Dec. 23, 2014 LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - UNLV senior forward Salvador Bernal is the second player in school history to be named to two All-American teams, as he was selected to the College Soccer News 2014 Men's All-America Team it was announced this week. Earlier this month Bernal was named a Third Team NSCAA All-American, and he is the first player to earn national honors at UNLV since Daniel Barber in 1991.
Bernal is the third All-American in team history, as Robbie Ryerson earned All-American honors in both 1984 and 1985, with his second year seeing him earn the recognition from Soccer America, Kick Magazine and the NSCAA. He is one of 55 players that has been invited to the adidas MLS Player Combine that will be held on Jan. 8-13 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., concluding two days before the 2015 MLS Draft that will be held on Jan. 15.
Bernal recently completed a senior season in which he led the Rebels to one of the best seasons in school history. UNLV swept the WAC regular season and tournament championships while reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1988. The Rebels also received their first national ranking since 1992 after making an appearance at No. 23 in Soccer America in the Sept. 16 poll. The team's final record of 14-5-3 tied for the fifth-most wins in program history.
The first player in UNLV history to be named first-team all-conference all four years and the 2014 WAC Offensive Player of the Year, Bernal was the top offensive leader for the top scoring offense in the WAC. The forward ranked in the top five in the league in both goals (eight) and points (19) despite missing five games with an injury in the mid-season. He was tied for the WAC-lead in game-winning goals with three, which included the only goal in a 1-0 upset victory over No. 14 UMBC in September in Las Vegas.