Time to bring you the second edition of our new historical features, the #RebelTop5. And this week we have the other "fútbol," or soccer, as we visit the top players of the past decade (2010-19) from the UNLV Men's Soccer program.
This was not an easy list to compile, as the Rebels claimed three total conference championships, two NCAA Appearances and one NCAA Tournament victory during the past 10 years while six players were drafted by the MLS.
Be sure to let us know on social media if you agree or disagree with our #RebelTop5.
And now we present the #RebelTop5 for Men's Soccer!
No. 5: Kevin Partida, Midfielder (2013-17)
One of the best the Rebels ever had in the midfield with his ability to control possession and lead the UNLV attack, which ranked among the top scoring offenses in the nation during his four years on the field. A second-team All-WAC selection and two-time WAC Tournament Team honoree, he was a key part of the Rebels' 2014 WAC regular-season and tournament championship squad.
BONUS NOTE: A third-round draft selection by the San Jose Earthquakes in the 2018 MLS Superdraft, he would make the roster in June of 2018 and all of 2019 and is currently playing for Reno 1868 in the USL.
No. 4: Timo Mehlich, Midfielder (2016-19)
The start of the German pipeline to the UNLV men's soccer team, Mehlich made an impact right from the start, as he earned WAC Freshman of the Year honors in 2016 while helping UNLV to the WAC Tournament title and the second round of the NCAA Tournament. He is the only Rebel to earn All-WAC honors four straight years, twice claiming All-Region accolades as well. With 64 points off 25 goals and 14 assists, he ranks 10th all-time in career scoring for the Rebels.
BONUS NOTE: Has a knack for coming up big in the biggest moments for UNLV as he posted a golden goal in just his second career game and finished with eight game-winners in his four years in Las Vegas.
No. 3: Kyle Mellies, Defender (2011-14)
One of the key members of the turnaround of the men's soccer program as UNLV won three, six, eight and then 14 games during his four years with the Rebels. After starting seven games as a freshman and 13 as a sophomore, Mellies became the anchor of the defensive backline his final two years, starting 40 of 41 games while helping turn the Rebels into one of the stingiest defenses in the WAC, as he used his height and leaping ability to stop numerous attacks. Mellies also became a force on the offensive side, scoring a career-high 12 points off five goals and two assists in 2014 during the Rebels' run to a sweep of the WAC regular-season and tournament championships and trip to the NCAA tournament.
BONUS NOTE: Mellies is the only Rebel in program history to earn Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors (WAC in 2014), and was also a second-team CoSIDA All-Academic All-American selection in 2014.
No. 2: Sal Bernal (2011-14)
One of the first recruits of current head coach
Rich Ryerson was also one of the most important players in the beginning of the decade. The overlooked Las Vegas native from Clark High School burst onto the collegiate season in 2011 by scoring 14 points to claim MPSF Newcomer of the Year and College Soccer News All-Freshman honors. He finished his career as the 2014 WAC Offensive Player of the Year and earned All-America honors from both College Soccer News and United Soccer Coaches as he led the Rebels to the WAC regular-season championship title, their first league crown since 1988.
BONUS NOTE(S): His younger sister, Susie, was also a star for the UNLV women's soccer team. Bernal was drafted by Toronto in the 2015 MLS Draft, starting the run of Rebels in the MLS this decade.
No. 1: Danny Musovski (2011-14)
There's no doubt who was going to be number one on this list. Another Las Vegas native, but this one was predicted to be a star right from the start and he did nothing to disappoint, claiming WAC Tournament MVP honors and Freshman All-America status while leading UNLV to the 2014 tournament title and NCAA Tournament. The two-time WAC Player of the Year forward (2015, 2017) earned three All-America honors in 2015. In 2017 he was an All-American again after finishing the season ranked number one in the nation in both goals (0.833 goals per game) and points (2.0 points per game). He added another WAC Tournament MVP award in 2016 after scoring both goals in UNLV's championship victory over Air Force, and he would help lead the Rebels past San Diego State a week later for the team's first NCAA victory since 1987.
BONUS NOTE(S): Musovski (interestingly, one of three players in the top five with a sibling that played for UNLV), had the biggest scoring performance ever by a Rebel. He tied the school record for goals in a game on Sept. 24, 2017, with four against Oral Roberts and then just nine days later again notched a hat trick with three scores against San Jose State. Currently, Musovski is a member of the MLS's LAFC after first being drafted in the second round by the San Jose Earthquakes in 2018 and playing with Reno 1868 FC in 2018 and 2019.
HONORABLE MENTIONS (Listed in alphabetical order)
Nico Clasen, Midfielder (2018-PRESENT) - Our second German on the list, Clasen was another Rebel to make an immediate impact as he set the school freshman assist record with 10, which ranked him seventh overall in the nation and earned him Third Team Freshman All-American honors as well as WAC Second Team and Third Team All-West Region status.
Rodrigo Fuentes, Midfielders (2012-15) - One of the top scores for the Rebels in the decade, Fuentes finished his four years with 45 points off 16 goals and 13 assists. He was one of the most consistent players as well, claiming All-WAC honors three times, including first team in 2015 and an all-region (first team) recognition in 2014.
Marco Gonzalez, Forward (2017-PRESENT) - Another Las Vegas native, Gonzalez has excelled for the Rebels right from the start, recording 18 points in 2017, which tied for third-highest ever by a freshman and earned him WAC Freshman Team and WAC Honorable Mention accolades. He followed that with an even better season in 2018 as he ranked in the top five of the WAC in both points and goals with team-highs of 23 and 10, respectively, which placed him on both the All-WAC Second Team and the all-region third team.
Ryan Harding, Goalkeeper (2011-14) - The only goalkeeper in UNLV history to earn All-Region honors, Harding capped off a strong career as a Rebel with a championship season in 2014. He played in all 22 games and allowed just 26 goals while recording nine solo shutouts and a 1.17 GAA and helping UNLV to the WAC regular-season title. In the WAC tournament championship game, Harding allowed only one goal over 200 minutes of action and then stopped two penalty kicks in the shootout to give the Rebels the title.
Adam Musovski, Defender (2015-18) - Adam joins his older brother Danny as one of our top players of the decade, as after limited action as a freshman, Adam would start in 64 of 65 games over his final three years, becoming the team's leader on the backline his senior season. He claimed a pair of All-WAC honors over his four years, and also made an impact on offense, including a goal against San Diego State in UNLV's 1-1 tie with the Aztecs in the NCAA First Round (UNLV advanced after winning the PK shootout).
