Rebels get offensive, net soccer victory

PROVO, Utah -- For a squad that relies on defense, the UNLV women's soccer team made a seemingly risky decision to push three forwards up against Utah in their Mountain West Conference Tournament semifinal match Thursday at Brigham Young.

The move paid off, though, as the top-seeded Rebels used their aggressiveness in taking Utes goalkeeper Lynzee Lee off her line for the most part in a 2-1 victory over the fifth-seeded Utes.

"The first line of defense starts with our forwards," Rebels coach Kat Mertz said. "So we've got pressure, and both goals came from pressure."

The win didn't come easily for the Rebels (11-4-5) as the Utes (12-5-4) scored a late goal and then pushed everyone forward in an attempt to tie the match. That gave Lauren Hair a point-blank chance in front of the net. But UNLV goalkeeper Alicia Lugo held her ground to catch the ball cleanly for the defensive stop of the match.

"I always know that there is at least going to be one save that I am going to have to make," Lugo said. "So as a goalkeeper, I always have to stay on my toes and wait for the save."

From the start, it was evident Lee would be more adventurous than normal in net for Utah. It cost her when UNLV's first score came midway in the first half as she collided with a teammate in the box and was knocked out of the play. Rebels forward Katie Carney got a foot on the ball and sent it out to Jessica Destito, who had no problem finishing with an open net.

Destito's aggressiveness led to her second goal with 20 minutes left in the match. She looked to pass the ball to Carney, who was in an offside position. Carney held off, and so did a Utah defender.

Seeing the hesitation, Destito went for the ball herself and put in a sweeping shot that curved into the left corner.

"I was looking for Katie, and she screamed to me, 'No!' " Destito said. "She was off, and I had already passed it. ... I ran on it and hit it into the back of the net."

Utah's goal with five minutes left in the match came from a corner kick that landed in the middle of a mass of players right in front of the UNLV goal. The Utes' Amanda Sanchez scored as she deflected the ball off her stomach and directed it into the net.

UNLV will meet third-seeded BYU (16-3-2) in the title match at noon Saturday in a bid for its third straight Mountain West Tournament crown and NCAA Tournament bid.

The match will be televised on the Mtn. on a tape-delayed basis starting at 4 p.m.