Freshman forward pursues big goals

It's been a long time since anyone has talked seriously about UNLV winning a men's soccer championship.

Daniel Cruz doesn't want to hear the sad details.

Though the Rebels have been the laughingstock of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation for the past several years, the freshman forward from Glendale, Ariz., has his mind set on a league championship. And more.

"Any player's goal, especially mine, is to win a national championship," said Cruz, who scored his first goal as a Rebel in a 2-1 victory at Florida Atlantic on Sunday. "We're going to work until we succeed. It's a process. We'll keep heading in the right direction, win games, win the conference and get into the (NCAA) tournament."

Those are pretty big goals for a player joining a team that won just one game last year.

But Cruz is no ordinary player. After leading Arizona's Ironwood High School to a 2005 state championship, he became one of the most recruited forwards in the country. His explosive scoring ability landed him a spot on the team that represented the United States at the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in South Korea over the summer.

The 5-foot-8-inch phenom said the international experience, which ended with a 2-1 loss to Germany on Aug. 30, helped get him ready to begin his college career.

"That's as high as you can go at my age," he said. "It was a great experience. To make the round of 16 is something you never forget."

Second-year Rebels coach Mario Sanchez thinks that experience will help turn around his struggling program. Though Cruz is a rookie, Sanchez expects big numbers almost immediately.

"Because of his athletic ability and his personality, he's already a top-five player for us," said Sanchez, who met Cruz while serving as a coach for the U.S. Olympic Development Program. "Danny is someone who is a good finisher. With him, we'll always have a goal-scoring threat on the field, and that keeps teams respecting our attack."

Cruz said he doesn't mind taking on that kind of responsibility, noting that he's long been viewed as a leader.

"It doesn't bother me at all," he said. "I've been in so many pressure situations, I really feel confident."

He demonstrated that confidence Sunday, scoring a first-half goal that set up teammate Lamar Neagle's game winner with four seconds to play. The win over Florida Atlantic was the first of the year for UNLV, which improved to 1-2-1.

Cruz said there will be many more victories, and he intends to back that prediction by helping Sanchez bring in more top recruits.

"I have a lot of friends who are good enough to play at this level," said Cruz, who noted that Sanchez's coaching style helped him make the decision to come to UNLV. "Simply having a friend on the team gives them that extra reason to want to come here."

For this season, however, Cruz will have to deliver much of the leadership by himself.

"I know I still have a lot to learn," said Cruz, who joins a team that was unable to put away tight games last season. "But I'm definitely going to go out there and be a leader. Someone has to step up, and I want to be part of that leadership."

And he expects that leadership to make an immediate impact.

"People are going to be surprised this year," Cruz said. "I think we can make the (NCAA) tournament."

That quest will continue when the Rebels host the UNLV Classic, beginning with a game against Cal Poly at 7 p.m. Friday at Peter Johann Memorial Field.