Nov. 10, 2002
Box Score
LAS VEGAS - Since 1991, no Rebel team had captured 11 victories in a season. Eleven years later, the UNLV men's soccer team did just that with a 2-0 shutout of 22nd-ranked and league leader New Mexico Sunday afternoon at Peter Johann Memorial Field.
In both team's regular season closer, the rival Lobos (15-3, 5-1 MPSF) suffered their first and only conference loss of the year and will now share the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation regular season title with San Jose State.
Two single goal halves by the Rebels brought on the demise of the league's top team. In the first half of play, senior Kelly Frederick (St. John's, Antigua) was fouled in the goal box and received a penalty kick at 25:04. Frederick netted his second successful PK of the season to give UNLV the 1-0 advantage.
Looking for an insurance goal in the second half, and despite many chances on goal, UNLV finally found its winning answer. In the 72nd minute, freshman Rod Dyachenko (Vancouver, Wash.) scored his seventh goal of the season off a pass across the box from teammate Alex Hernandez (Indio, Calif.).
Senior goalkeeper Justin Dennis (Scottsdale, Ariz.) made six saves and earned his fourth shutout of the year in goal. The victory marked UNLV's second top-25 win of the season, after claiming a 2-0 shutout of then No. 24-ranked Hofstra on Sept. 20.
This season, the Rebels (11-7, 4-2 MPSF) went perfect at home (8-0) for the first time in the 28-year history of the program. UNLV previously had a pair of unbeaten home seasons, with ties, in 1985 (11-0-1) and 1988 (8-0-2).
Up next for the Rebels, the 2002 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championship Tournament to be held on Nov. 14-17 in Albuquerque, N.M. Third-seeded UNLV will take on sixth-seeded Air Force (8-9-1, 2-4 MPSF) in first round tournament action on Thursday, Nov. 14 at 4 p.m. (MST).
The winner of the two will advance to the MPSF semifinals on Friday, Nov. 15 to face second-seeded San Jose State (11-8, 5-1 MPSF) at 4 p.m. (MST). The conference tournament champion will receive the league's automatic bid to the 2002 NCAA Men's College Cup Tournament.
SENIOR DAY MEMORIES...Seniors Reggie Bolden (Jacksonville, Ark.), Justin Dennis, Kelly Frederick, Ben Hooker (Victoria, British Columbia, Canada) and Tuomas Talvio (Helsinki, Finland) were honored prior to the start of the match. Former Rebel defenseman and life long Las Vegan Rick Trujillo (1979-81) also joined the team for Senior Day festivities as an honorary team captain.
