LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) — The UNLV men's soccer team (4-2-1) grabbed its second straight shutout win, topping UC Irvine (2-3-1), 2-0, in the final non-conference road match of the season Sunday night at Anteater Stadium.
After a first half that saw their goal called off, the Rebels left no doubt in the second half with a go-ahead goal from sophomore
Maxim Scordo in the 55th minute and senior forward
Nick Legendre's 83rd-minute insurance goal. Following an early potential Anteater score that was ruled out due to an offside call upheld by VAR review, the Scarlet & Gray never allowed another ball to reach the net the rest of the way.
Scordo, who finished the match with three points, turned UC Irvine misfortune into his team-high-tying third goal of the season when he stole an errant pass in the box and won the one-on-one battle with UCI's keeper. Joining Scordo with a team-best-tying third score, Legendre slid the finishing goal into the net after receiving a relay from freshman defender
Jacob Miranda that started with Scordo's backward heel pass.
Facing constant pressure, senior goalkeeper
Hugo Lemos and the supporting Scarlet & Gray backline provided a firm wall around the goal en route to deterring 15 total shots fired by the Anteaters. Behind their play, Lemos and company stretched their streak of consecutive minutes played without conceding a goal to 98 minutes.
STAT OF THE GAME: In spite of a 15-4 disadvantage in total shots, the UNLV attack made its opportunities count when they mattered most by finding the net on its only two shots on goal from Scordo and Legendre.
QUOTABLE: "Fantastic performance tonight! That is all I can say. We started very well and 20 minutes in two goals were reviewed within minutes, then it was like starting a new game again and that took a little wind out of our sail standing around waiting - especially after having to play on two days of rest against a team with four days off. I am just so proud of the players coming off the bench who came in and did a great job. We scored when we knew they would give us chances and that is what great teams learn to do. We earned the win and our day off, and now we'll move forward."
- UNLV Head Coach BJ Craig
UP NEXT: UNLV will conclude non-conference play with a home contest vs. Gonzaga on Sunday, September 20.
NOTES:
- The match marked the third of the Rebels' non-conference slate against an opponent that has been ranked in the top 25 nationally and made NCAA Tournament appearances over the past three years.
- UNLV has now scored goals in four of the past five games and has found the net in five of seven games. In the matches they've capitalized on scoring, the Rebels improved its record to 4-0-1.
- Along with sharing the team lead in goals scored, Legendre and Scordo now sit side-by-side as the Scarlet & Gray points leaders with seven points apiece during the 2026 campaign.
- By way of the result, the Scarlet & Gray has now gone unbeaten in three consecutive matches. That string of contests includes a 1-1 draw at UC Riverside and a 1-0 win at UC San Diego.
