Oct. 21, 2009
LAS VEGAS -
UNLV weekly release
The UNLV men's soccer team will be on the search for the team's first win in MPSF action this season after dropping two losses at home to begin the conference portion of the slate. The Rebels will also need to recover from the disappointment of the last loss, as Seattle scored in the final 50 seconds to claim a 2-1 victory on Sunday afternoon.
The weekend will see UNLV traveling to the state of Colorado to take on Denver on Friday, Oct. 23 and Air Force on Sunday, Oct. 25. Both opponents find themselves in the same situation as the Rebels, as they also lost their first two opening games of the year, so that sets up an important situation for the teams looking to both move up in the league standings and to help the tournament seedings at the end of the season.
The Rebels are 4-9-0 all time against Denver and dropped both contests last season. UNLV is 10-14-2 all time against Air Force and also were swept by the Falcons in 2008.
Scouting The Rebels...
The biggest impact this year has come from freshman forward Nick Marshall, who is currently second in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation and 33rd in the nation with eight goals, while his 16 points also ranks him tied for first in the league and 44th in the NCAA.
He's not the only freshman that ranks high in the league, as freshman midfielder Zach Kupher is sixth in the league in points (10) as well as tied for sixth in goals (four). Fellow classmate Roberto Farfan is also tied for seventh in the MPSF with three assists. Junior midfielder Stephen Sifuentes also ranks in the top 10 in the conference as he owns fifth place in points earned (12) and tied for fourth in goals (five). His five goals also rank him 95th in the nation while his 12 points rank him 112th.
Junior Roland Swanson has been strong in goal, as he is sixth in the conference with a 1.42 GAA as well as tied for second in the conference with four shutouts.
Scouting the Denver Pioneers...
Denver (3-7-2, 0-2-0) is looking for its' first win in MPSF action, as the Pioneers lost to San Jose State 1-0 on Oct. 16 and fell 2-1 to Sacramento State on Oct. 18.
Forward Alex Tarnoczi is leading the way offensively for the Pioneers with six goals while five other players have found the back of the net. Midfielder Matt Kirby has dished out a team leading three assists this season. Goalkeeper Joe Willis has allowed 18 goals and has a 1.50 GAA.
Scouting the Air Force Falcons...
Air Force (5-5-1, 0-2-0) is another team on the search for its' first win in league play this season. The Falcons dropped their conference opener to Sacramento State 2-0 on Oct. 16 and then fell to San Jose State 2-0 on Oct. 18.
The Falcons are led offensively by forward Josh Rhynard who has scored three goals and dished out three assists while two other Falcon players have scored three goals each. Goalkeepers Mike Moura and Jim Gullo had been splitting time in the net this season but Moura earned all the minutes the last two games. The two combined have allowed 15 goals and have a 1.33 GAA.
