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Late Goal Gives SeattleU Men?s Soccer First MPSF Victory, 2-1

Ian Walsh sends header into UNLV net with 47 seconds left in regulation for SeattleU victory.

Opens in a new window Box Score - SeattleU 2, UNLV 1
Late Goal Gives SeattleU Men?s Soccer First MPSF Victory, 2-1Late Goal Gives SeattleU Men?s Soccer First MPSF Victory, 2-1
Senior Ian Walsh (Novato, Calif.) converted on a header with 47 seconds remaining in regulation to give the Seattle University men's soccer team a 2-1 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) victory over UNLV Sunday afternoon at Johann Memorial Field, the first Division I conference victory for any SeattleU squad since the beginning of the transition last fall.

As time wound down in the second half, Troy Bratten (Troutdale, Ore.) sent a crossing pass from the right side of the field into the box. Walsh leaped up for the ball and headed it inside the left post for his first goal of the 2009 season and his tenth career goal. Bratten earned the first collegiate point of his career with the assist.

Seattle University struck first in the 19th minute, as John Pegg (Edmonton, Alberta) set up Ed Walugembe (Renton, Wash.), who drove down the right side of the field and blasted a shot from 12 yards out for his first career goal. As in Friday night's match at New Mexico, SeattleU controlled the action in the first half, taking five shots in the first 32 minutes of the match while allowing only one shot from the Rebels.

UNLV (6-4-2, 0-2 MPSF) was able to gain the momentum late in the first half, first with a shot by Ryan Burneo that SeattleU goalie Ivan Dizdar (Phoenix, Ariz.) stopped with less than two minutes remaining before halftime. Entering the final minute of the first half, Taylor Bowlin sent a crossing pass from the right side into the box, finding an unmarked Nicholas DeLeon, whose shot found the left side of the net to tie the match at 1-1 with 42 seconds left in the half.

The Rebels threatened to take the lead midway through the second half, drawing the only corner kick of the match as it moved into the 64th minute. Zach Kupfer's corner kick found Stephen Sifuentes, whose shot eluded Dizdar but could not get past the SeattleU defense, who kept the ball out of the net for a team save. Just nine seconds before Walsh's heroics, Brandon Hamer (Carmichael, Calif.) saw his scoring chance blocked.

Dizdar and UNLV goalie Roland Swanson were credited with two saves each as Seattle University outshot the Rebels, 9-7, with each team earning four shots on goal. Sean Morris (Bothell, Wash.) led all players with three total shots, while no Rebel player was credited with more than one shot attempt.

Seattle University (2-8-1, 1-1 MPSF), tied with Cal State Bakersfield for fourth place after the first weekend of conference play, will return home next weekend to face Sacramento State Friday, Oct. 23, beginning at 2:30 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 25, starting at 1 p.m. at Championship Field. Both the Hornets and the Spartans started league play 2-0 with home victories over Air Force and Denver.