It’s taken only two games for the men’s soccer team (2-0) to be crowned champions. Over the weekend, the Rebels beat Western Illinois (1-1) as well as tournament host Bradley (1-1) to earn the title of Hotels at Grand Prairie Classic Champions. For UNLV, it is the first 2-0 start since the 2008 season. The Rebels’ season opened up in Peoria, Illinois against the Leathernecks of Western Illinois. UNLV got the scoring going when junior midfielder Rodrigo Fuentes netted a strike in the 19th minute. Shortly after the Fuentes goal, the game went into a 57-minute weather delay before resuming play midway through the first half. Three minutes into the second half, Western Illinois’ Armel Kouassi scored the equalizer with a shot from the right side. The Leathernecks continued the offensive attack, but the stout defense of goalie Ryan Harding (three saves in the second half) ensured the game would not be lost in regulation. The Rebels answered late in the match in the 92nd minute, when senior Connor Coletti scored his first career goal on a scramble following a free kick. Coletti hit the shot from six yards out and sealed the season-opening win. UNLV finished with a 16-9 edge in overall shots and a 6-2 edge in corner kicks. The second game of the Grand Prairie Classic was dominated by UNLV’s captain, Salvador Bernal. The senior had arguably the best game of his career. scoring three goals while assisting on another in the Rebels’ 4-3 win over Bradley. The hat trick is the first for a UNLV soccer player since Sept. 23, 2001 when Alex Hernandez accomplished the feat in a 6-1 victory over UConn. The game against the Braves showed how far this team has come from a year ago. Last season, one of the Rebels’ biggest issues was their inability to overcome early deficits. Nineteen minutes into Saturday’s contest, UNLV found themselves in a 2-0 hole. Before the half however, Bernal would respond, scoring in the 35th minute, then again in the 42nd to knot the game at 2-2. Four minutes into the second half, Bernal put the Rebels up 3-2 when he scored on the rebound from his own penalty kick. Bradley tied the game in the 51st minute before Bernal found Kyle Mellies off of a corner kick in the 79th minute to give UNLV the lead for good. Bernal became the first player to ever record a hat trick against Bradley on their home field. His seven points are the second most ever recorded by an opponent against the Braves. Bernal, the tournament MVP, was joined on the all-tournament team by teammates Irvin Somera, Coletti and Mellies. The Rebels open up a four-game homestand this weekend when the Johann Memorial Classic gets underway, where UNLV will play IPFW on Friday, followed by a Sunday contest with Howard.
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