On Saturday night when seniors Callie Hancock and Vanessa Gonzalez were honored for their contributions to the Bulldogs soccer team, UNLV decided to spoil the party by defeating the Bulldogs 1-0 at Bulldog Stadium. The game was the season finale for both teams.
UNLV’s Susie Bernal scored the game’s only goal in the 65th minute when she took a crossing pass from teammate Jenn Wolfe and booted it past Bulldogs goalkeeper Katie DeVault.
With the loss, Fresno State finishes the regular season with an overall record of 4-10-5 and 2-3-2 in the Mountain West Conference. UNLV finished with an overall record of 11-3-4 and 3-1-3 in the conference.
Senior Vanessa Gonzalez was one of the sparks for the Bulldogs, shooting four times with three of them on goal.
From the opening kickoff, the game was an up-tempo contest. The first period was pretty much a back and forth affair, with neither team being able to find the goal. The Bulldogs had eight shots in the first half, along with one save by goalkeeper Katie DeVault.
The Bulldogs had several opportunities to score all night, but they were unable to capitalize on them. One of them came when junior defender Kayla Kret attempted to score a goal at 21:30 in the first period when she thumped the ball off of her head, but the ball sailed just past the goal.
UNLV’s Kylie Wassell was a strong presence in the goal for the Rebels, saving all six shots she faced.
Hancock, the other senior recognized before the game, was around the ball all night. However, she sustained an apparent leg injury with roughly 6:36 to play in the first period. She did not return to the game.
When the second period started, the Bulldogs and the Rebels turned up the intensity. The ‘Dogs were around the Rebels’ goal a lot, but, like the first period, were unable to make anything happen.
Despite a tough season-ending loss at home, the Bulldogs will have a chance to avenge their loss against the Rebels. They will travel down to San Diego to begin their first-ever play in the 2012 Mountain West Conference Tournament. The tournament begins on Wednesday, with Fresno State scheduled to play UNLV. The Bulldogs enter tournament play as the fourth-seeded team, while UNLV is the ranked as the fifth seed.
