We're in our homestretch of the UNLV Top 10 Moments of the Decade with our next edition featuring the Rebel women's soccer squad.
NO. 10: DOWN GOES OKLAHOMA
UNLV Scores Overtime Victory Over Oklahoma At Home (Aug. 31, 2012)
Senior midfielder and Las Vegas native
Julie Owens lifted the Rebels to victory with a golden-goal header in the final minutes of the second overtime, helping UNLV beat the Big 12's Oklahoma 2-1 at Peter Johann Memorial Field. Read more
here.
(Pictured: Julie Owens)
No. 9: REBELS TAKE DOWN COLORADO, OREGON IN SAME WEEK
In early-season non-conference action, UNLV topples Colorado and Oregon in the same week (Sept. 6 & 10, 2010)
The Rebels started the 2010 season on fire, setting a program record that still exists today with a 5-1 start to the season (the 2016 squad tied that mark), thanks to a pair of back-to-back wins over Colorado and Oregon. UNLV used an offensive explosion for a 4-2 victory over Colorado in the Denver Invitational on Sept. 6, marking the third time in the first five games they tallied four goals, then followed that up with a narrow 1-0 victory over Oregon at home on Sept. 10. The victory over Oregon came on the foot of senior Sarah Naranjo, who chose the perfect time for her first career goal, giving the Rebels the lead in the 79th minute. Read more
here &
here.
(Pictured: Sarah Naranjo)
No. 8: JORDAN MAGNIN BUZZER-BEATER
Rebels stun New Mexico on last-second goal by senior Jordan Magnin (Oct. 9, 2016)
The 2016 season was one of the best in program history and it had its fair share of memorable moments all year long. One of them came at Peter Johann Memorial Field on Oct. 9 when the Rebels hosted New Mexico in a Mountain West matchup. The game looked headed for overtime as the score was knotted at one with the clock ticking down on the second half. UNLV standout senior midfielder Jordan Magnin took a pass from
Sophie Cortes and made one final towering shot attempt from 25 yards out with about seven seconds remaining. This was no desperation attempt though as Magnin's powerful kick sailed into the upper right corner of the New Mexico goal, impossible for any goalkeeper to get their hand on the perfectly-placed ball, sending the Rebels into a celebration dog pile. The officials quickly dispersed the group as there was three seconds remaining on the clock, but the buzz-beater shot lifted the Rebels to the 2-1 win. The goal was named the National Goal of the Week, while Magnin earned TopDrawerSoccer's Team of the Week honors. Read more
here.
No. 7: JENN WOLFE SENIOR NIGHT GAME-WINNER OVER UNR
Rebel standout Jenn Wolfe scores late game-winner over UNR on her senior night (Nov. 1, 2013)
Former Rebel standout Jenn Wolfe couldn't have scripted a better senior night as the UNLV forward tied a school record when she blasted in the game-winner with 11 seconds left in the second overtime for a 2-1 victory over in-state rival UNR. It was Wolfe's 10th-game winning goal of her career, sharing the record with former Rebel Katie Carney (2004-07). The game was just moments away from ending in a draw for the second straight year until Wolfe's heroics. It was set up when the Rebels brought the ball down on the attack, and Miranda Rawlings sent over a pass to Wolfe. The senior sized up the situation before launching a hard shot that sailed towards the top of the goal from 35 yards out and the ball was tipped into the back of the net at the 109:49. The victory lifted the Rebels to sixth in the Mountain West standings, clinching them a spot in the Mountain West Tournament that year. Read more
here.
No. 6: SNAPPED! REBELS ENDS LOBOS CONFERENCE WINNING STREAK
UNLV beats New Mexico to end the Lobos' 17-game conference winning streak (Oct. 14, 2012)
On senior day for the Rebels, UNLV snapped New Mexico's 17-game conference unbeaten streak with a 2-0 victory on at Peter Johann Memorial Field thanks to a pair of second-half goals, handing the Lobos their first regular season loss in conference play since Oct. 23, 2009.
Macy Jo Harrison, put UNLV up by a 1-0 score in the 57th minute, while Jenn Wolfe added the insurance goal five minutes later, scoring her team-leading 11th goal of the season. Read more
here.
No. 5: UNLV HIRES FORMER REBEL JENNY RUIZ-WILLIAMS TO LEAD PROGRAM
UNLV tabs former Rebel Jenny Ruiz-Williams to lead the women's soccer program into the new decade (Dec. 3, 2019)
Jenny Ruiz-Williams became the first former Rebel women's soccer player to return as head coach when she was hired by Director of Athletics
Desiree Reed-Francois on December 3, 2019. During her four-year playing career with the Rebels, Ruiz-Williams helped the team become one of the top defenses in the Mountain West and earned All-MW recognition twice. She was a part of the UNLV team that won a regular-season conference title and clinch its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 2004. Ruiz-Williams came to UNLV after spending the 2019 campaign as an assistant at Oregon State, where she was instrumental in the Beavers' success as they recorded their best mark in eight years (11-6-2). As part of a first-year coaching staff, she assisted in a remarkable turnaround as the team had its best start to a season in program history, going 8-0-0 after the 2018 squad finished with an overall record of 2-17-0. Read more
here.
No. 4: UNLV WINS FIRST MW REGULAR SEASON TITLE SINCE 2007
Rebels secure outright conference championship with 4-2 win over rival UNR in Reno (Oct. 28, 2016)
Senior sensation
Lily Sender registered a hat trick and junior
Chidera Akubuilo added a fourth insurance goal in the 4-2 victory over the Wolf Pack, with the victory securing UNLV's first regular season Mountain West Championship since 2007 and the No. 1 seed in next week's conference tournament in San Diego. UNLV finished the regular season 15-3-2 and 8-1-2 in conference play, with both win totals being the most in program history. They also finished the regular season a perfect 5-0 on the road in league play, which also sets a new record for the program. Read more
here.
No. 3: REBELS SWEEP MOUNTAIN WEST AWARDS
UNLV claims all three major MW regular season awards - Lily Sender, Offensive Player of the Year; Chidera Akubuilo, Defensive Player of the Year & Chris Shaw, Coach of the Year (Oct. 31, 2016)
After a record-setting regular season that concluded with Friday's 4-2 Mountain West title-clinching win over Nevada, Reno, UNLV Women's Soccer swept the Mountain West's marquee awards. Senior
Lily Sender was voted the league's Offensive Player of the Year, junior
Chidera Akubuilo was named the Defensive Player of the Year and
Chris Shaw earned Coach of the Year honors. In addition to Sender and Akubuilo, the Rebels also landed three others (
Sophie Cortes,
Jordan Magnin and
Hayley Wilson) on the All-Conference First Team, two on the Second Team (
Susie Bernal,
Jordan Sallee) and two on the All-Newcomer Team (
Paige Almendariz,
Georgia Kingman). The nine conference honors, including the five first-team selections, were the most-ever for the Rebels in program history. Read more
here.
No. 2: SENDER EARNS PROGRAM'S FIRST NSCAA ALL-AMERICA HONOR
Senior Lily Sender becomes first Rebel to named to the NSCAA All-America Team (Dec. 2, 2016)
The 2016 record-setting season was full of first, including when senior
Lily Sender was named to the NSCAA All-America Second Team, becoming the first-ever Rebel in the history of the program to earn the award. She was also the first Mountain West player to be named an All-American since San Diego State's Megan Jurado was a second team selection in 2012. After leading the team and the conference with 15 goals and 38 points, Sender garnered the program's third Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year award to go along with an All-Conference First Team selection -- one of a record nine Rebels to earn all league honors. She was also named to CoSIDA's Academic All-District team and became just the second player in program history to earn a spot on the organization's Academic All-America team after her successes on the field and in the classroom. Her goals and points totals also ranked top-20 in the nation in 2016. Read more
here.
No. 1: REBELS CAPTURE 2016 MW TOURNAMENT TITLE AND FIRST NCAA BID SINCE 2006
UNLV edges San Diego State in PK shootout in MW title game to reach NCAA tournament for first time in a decade (Nov. 6, 2016)
After a wild MW championship game in San Diego, the Rebels clinched the program's first Mountain West Tournament title and NCAA Tournament berth since 2006. It also marked the first time the Rebels had won the regular season and tournament titles in the same year in program history. In a game the Rebels led 2-0 and 3-2 as late as the 89th minute, it took a penalty kick shootout win to finally seal the deal after top-seeded UNLV and third-seeded San Diego State played 110 minutes to a 3-3 tie. The game went to a penalty kick shootout to determine the title winner and the recipient of the Mountain West's automatic NCAA berth. Senior keeper
Jordan Sallee came up with a stop in the shootout, lifting the Rebels to the win. UNLV went on to lose to BYU in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Read more
here.
