Nov. 13, 2009

Box Score

DENVER, Colol - Sixth-seeded UNLV nearly pulled off a second upset in as many days, but top-seeded Sacramento State ended the Rebels' championship hopes with a golden goal two minutes into the second overtime to claim a 1-0 victory in the semifinals of 2009 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation men's soccer tournament on Friday afternoon from the Denver Soccer Stadium.

The Rebels saw their season end at 8-7-4, the first winning season for the program since 2002, while the Hornets improved to 11-5-2, and advance to Sunday's championship final.

The game was tight throughout, with the Rebels taking a total of 16 shots to 10 for Sac State. However, UNLV could not get past the outstanding play in goal of Hornet goalkeeper Brian Oliver, who posted eight saves to earn the shutout victory.

The winning score for the Hornets came in the second overtime, as Matt Linenberger received a pass from Fernando Cabadas, drove into the box and dribbled pass Rebel goalkeeper Roland Swanson before knocking in a shot to the back of the net for the golden goal in the 102nd minute.

In addition to its 16-10 edge on shots, UNLV also held an 8-4 advantage on shots on goal. Swanson finished the game with three saves for the Rebels.