UNLV did not need many chances Sunday night. It just needed to finish the ones it created.
Maxim Scordo and Nick Legendre scored in the second half as the Rebels beat UC Irvine 2-0 at Anteater Stadium.
The win moved UNLV to 4-2-1 and extended its winning streak to two matches. The Rebels are also unbeaten in three straight.
Scordo breaks the deadlock
UC Irvine controlled most of the first-half attacking volume.
The Anteaters outshot UNLV 8-2 before halftime and earned six corners. However, Hugo Lemos kept the Rebels level.
Lemos made saves on Gage Lyons and Brady Treinen late in the half. UC Irvine also hit the woodwork in the 37th minute.
Meanwhile, UNLV generated only two first-half shots. Both came from Andres Robles and neither reached the target.
That changed early in the second half.
Scordo scored at 54:32 to give UNLV a 1-0 lead. It was his third goal of the season.
The goal came on Scordo’s only shot of the match.
Two chances, two goals
UNLV remained under pressure after taking the lead.
UC Irvine finished with 15 total shots and 13 corner kicks. Still, the Rebels did not allow the Anteaters to turn that volume into an equalizer.
Then UNLV created the decisive second goal.
Legendre scored at 82:50 to make it 2-0. Jacob Miranda and Scordo were credited with assists.
The goal was Legendre’s third of the season.
Scordo finished with a goal and an assist, giving him three points on the night.
UNLV finished with only four total shots. More importantly, the Rebels put two on goal and scored on both.
That efficiency separated the sides.
UC Irvine put four of its 15 attempts on target. Lemos stopped all four.
Defense holds under pressure
The shot count favored UC Irvine throughout the night.
The Anteaters finished with an 11-shot advantage and held a 13-3 edge in corners.
UNLV still protected the clean sheet.
Lemos played all 90 minutes and finished with four saves. The Rebels also limited UC Irvine to four shots on goal despite the Anteaters’ steady pressure.
That made Sunday another strong defensive result for UNLV.
The Rebels have now posted consecutive shutouts after beating UC San Diego 1-0 in their previous match.
They have also gone three straight without a loss following a 1-1 draw at UC Riverside.
Winning with efficiency
UNLV has now shown it can win in different ways.
Against CSU Bakersfield, the Rebels scored twice on 10 shots. Against UC Irvine, they needed only four attempts to produce the same number of goals.
The common thread was finishing.
Scordo and Legendre each converted their only shot on goal, while Lemos and the back line handled the pressure at the other end.
As a result, UNLV leaves its final nonconference road match with another win and more momentum.
Up next
UNLV returns home to face Gonzaga on Sunday, Sept. 20 at Peter Johann Memorial Field.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. PT.
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Dice City Sports editor Mark Hebert covers the Las Vegas Aces, Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Raiders, Athletics, and UNLV baseball and softball. He has 24 years of journalism experience, is also a senior reporter at Exhibit City News, and previously covered the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers. Follow him on X or connect on LinkedIn.
