In the 63rd minute, the Redhawks took advantage of a UNLV foul, as Kevin Cook (Gresham, Ore.) took the free kick and blasted it past Rebel starting goalie Simon Cook for his first goal of the season. Later in the half, Kyle Peterman (Boise, Idaho) found himself with the ball and unmarked, taking advantage of the opportunity to power a shot from the top of the box past reserve goalie Ryan Harding to provide an insurance tally for Seattle U.
The Rebels started peppering the Redhawk zone with scoring chances, taking 10 shots in the final 15 minutes of the match. Seattle U keeper Jake Feener (Rocklin, Calif.) made four saves during this span of time, and the Redhawks received assistance from the pipes of the net, as Richard Abrego's shot with less than four minutes remaining in regulation hit the post.
After being outshot in the first half, 9-5, Seattle U kicked its offense into gear right after halftime, starting with a shot by Peterman in the 47th minute that Cook needed to save. A subsequent attempt by Marshall Kosaka (Burien, Wash.) hit the post, and a header by Renato Bandeira (Sammamish, Wash.) clanged off the crossbar. Although Seattle U found itself down a man when Sean Morris (Bothell, Wash.) was issued a red card in the 60th minute, the Redhawks were still able to score their two goals and then devote all their energy to defending their net.
"I am really proud of the guys today, they played solidly throughout the match," head coach Brad Agoos said. "After we went a man down, they showed a lot of character by coming together and scoring the two goals that helped carry us to an important victory."
UNLV (5-9-1, 2-4-1 MPSF) earned the first good scoring chances of the match, going on a flurry midway through the first half. Feener was ready for the Rebel attack, making saves on back-to-back shots by Jonny Espinoza and Robert Garcia in the 24th minute.
The Redhawk offense responded a couple of minutes later, as Kosaka sent a header just high and Ed Walugembe (Kampala, Uganda) took two shots in a two-minute span, but neither was on target. UNLV had another chance in the 36th minute, but Zach Kupfer's blast hit the post and bounced away. The Rebels earned two more chances in the 37th minute, but neither one was on goal and the first half ended in a scoreless tie.
Feener finished the match with six saves as he picked up his third shutout of the season. For UNLV, Cook and Harding each were credited with one save in the match. Peterman and Kosaka led Seattle U with four total shots apiece, while Stephen Sifuentes notched five shots to lead the Rebels.
Seattle University (4-8-3, 2-4-1 MPSF) will play its final two home games of the season next weekend, welcoming Air Force to Championship field Friday, Oct. 29, at 2:30 p.m., followed by a Halloween matchup against Denver Sunday, Oct. 31, at 1:30 p.m. The Denver match will be the Senior Day contest for the Redhawks, and live stats for both matches will be available on GoSeattleU.com.