Rebels men’s soccer picked to finish 3rd in WAC
The Rebels men’s soccer team was picked to finish third in the Western Athletic Conference preseason coaches’ poll, and Danny Musovski and Richard Garness were both selected from UNLV to the preseason all-conference team, the league announced Tuesday.
UNLV received 79 votes in the coaches’ poll coming off a season that saw the team finish 12-7-1 and lose in the WAC Tournament semifinals.
Defending regular season and tournament champion Seattle was picked to finish first and Utah Valley was picked to finish second.
Seattle and Utah Valley placed three on the preseason All-WAC team, while UNLV and San Jose State had two each and Grand Canyon placed one on the squad.
Musovski, a junior forward from Henderson, has piled up accolades in the last season. He was an All-American and the 2015 WAC Offensive Player of the Year as a sophomore after finishing with 34 points, tied for the fourth-most in the nation.
College Soccer News put him on the second team of their preseason All-America squad Monday, and he was one of 28 players named to the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List last month.
Garness returns as the Rebels’ starting goalkeeper after a strong junior season. The senior from Las Vegas posted four shutouts and held a goals against average of 1.22 in 2015.
UNLV opens the season at Old Dominion on August 26. The Rebels home opener is their third game on Friday, Sept. 2, against Cal State Fullerton at 7 pm at Peter Johann Memorial Field.
Tickets are on sale now, with season tickets running $35 for adults and $25 for seniors. Single game tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for seniors, though a special internet price of $5 is available for all tickets bought online at UNLVTickets.com.
Kids 12 and under can attend free.
2016 WAC Preseason Men’s Soccer Coaches’ Poll
Place Team, (1st place votes), Votes
1. Seattle (9) – 99
2. Utah Valley (2) – 87
3. UNLV – 79
4. CSU Bakersfield 68
5. San Jose State – 59
6. Grand Canyon – 54
7. Houston Baptist – 47
8. Air Force – 41
9. Incarnate Word – 34
10. UMKC – 21
11. UTRGV – 16
2016 Preseason All-WAC Team
David Olsen, Jr., F, Seattle U
Danny Musovski, Jr., F, UNLV
Skyler Milne, Sr., F, Utah Valley
Rory Knibbs, Sr., F, San José State
Sergio Rivas, So., MF, Seattle U
Paul Hoffmeister, Jr., MF, Utah Valley
Jonathan Colunga, Sr., MF, San José State
Kyle Bjornethun, Sr., D, Seattle U
Alex Neff, Sr., D, Utah Valley
Amer Sasivarevic, Sr., D, Grand Canyon
Richard Garness, Sr., GK, UNLV
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year
David Olsen, Seattle U
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Kyle Bjornethun, Seattle U