Gaels Get Back in Win Column with 2-0 Defeat of UNLV
 
COMING IN HOT
Saint Mary's Men's Soccer improved to 2-1 on the season and came out of the blocks firing against the UNLV Rebels. The Gaels wasted no time putting the pressure on the Rebels with shots by Christian Engmann, Cade Cowen, and Louis Sterobo in the first 10 minutes of the match.
 
The Gaels matched the physicality and of the big UNLV line up in a foul-filled first half, with the Gaels committing 10 infractions in the first half and the Rebels nine. Each side received a yellow card in the first 45 minutes as well.
 
SAINT MARY'S BREAKS THROUGH
In the second half the Gaels created offensive opportunities early on again. They would score the game's first goal in the 51^st minute when freshman Riley Lynch faked to his right and came back left leaving a defender in his dust as he got into the box, he then made almost the exact same move on the next defender in his way, leaving the UNLV player's cleats frozen in the pitch creating space and firing a left-footed shot into the far-left corner of the net for a 1-0 Gaels lead.
 
It looked like Saint Mary's had made it a 2-0 game just five minutes later when sophomore Cade Cowen put a rebound into the back of the net, but the Gaels were ruled offsides on the play.
 
Cowen would not be denied in the 69^th minute, when a corner kick from the near sideline was headed in the box by two different UNLV defenders. Cowen settled the ball down off his chest, flipped it up into the air off of his right foot and fired a shot with is left foot while the ball was still in the air into the top of the net over the leaping keeper for a beautiful, highlight-reel worthy finish.
 
GAELS HANG ON
The physical play would continue in the late-stages of the match and junior Curry Boyd would pick up two quick yellow cards, one for a handball in the penalty box and another for an illegal tackle. Even down a man in the final nine minutes, the Gaels would successfully salt away the game by keeping the ball away from the Rebels, especially via some booming kicks from sophomore keeper Kash Oladapo that kept UNLV from being able to establish any possession time in the Gaels end of the field.
 
UP NEXT
The Gaels will finish their season-opening home stand with their first ever match up against the Dixie State Trailblazers at 1:00 pm on Monday, September 6 at Saint Mary's Stadium.

#GaelsRise — Single game tickets are on sale through the month of September! To select your game and your tickets, click HERE!