WAC PLAY STARTS SUNDAY FOR UNLV MEN’S SOCCER
Rebels host Roadrunners in early season showdown
UNLV begins its first men’s soccer season in the WAC since 1998 by hosting Bakersfield in the league opener for both squads on Sunday at 1 pm at Peter Johann Field. Though both teams hoped for better non-conference results, the two teams appear to be the top challengers in the West division, giving Sunday’s winner an early leg up in the division race.
The game will be shown live by the Mountain West Network on UNLVRebels.com, thanks to the UNLV-TV student-run production.
UNLV vs. Bakersfield (Sunday, 7 pm)
Live video – None
Live stats – Gametracker
All About The Rebels
There’s no doubt that UNLV has played one of the toughest schedules in the nation, as its six losses have come against teams that are currently 37-10-5 overall. That includes two losses to a pair of top-25 squads, No. 6 Cal State Northridge and No. 7 UMBC.
The top returning player for the Rebels this year is junior Las Vegas native Salvador Bernal, the top returning scorer from any team in the conference, and an all-region pick in 2012. Sophomore midfielder Rodrigo Fuentes is currently first in the WAC in points while senior forward Joaquin Rivas is tied for fifth overall in points, and Bernal is tied for second with three assists. In goal is junior Ryan Harding, who is seeing action for the first time since 2011 after undergoing successful chemotherapy treatments.
Scouting Bakersfield
The Roadrunners bring a 2-5-1 mark into Sunday’s game, and like the Rebels have not won since Sept. 8, but all five of the team’s losses have been by two or more goals, and the team has not found the back of the net since Sept. 19. Sunday’s game will also be the seventh away game in the first nine games for the squad.
Eduardo Calzada is the team’s top scorer this season with eight points off four goals. David Velazquez is next with a pair of goals for five points. In the net is Anthony Perez, who holds a 2.22 GAA with 21 saves and two shutouts this season.
Next Time Out
The Rebels will play a pair of league games on the road, starting with a Friday, Oct. 11 contest at Seattle starting at 7 pm. That will be followed by a Sunday, Oct. 13 game at San Jose State at 2:30 pm.