Last-second shot earns UNLV a tie

Steve Carp

Tuesday, Sept. 10, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

After what he did last year, Mike Griego assumed he would be a marked man on the soccer field this year.

Either Santa Clara didn't get the word on UNLV's leading scorer from 1995 or the Broncos figured that the sophomore forward from El Paso couldn't hurt them. Regardless, Santa Clara goofed when Griego got his head on Josh Sweeney's desperation long ball at the top of the penalty area and flicked it over the head of goalkeeper Dave Alexander with just 13 seconds remaining in regulation in Monday's Snickers/Fila Rebel Classic championship match.

The goal pulled the Rebels even at 2-2 and it stayed that way through 30 minutes of overtime as UNLV came away from the round-robin with a 1-0-1 mark. It was a good start to the 1996 season and coach Barry Barto left Peter Johann Field pleased.

"Andy Roell came up to me after the game and said, 'Coach, we have a good team,'" Barto said. "And I think he's right. We got a great effort from a lot of people and they showed me a lot tonight."

The Rebels were coming off a hard-fought 3-1 OT win over Old Dominion just 24 hours before having to play the No. 13 Broncos. But UNLV had enough strength early on to pressure Santa Clara and the effort paid off when Darek Rensing beat Alexander from 12 yards out in the 43rd minute to put the Rebels ahead 1-0.

Barto also made a tactical switch which paid off, adding a fourth defender to his backline and playing the quartet flat across. It helped counter Santa Clara's quick transition game and the Rebels were getting solid play from defenders Ryan Utsman and Geoff Barto with help from Roell and Sweeney.

"We couldn't play three backs against Santa Clara," Barto said. "They'd kill us with their speed. This way, we had a chance of slowing them down."

SCU coach Mitch Murray said UNLV played more like his team early on.

"UNLV came out and had us on our heels," he said. "We wanted to run and press them, but it was the other way around."

But Santa Clara is a veteran side and the Broncos' patience paid off as they rallied to take a 2-1 lead on goals by Joseph Ascolese in the 68th minute and a penalty kick from Alberto Montoya in the 81st minute after Ascolese was taken down in the penalty area.

UNLV had little choice but to push forward in its attempt to equalize. The Rebels' play down the stretch bordered on desperation as they came at Santa Clara in waves. Finally, Sweeney launched the ball from well in his own end to the top of the SCU penalty area, Griego won the battle in the air and his flick gave UNLV new life.

"It was a great ball by Sween ey," he said. "We hadn't won too many of those, but I guess we won the one that counted."

And though his team was unable to hold on for the win, Barto said the tie will suffice.

"These are the kind of games we need to play," he said. "Santa Clara is a quality opponent and when you play a very good team like that, it's going to help you.

"In some ways, it was an equitable result for both teams. Santa Clara never quit and they came back to take the lead. And our kids showed a lot of determination at the end. We were desperate, but it paid off."