Oct. 16, 2011
Box Score
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - After trailing 2-0 at halftime, UNLV (2-10, 1-4 MPSF) scored four second-half goals, only to see Denver (4-6-3, 2-2-1 MPSF) rally to escape with a 5-4 double-overtime victory in Mountain Pacific Sports Federation men's soccer action on Sunday afternoon at Peter Johann Field.
The Rebels opened the second half down two scores, but used two quick scoring bursts to get back into the game and then take a lead. The first came from junior midfielder Nick Marshall, who broke out of his scoring slump this season with two goals in a 1:44 span. The first came when he headed in a corner kick from Jonny Espinoza on the right side of the goal in the 57th minute, cutting the edge to 2-1. He followed that up in the 59th minute when he drove into the right side of the box, received a pass from Salvador Benral and quickly shot the ball to the top left corner of the goal. That score tied up the contest at 2-2.
Denver would post the game's next goal, as Christian Volesky scored his second goal of the afternoon in the 69th minute off an assist by Joe Eubanks. UNLV responded by again scoring back-to-back goals, and this time both were from Bernal. His first score came in the 78th minute when he dribbled through a few defenders, crossed over the last one as he entered the box and unleashed a shot to the back right corner of the goal to make it a 3-3 game. Just 62 seconds later Bernal struck again, and once more he dribbled through the DU defense before sending off a blast from 15 yards out to the top of the goal, putting UNLV up 4-3 in the 79th minute.
It looked like Bernal's goal would be a game-winner, but with the game in the final minute, Denver kept itself alive when Alex Tarnoczi scored from the middle of the box with just 27 seconds to play following a scramble after a corner kick. That goal, which was assisted by Blair Jeralds, would send the contest into overtime.
Neither team would score in the first overtime. Each team took one shot in the second overtime, and it was the Pioneers that made theirs count, when Matt Kirby send in a shot from 15 yards out on the left side of the box in the 105th minute to give DU the 5-4 win. Jarod Stigall assisted on the score.
The first two scores of the game came from Zach Bolden in the 29th minute, off an assist by Stigall, and Volesky's first goal of the game in the 38th minute, with Kirby credited with an assist. UNLV finished the game with a 22-13 edge on shots, though only 12-10 on shots on goal. UNLV also held a 10-5 edge on corner kicks. Ryan Harding finished with five saves in the goal for UNLV, and Oliver Brown made eight for the Pioneers.
UNLV returns to action on Friday, Oct. 21, with a 7 pm contest at CSU Bakersfield.
