Sept. 25, 2003

LAS VEGAS - The UNLV men's soccer team hosts its third tournament of the season this weekend, as Cal State Northridge, Gonzaga, and New Mexico all come to Las Vegas for the UNLV/Fila Classic being played at Peter Johann Memorial Field on the UNLV campus.

The tournament begins on Friday with UNLV taking on Cal State Northridge at 7:30 p.m. The first game of the day features Gonzaga and New Mexico, kicking off at 5 p.m.

UNLV (3-5) looks to build on its last match, in which senior midfielder Alex Hernandez scored a shorthanded goal in the second overtime to give the Rebels a 3-2 win over Bowling Green. The Rebels have won three of their last four games, including a 2-0 shutout victory over nationally ranked Creighton. Hernandez is tied 15th in the nation for goals per game (7, 0.88 per game) and currently leads the Rebels with 15 points, while junior midfielder Victor "Boomer" Arbelaez has posted three goals and two assists for eight points.

Cal State Northridge fell out of this week's rankings after a 0-0 double-overtime tie against UC Riverside. The Matadors are 3-0-2 on the year, and are one of only 16 unbeaten teams in the nation. CSUN is paced by Charles Mitchell and Willie Sims, each having scored four goals on the year.

New Mexico is 3-3-2, but has posted just one win in its last four outings, a 3-2 victory over UC Irvine. All three Lobo losses this season are to ranked squads. Leading the team is Lance Watson with four goals for eight points.

The final team in this weekend's classic is Gonzaga (4-3). The Bulldogs, who broke a three-game losing streak with a win over Sacramento State on Sunday, are 3-0 against Mountain Pacific Sports Federation members this year. They began the season with wins over Air Force and Denver, in addition to the victory against Sacramento State.

The second day of games will be on Sunday, Sept. 28, as UNLV opens the day against Gonzaga at Noon, while New Mexico and Cal State Northridge square off at 2 p.m.