Sept. 14, 2006
LAS VEGAS -
UNLV Men's Soccer Notes
Download Free Acrobat Reader
UNLV looks to gain its first victory of this season this weekend as it hosts the UNLV Rebel Classic on Peter Johann Memorial Field. The Rebels will take on the Gaels of St. Mary's College Friday night at 7 p.m., then conclude the Classic Sunday at 2:30 p.m. with an afternoon contest against UMBC.
Entering the fourth week of the season, sophomore Nicholas Paterson has emerged as the offensive spark for the Rebels. Paterson set up both goals in last weekend's loss to San Diego State, and is now currently atop the MPSF scoring chart with eight points. Lamar Neagle notched his first goal of the season last weekend, and head coach Mario Sanchez looks to get added production from the sophomore.
Freshman Calvin Bailey takes over the reigns in net, hoping to rebound from his first career start when he allowed four scores. Other freshman to look for are Marcos Balladares, who started and scored against San Diego State, while midfielder David Bryan has been a starter in all five games this year.
The Gaels come to Las Vegas under first-year head coach Adam Cooper with a 2-2-2 record on the season, most recently defeating UC-Riverside 4-2 Monday afternoon. The Gaels are led by 5-9 sophomore forward Carlos Diaz. Diaz has scored three times on the season, starting all but one of St. Mary's games. Keeper Brian Mason has manned the net every minute this season, allowing seven goals while making 21 saves.
The Retrievers will try to improve on its 1-4-1 record, making its third trip to the desert in program history. UMBC boasts a potent offense with strikers Kevin Mazzedra and David Feazell. Mazzedra has four goals and an assist on the season, while Feazell has been a nice compliment with three goals and one assist.
The Rebels have faired well against the Gaels, winning seven of the eight games played. The last meeting between the two teams was in 2002, with St. Mary's taking a 2-1 win. UNLV and Maryland-Baltimore County have only met twice before, with UMBC taking both games. The last time the two teams faced each other was in 1999, a 1-0 win by UMBC. The other game was played in 1994, with the Retrievers again coming out on top 3-2 in overtime.
