UNLV WOMEN’S SOCCER OPENS SEASON IN REBEL CLASSIC ON FRIDAY
Friday’s contest will be against Northern Arizona, weekend concludes Sunday against Grand Canyon
The UNLV women’s soccer team opens up the 2014 season with this weekend’s UNLV Rebel Classic, in which it faces Northern Arizona in the season opener on Friday at 7 pm, and then close out on Sunday against Grand Canyon at 1 pm. UC Riverside will be the fourth team in the tournament, which will also have games at 4:30 pm Friday and 10:30 am Sunday. Tickets are $8 for adults, while children 12 and under are always free to UNLV soccer games. A special note to all fans attending the contest, the parking lots at the soccer field are currently closed, fans should expect to park instead at the baseball lots and walk over to Johann Field.
All four games of the Rebel Classic will have a live video stream and Gametracker available, which can be accessed at UNLVRebels.com.
UNLV Rebel Classic
UNLV vs. Northern Arizona (Friday, 7 pm)
Live Video – Mountain West Network (UNLVRebels.com/videos)
Live Stats – Gametracker
UNLV at Grand Canyon (Sunday, 1 pm)
Live Video – Mountain West Network (UNLVRebels.com/videos)
Live Stats – Gametracker
UNLV Weekly Release
All About The Rebels
This is a young Rebel squad, with only one senior and 23 underclassmen. The one bright spot is that 10 members of the sophomore class started at least two games or more last year, and the Rebels hope that experience will pay off this year. The top two returning scorers from a year ago are a pair of sophomores, midfielder Jordan Magnin (four goals, eight points) and forward Dakota Blazak (three goals, seven points). There will be a new face in the net after four-year starter Kylie Wassell graduated following a stellar career. Four freshmen keepers are all in the mix to be the starter on opening night.
UNLV is 4-1-2 all-time against Northern Arizona, and is on a six-game unbeaten streak against the Lumberjacks, though last year’s meeting finished in a double-overtime 0-0 tie in Flagstaff. This is the first-ever meeting between the Rebels and Grand Canyon.
Scouting Northern Arizona
The Lumberjacks finished last season with a 11-5-3 mark and placed second in the Big Sky. They look ready to make another top finish in the conference as they return six all-league selections from a year ago, and have been picked to finish third in the conference while picking up one first place vote in the preseason poll. Leading the way is Cierra Gamble who led the Big Sky in scoring with 15 points and five goals. Three players are contending to be the starter in goal.
Scouting Grand Canyon
The Antelopes are in their second year in the WAC, and have been picked to finish fifth after a fourth-place record of 4-7-1, 5-12-1 overall. Junior forward Cassie Beckwith, the team’s leading scorer a year ago with four goals, returns for Grand Canyon, while the goalkeeper position is also up for grabs.
Next Time Out
The Rebels will be at home for the second straight weekend, hosting the UNLV Nike Invitational. The first game will be on Friday, Aug. 29 against Colorado at 7 pm, followed by a Sunday, Aug. 31 contest against Saint Francis at 10:30 am. Both games will be at Johann Memorial Field.