UNLV Women’s soccer team opens season at Pepperdine

Tuesday, Sept. 1, 1998 | 10:50 a.m.

SUN STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

On the heels of an extremely successful scrimmage win over Dixie College, UNLV's women's soccer team officially takes the field for the first time today as the Rebels meet Pepperdine in Malibu, Calif.

The match, the first of three straight road games which includes a Friday contest at Air Force and Sunday's game at the University of Denver, figures to be a more severe test for Staci Hendershott's squad, which routed Dixie 5-0 last week.

The Waves are in a rebuilding mode, having lost their top four scorers from last year who combined for 18 of the team's 22 goals.

"I don't know very much about them," Hendershott said of Pepperdine, which finished 7-12-1 last year and has a new coach in Tim Ward. "I just want to see us build on what we did against Dixie."

Hendershott said sophomore Shannon Wilson will start in goal. The Bishop Gorman graduate played a little over half the scrimmage with Dixie, handling just two shots in sharing the shutout with Kristin Puhl.

"We're excited," Hendeershott said of the first-ever match. "It's been a long time coming."