LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - For the past four years, senior midfielder Rodrigo Fuentes has been a huge asset for the men's soccer program here at UNLV, as he's been in the starting lineup each season since he was a freshman. In the 2014 season, Fuentes earned First Team All-West Region honors after helping UNLV to a 14-5-3 record, the WAC regular season and tournament championship, and its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1988. So strong has been his impact over his college career, that at the beginning of the this year, Fuentes became the first-ever Rebel named to the MAC (Missouri Athletic Club) Hermann Trophy Watch List, the most prestigious individual award in NCAA soccer. He was one of only 30 players nationwide to be named to the list.

As the season nears its end, Fuentes reflects on what his final home games as a Rebel mean to him. "It means a lot," he says. "I've been here for four years, I've been through a lot, good and bad, and I feel like this weekend is going to be the best." The final home games are especially important, Fuentes says, because the outcome will determine whether or not UNLV finishes the regular season at the top of the conference standings. As for what he hopes to accomplish, Fuentes says, "More than anything to make the team win, help with assists or goals, whatever it takes so we can stay on top and win the championship again."

A native of Las Vegas, Fuentes says he could not have made a better decision than to become a Rebel and spend his collegiate career at UNLV. "I'm so happy," says Fuentes, "It was the best decision I could have made [to attend UNLV], one because I'm the first child in my family to come to college and two because I was born here, I played club here, and it just feels like home."

Head coach Rich Ryerson, who coached Fuentes all four years, is equally ecstatic with his decision to play for the Rebels. "Liam [Connors] our associate head coach, really did a great job to recruit him to play here," he says. "He's been a pleasure to have on our team for the past four years. He's a great player, he's one of our captains this year, and we are extremely excited that he was a part of the Rebel family."

Ryerson also noted Fuentes' consistency and ability to score, saying that he was one of the top scorers on the team the previous three years. Of this season, in which Fuentes has six points off three goals so far Ryerson says, "Our season's not done yet, so he has some catching up to do and we know he has the ability to do so and continue to make our offense a dangerous threat everytime we have the ball."

Fuentes is not concerned with his own statistics, only the outcome of the upcoming games. "We're going to win this weekend," he says confident in the abilities of himself and his teammates. Fans can see for themselves and cheer on Fuentes in his final games at UNLV's Peter Johann Memorial Field, Friday versus Seattle, and Sunday versus Utah Valley.