REBELS OPEN MOUNTAIN WEST PLAY HOSTING BOISE STATE, UTAH STATE
UNLV takes on the Broncos Friday night at 7 p.m. and the Aggies Sunday at 1 p.m. at Peter Johann Field
@UNLVwSoccer
- UNLV vs. Boise State | Friday, September 24 | 7 p.m. | Live Stats | Live Video | Free UNLV Soccer Foundation Tailgate at 5 p.m.
- UNLV vs. Utah State | Sunday, September 19 | 1 p.m. | Live Stats
With its non-conference slate in the rearview mirror, the UNLV women’s soccer team is set for Mountain West play, opening its league schedule at home against Boise State and Utah State on Friday and Sunday, respectively. Friday’s kickoff is set for 7 p.m. while Sunday’s match will get underway at 1 p.m. at Peter Johann Memorial Field.
The UNLV Soccer Foundation will be hosting a free tailgate for fans prior to Friday’s game against the Broncos. Admission is free with your ticket to the game. Tickets cost $6 per adult when purchased in advance of game day and free for kids in high school or younger. Season and single-game tickets can be purchased at UNLVTickets.com.
The Rebels are 7-2 headed into this weekend’s matchups having won seven of its last eight games, including three straight to finish out non-league competition. Both defeats were narrow as UNLV was edged out 1-0 by Dixie State in the season opener and dropped a close 2-1 overtime contest at Grand Canyon. The Mountain West opening games will be no easy feat as both the Broncos and Aggies sit atop the league standings along with the Rebels. Boise State comes to Las Vegas at 6-2 and Utah State at 7-1-1 as five Mountain West teams start conference play with two losses or fewer.
The Scarlet and Gray have been strong on both sides of the ball this fall. As a team, the offense ranks first in goals scored (19), second in points (49) and goals per game (2.11) and third in shots (107) and assists (11). Junior midfielder Marcella Brooks, who netted the game-winner in a 2-1 win at LMU last Sunday, ranks fifth individually in points (8) and tied for fifth in goals (3), while fellow junior midfielder Lourdes Bosch is tied for second in assists (3) and tied for sixth in points (7). Defensively, the Rebels are third in goals allowed (10) and goals-against-average (1.08) with its three shutouts tied for third-most of all MW teams.
For the Rebels to come away with two victories on the weekend, the offense will need to keep up the production it saw over the first month of the season as the only two teams that rank ahead of UNLV defensively are the Broncos and Aggies.
UNLV and Utah State will be meeting for the first time since the fall of 2019 as the pandemic-shortened 2021 spring season split the conference into two divisions and the two squads did not play each other. The Aggies won the last matchup 1-0 in Las Vegas. The Rebels saw Boise State twice last spring, going 0-1-1 after a double overtime draw in the season opener at home and a 1-0 loss in Boise in the season finale.
Fans can watch Friday’s game live on the Mountain West Network and Sunday’s game can be followed through the live stats link and on UNLVRebels.com. Fans can also follow the action with in-game updates via Twitter on the official team account @UNLVwSoccer.
News & Notes
- UNLV finished its non-conference slate 7-2, winning seven of eight after a season-opening loss; best non-league record since 2018
- UNLV opened the season at home for the ninth time in the last 11 seasons and 16th time since the program’s inaugural year in 1998.
- The 2021 campaign marks head coach Jenny Ruiz-Williams’ second season at the helm of the Rebel women’s soccer program.
- After seeing only four players record hat tricks five times over the first 22 seasons in program history, two Rebels have now done it just over a season into Ruiz-Williams’ era. Hevani Haunga accomplished the feat against UC San Diego and sophomore Nailah Harper did it during her freshman campaign in the spring of 2021 at San Jose State
- Ruiz-Williams is the first UNLV women’s soccer alumnae to lead the program
- In the conference-only spring 2021 season, UNLV went 5-4-1 overall and finished tied for fourth in league standings
