm
UNLV Opponents
Memphis -- This is the first meeting between the Rebels and the Tigers ... Memphis finished the 1997 season with an overall mark of 10-8-2 and a 2-5-2 conference record, finishing 8th in Conference USA ... Memphis comes into Friday night's contest with a 0-2 record, with loses to SW Missouri (0-1) and Western Illinois (1-2, OT) ... The Tigers leading scorer is Tommy White who has two points on one goal.
Central Florida -- This is also the first meeting between Central Florida and UNLV ... The Golden Knights are 2-0 after victories over Long Island (9-2) and Coastal Carolina (8-1) ... Heikki Ritvanen already has 15 points on the season (seven goals, one assist) ... The second leading scorer is Ari Nurmi with 10 points (four goals, two assists).
Head Coach Barry Barto: Barry Barto recorded his 250th win this past Sunday with the team's victory over St. Mary's ... The winningest coach in the history of Rebel soccer, Coach Barto is in his 17th season at the helm of the UNLV men's program and his second as the director of soccer ... Arriving in Las Vegas in 1982, Barto has built Rebel soccer into a nationally recognized program, having made five NCAA tournament appearances and posting a winning record in 11 of his 16 seasons ... He now will use this experience in helping build a women's program that will be headed by first-year coach Staci Hendershott ... Barto is currently 25th in victories (250) in Division I soccer history and is 17th among active Div. 1-A coaches.
What to Expect from the Rebels in 1998: The Rebels return eight starters from the 1997 squad that went 5-11-2 and 2-5-1 in the Western Athletic Conference (7th place) ... This year Coach Barto is hoping that the offense steps up after a year that saw them finish seventh in the WAC in scoring (32 points) ... The Rebels fared well last season when they scored first, going 5-1-1 when jumping to the early lead ... In contrast, UNLV was winless (0-10-1) when opponents scored first ... With a solid defensive unit returning and a revamped offense the one question mark that remains isgoalkeeping duties ... Three players will vie for starting duties in the net and chances are more than one will see significant playing time this season ... Freshman redshirt Robert Ackah and sophomore transfers Ryan Bledsoe and Russell Miller all will have a chance to win the starting nod ... Bledsoe and Miller both got starts in last weekend's Coors Light Classic.
Possible Starters: P Name GP GS Sh SOG G A Pts Notes D -- #5 Michael Griego 2 2 3 2 1 1 3 Had his first start at sweeper this past weekend D -- #16 Todd Roberts 2 2 3 2 1 0 2 Started all 16 of his games last season D -- #4 T'Jon Akins 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 Played 1098 minutes on defense last yearMF -- #13 Geoff Barto 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 One of only three to start every game in 1997MF -- #2 Jay Hamilton 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 A leading scorer in the MF last seasonMF -- #3 Kiko Medina 2 2 5 1 1 2 4 Second leading scorer among returnersMF -- #17 Andrew Hooker 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 Is one of three freshmen in the starting lineup F -- #8 Jason Melendez 2 2 6 0 0 1 1 Has the most shots on the season with six F -- #23 B.J. McNicol 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 Saw action in all but one game last season F -- #11 Tyler Turchi 2 2 4 1 1 0 2 State Player of the Year in Arkansas last year
Goalkeepers GP GS Min SV GA SO GAARyan Bledsoe 1 1 90 1 1 0 1.000Russell Miller 1 1 90 4 0 1 .000
All-WAC Selection Michael Griego Returns for his Senior Year: Michael Griego, a two-time First-Team All-WAC selection will return for his final season with the Rebels ... Griego has an opportunity to make a mark in a number of categories in the Rebel annals before his collegiate career concludes, including goals, where he is currently tied for 10th place with 20 ... This season will see Griego take on a different role ... When the Rebels suit up for their first game against Sacramento State Griego will be playing in the backfield as a sweeper ... While he has been one of the Rebels' biggest scoring threats in his first three collegiate seasons, his knowledge of the system will be a value to the relatively young backfield.
