Nov. 8, 2012
Albuquerque, N.M. — The No. 3 seeded Air Force Falcons blistered the nets to the tune of four first half goals, and then had to fend off a rally as they defeated the No. 6 UNLV Rebels 4-2 victory in the first round of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Soccer Tournament, hosted by the University of New Mexico. The win pushed Air Force to the semifinals, where the Falcons will play the No. 2 seed Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners tomorrow at 5 p.m.
Air Force improved to 9-8-3 while UNLV’s seasons came to an end at 6-14-1.
The Falcons and Rebels looked like prizefighters for the first 15 minutes, each team feeling the other out. Air Force then tried to deliver an early knock-out blow with a three goal flurry in just over 11 minutes.
Caleb Downey got the Falcons on the board first as he was Johnny-on-the-spot after a Scott McGillivray shot hit the post and bounced right to him. Downey buried it for a 1-0 lead at the 20:37 mark. A little over eight minutes later at 28:53, Air Force struck again.
McGillivray took a slot pass from Zane Dydasco and drilled a shot just inside the post past Joe Vitale for a 2-0 lead. Dydasco then got himself on the board when he roofed a shot from just outside the six for a 3-0 lead at the 31:15 mark.
UNLV got themselves on the board when Eddie Vega hit Salvador Bernal on a through pass, and Bernal one touched it home past Matt Underwood to make it 3-1. It looked to go to the half with that score, but with 4:23 left, Kevin Durr’s corner kick was headed home by Conor Henry for a 4-1 halftime advantage.
UNLV had plenty of opportunities in the second half, the best coming after an own goal had made it 4-2. Bernal intercepted a back pass, but his shot was blocked by Underwood, who came out to make the save. The rebound when to Jose Mendoza, but his shot with Underwood out of the net was blocked by Downey. The own goal, at the 66:00 mark, came when Mendoza’s free kick from 40 yards out was headed into the Air Force net by a defender.
Underwood was superb in net for Air Force, making eight saves, six in the second half.