LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - 2016 UNLV Men's Soccer Schedule

A season-opening two-game trip to the state of Virginia and three games against NCAA teams from a year ago highlight the 2016 schedule for the UNLV men's soccer team, as the Rebels announced their full slate for the fall on Friday.

For the fourth straight season the Rebels will open on the road, as UNLV will travel to Virginia for the first time since 1985 for a contest at Old Dominion on Aug. 26 in Norfolk. The Rebels will then stay in the state for a game two days later at VCU in Richmond. This will be the first meetings in school history for the Rebels with either school, while the last time UNLV played in Virginia was the opener of the 1986 campaign in Charlottesville against Virginia.

UNLV then returns home for the third annual Johann Memorial Classic, held on Sept. 2 and 4. The Rebels will face off against Cal State Fullerton, the first 2015 NCAA team on the schedule, in the home opener on Sept. 2 at Peter Johann Memorial Field. That will be followed by Santa Clara, another NCAA team, and UC Riverside in the second game. On Sept. 4, the Rebels will close out the event against UC Riverside, with Santa Clara and Cal State Fullerton closing out the tournament. UNLV and CSU Fullerton will meet for the first time since 2012, while this will be the fourth contest in the last five years against the Highlanders.

"With the potential of this year's team we knew it was important to make sure they were challenged in the non-conference season," said UNLV head coach Rich Ryerson. "There's no doubt we have put together a schedule that will do just that. We start off with a challenging road trip to Virginia against two historically very strong teams, and that will be followed by the first of three games against NCAA competition from a year ago. Two of those games will be on the road as well, and we will be forced to rise to the occasion to have success in those games. We are also expecting much improvement from our fellow conference members in the WAC, especially from Air Force, Grand Canyon and Incarnate Word, while Seattle reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

"This year's home schedule is also a highlight, coming off the 2015 season where we had the highest average attendance in school history. We will have eight of our home games played at night with 7 pm starts. That includes the home opener against Cal State Fullerton, a NCAA team from last year, as well as Pac-12 member Oregon State, and we hope those night games this season turn into a fun and exciting atmosphere with our home crowd."

A road trip to California then awaits UNLV, as the Rebels return a game with Pacific on Sept. 9 in Stockton, and close out the weekend on Sept. 11 at Saint Mary's. The Rebels' game will the Tigers will be the second in two years, after having last played in 1985, while UNLV last played at Saint Mary's in 2012.

UNLV revives the series with Oregon State on Sept. 20, when it welcomes the Beavers to Las Vegas for a Saturday night contest. That will be the third of three games at Johann Field, following the UNLV Alumni game at 3 pm and the Guns'N'Hoses charity benefit game at 4 pm, featuring the Las Vegas Police and Fire Departments.

For the first time since 2004 the Rebels will play a mid-week home game, hosting San Diego on Tuesday, Sept. 20. It's the first meeting between the schools in 12 years. UNLV will then close out the non-conference slate when it faces Gonzaga for the fourth straight year, on the road on Sept. 23.

The WAC schedule starts for the Rebels at home with back-to-back contests, against CSU Bakersfield on Sept. 30, and the lone afternoon home game of the season, Oct. 2 at 1 pm against San Jose State.

Following a two-game road trip to Texas to face UTRGV (Oct. 6) and Incarnate Word (Oct. 8), the Rebels come back for a Oct .14 contest with Grand Canyon. The next week will see UNLV host Air Force on a Friday night (Oct. 21) before traveling against to Texas for an Oct. 23 game at Houston Baptist.

The Rebels will again be on the road the next week with a pair of games at NCAA teams from 2015. First up will be an Oct. 27 contest at Seattle, while UNLV closes out the weekend at Utah Valley on Oct. 29. UMKC will be the Rebels' Senior Night opponent, on Nov. 5. This year's WAC Tournament will be held in Orem, Utah, on the campus of Utah Valley, from Nov. 10-13.

UNLV will bring back six starters from last year's squad that finished with a 12-7-1 overall record, and a 5-4-1 mark in the WAC to place in third overall.