LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) — A closely contested battle went against the UNLV men's soccer team in a 1-0 defeat to CSUN Sunday night at Matador Soccer Field.

A 23rd-minute shot by junior forward Kai Merrill with the potential for a 1-0 Rebel (2-4-2) lead saw the ball nearly bounce across the line before being ruled a save by the Matador goalkeeper upon official review. The match remained deadlocked up until the 77th minute when a deflection led to CSUN (5-0-3) knocking in the decisive goal that was upheld after another replay review.

The Scarlet & Gray continued to create chances on the way to a 4-3 advantage in shots on goal, but an equalizer didn't fall in its favor. Those included second-half targets on a 51st-minute strike by junior forward Tyler Ware and another by junior midfielder Andres Robles in the 86th minute.

QUOTABLE: "I am proud of our performance tonight. We were very good for large parts of the game and having a goal called back that would have put us ahead changes the game. We have to keep moving forward and that is the key now as we prepare for another top-25 team."
-UNLV Head Coach BJ Craig

UP NEXT: The Rebels will return home for their non-conference finale when they host No. 20 UC Irvine at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 26.