The Pioneers won their second game of the weekend, downing the University of Nevada Las Vegas Rebels 1-0 Sunday at Pioneer Field.
The Rebels (5-4-1) came out strong against the Pioneers, shooting within the first minute of the game, keeping DU goalkeeper Joe Willis on his toes. It was first of many saves the sophomore goalkeeper made, as he tallied seven more by the end of the game. UNLV outshot DU 20-15, but it was senior forward Kyle Christensen who made the lone goal to boost the Pioneers over the Rebels.
Thirty-six minutes into the game, senior midfielder Joey Mathot crossed the ball from right field to the feet of freshman midfielder Zach Paul, who then tapped it to Christensen for a shot seven yards from the goal line. The goal was Christensen’s first of the season, and his 22nd in his career at DU.
Head coach Bobby Muus said, “The wins over New Mexico and UNLV this weekend were huge wins. To start the conference 2-0 and gain some confidence after having some very close games that didn’t go our way was a huge momentum builder for the guys. I don’t know if conference started at the right time or not; all I know is we are just now finding ways to win games and it feels as if things are coming together.”
The Pioneers came close to adding more points to the scoreboard as Paul looked to score a goal of his own, dribbling around three UNLV defenders, and taking the shot, but blocked by the diving goalie 15 minutes into the second half.
Freshman forward Sam Garza gave another attempt in after 79 minutes of play as he fired a shot five yards from outside the box, which barely curved wide. Garza has already tallied 24 shots this season and has recorded one goal and one assist.
The Pioneers showed some excellent defense from junior Kris Banghart, who made many blocks throughout the game, as well as from senior midfielder Luke Jackson. Following a foul, Jackson blocked a free kick taken in the 74th minute of the game, keeping the score in DU’s favor.
UNLV sophomore forward Daniel Cruz gave one final effort to even the score, shooting from only three yards in the box with only one minute left on the clock. Willis made his seventh save, however, diving in front of the ball, and tallying another win for DU, who are now 4-5-0.
Muuss commented on Willis’ performance: “Joe Willis is a very integral part of this team. Joe is a great shot-stopper and an even better shot preventer. His leadership has helped lead our team to two huge shutouts over very good opponents.”
Muuss added, “I think red-shirting has paid huge dividends not only for Joe but for the future of the program.”
