LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) — The Rebels earned their first win of the season, defeating Pacific 3-2 at Peter Johann Memorial Field Thursday night.
UNLV (1-3-2) outpaced the Tigers after scoring the game's first goal on a penalty kick in the 37th minute.
"The guys played great," UNLV Head Coach
BJ Craig said. "It's been a long time coming. We talked about believing in who we are and what we can do. And tonight it showed."
Daniel Rojas snuck a transition pass through the right channel as
Skyler Goo raced past Pacific's back line. Goo's pace forced a foul from Cooper Riley inside the penalty area.
Nico Clasen took the penalty, fooling Pacific goalkeeper Eric Cotton with a punt to the upper left.Â
Cooper fetched an equalizer in the 54th minute, bouncing a 20-yard, left-footed slider just by the hands of UNLV keeper
Andrew Sway.
But for the next 30 minutes, it was all UNLV.
"In the second half, we stepped our pressure up and took it off them very well."
Donovan Sessoms collected his first collegiate goal in the 65th minute. The freshman smacked a lefty strike off a Pacific defender as the Tigers descended on his one-on-one opportunity. Right center back Frankie Martinez had stolen a pass deep in Pacfic's attack zone and lofted it quickly through the midfield to
Gabe Sanchez, who fed a brilliant touch to the right sideline for the streaking Sessoms as the Rebels moved the ball from goal-to-goal in 11 seconds.
Goo didn't let a second opportunity slip past. In the 80th minute, the senior striker tracked
Hayden Prasad's outlet to the right corner of the penalty box and fired a laser over Cotton's leaping reach for a 3-1 lead.
Pacific's Emmanuel Benson-Oladeinbo rebounded a blocked shot in the 84th minute to put the Tigers within 1, but UNLV suffocated any serious chances and walked off victorious for the first time under Craig.
UNLV next hosts Sacramento State on Sunday, Sept. 18, at 6 p.m.
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