Sept. 11, 2003

LAS VEGAS - The UNLV women's soccer team hopes to break a two-game losing streak as the Rebels host the UNLV/Fila Classic this weekend at Peter Johann Memorial Field.

The classic begins on Friday with UNLV taking on Virginia Commonwealth at 7:30 p.m. The first game of the day features No. 9 Pepperdine and Auburn, kicking off at 5 p.m.

UNLV (3-2), meeting VCU for the first time in school history, opened the season with three straight wins, but dropped two close matches this past weekend. Junior forward Annii Magliulo leads both the team and the Mountain West Conference in points with 10 (four goals, two assists), while senior midfielder Erin Egertson has two goals and two assists for six points. Sophomore Jenna Huff has turned in great play in the goal, ranking second in the conference in both saves (29) and shutouts (two).

VCU is 2-1 for the year, with the lone loss coming in the Rams' last outing against No. 22 Boston College, a 3-2 setback in double overtime. Leading the team is junior forward Jen Parsons with four goals on the season.

In the day's first game, Pepperdine (3-1) looks to build on the momentum of its last win, a 1-0 upset on the road at fourth-ranked Stanford on Sept. 7. Freshman Jennifer Brewer not only registered the game-winner against Stanford, she also paces the team with four goals. Pepperdine is also strong on defense, allowing only two goals over four games this season, and goalie Anna Picarelli is boasting a 0.51 goals against average.

Auburn is 3-0, with its last win a 2-1 overtime victory against Illinois on Sept. 7. The Tigers have outscored their opponents by a 7-1 margin thus far in 2003. They are led by junior Sarah Steinmann with three goals, while freshman Ronda Brooks has added two. The second day of games will be on Sunday, Sept. 14, as UNLV opens the day against Auburn at Noon, while Pepperdine and VCU square off at 2:30 p.m.