Rebel women open with loss

Wednesday, Sept. 2, 1998 | 11:16 a.m.

MALIBU, Calif. -- The real thing proved to be much different for UNLV's first-year women's soccer team than practice.

The Rebels' debut as a varsity side Tuesday was an eye-opening introduction to Division I women's soccer as Pepperdine's physical style threw the Rebels off track and UNLV was unable to bounce back, losing 2-1 in its debut.

UNLV had looked like a veteran team in its 5-0 trouncing of Dixie College in a scrimmage last week. But there was nothing on the line that night. Tuesday, it was for keeps and it took the Rebels a while to get over the opening-day jitters, to speak nothing of the hard-nosed attitude of Pepperdine, which was coming off a 7-12-1 season and had added incentive to try and get off to a strong start for new coach Tim Ward.

"They were pretty physical in the first half," UNLV coach Staci Hendershott said of the Waves. "We're still getting used to that."

Pepperdine built a 2-0 first-half lead, dominating play in the process. UNLV struggled to find its rhythm as the Waves put up a stiff challenge in the first 45 minutes.

But UNLV settled down and dominated for most of the second half. And history was made in the 61st minute when Thyre Brooks became the first Rebel to score when her shot from 23 yards out on the left side eluded Pepperdine goalkeeper Sumon Nicole and floated over her head and into the net.

Amy Scala started the play by controlling the ball in midfield. She then found Janae Sims, who got the ball to Brooks at the left edge of the penalty box.Brooks then hit a floater that Nicole couldn't handle.

"We had a good buildup on the goal," Hendershott said. "It seemed like we had settled down at halftime and started knocking the ball around and playing the way we know we're capable of."

UNLV kept pressing for the equalizer, but was unable to beat Nicole again.

"Overall, I was very pleased with the effort," Hendershott said of her team's first varsity appearance. "We had some good chances early and after Thyre scored, we kept pushing and pushing, right up to the final whistle.

"I thought we outplayed them in the second half and I liked the way we battled back."

UNLV, 0-1, heads to Colorado Springs Friday to meet Air Force in the Rebels' WAC opener. Sunday, UNLV faces the University of Denver as this season-opening three-game road trip concludes. The team's home opener is Sept. 13 against Michigan State.