Jan. 14, 2005

LAS VEGAS - UNLV senior Victor "Boomer" Arbelaez became the first Rebel ever drafted by Major League Soccer, as the San Jose Earthquakes made the Las Vegas native the sixth selection in the third round and 30th overall on Friday during the first day of the 2005 MLS Superdraft.

Arbelaez, a 5-11 midfielder, was a third-team NSCAA All-West Region this past season after starting all 18 games for the Rebels and finished with two goals and one assist. He was also named to the All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation First Team for the second straight season.

"It's been my goal ever since I've started playing soccer to play professionally, and I also wanted to follow in my father's footsteps as well, so it's a very good feeling to be drafted today," said Arbelaez. "Several teams had talked to me before the draft so I felt my chances were good. I'm also excited about ending up at San Jose, I attended a pre-draft combine and really enjoyed the area and the coaches, so I'm looking forward to joining the team."

He becomes the second member of his family to play professional soccer, joining his father, Victor, who played professionally for five years. Arbelaez, who played his freshman year at San Francisco before transferring to UNLV, finished his three years with the Rebels with 56 career starts in 56 career games, eight goals, five assists, and 21 points.