Sept. 9, 2006
SAN DIEGO - Junior Kraig Chiles scored two goals and assisted on another to lead the San Diego State men's soccer team to a 4-2 victory over UNLV Saturday at SDSU Sports Deck. The Aztecs, who started six underclassmen in the match, improved to 3-2 on the season, while the Rebels dropped to 0-4-1.
Chiles got things going for SDSU in the 18th minute after senior Andrew DiCicco was taken down by UNLV goalkeeper Calvin Bailey in the penalty box. The Aztecs were awarded a penalty kick and Chiles beat Bailey to the lower-right corner to put SDSU up, 1-0.
Lamar Neagle tied the game up for the Rebels at the 20:25 mark. Nicholas Paterson fired a shot inside the six-yard box that was deflected by SDSU keeper Tally Hall. Neagle raced in and knocked in the rebound just in front of the goal mouth.
The Aztecs responded with a goal of their own just 29 seconds later. Sophomore Dennis Sanchez sent a ball up the right side to DiCicco. DiCicco gathered the ball and flicked a shot around Bailey to the left corner of the net.
Chiles struck again for SDSU in the 33rd minute. Sanchez threw the ball in from the right side. Chiles beat a UNLV defender to the ball and headed it in to give the Aztecs a 3-1 lead.
SDSU went into halftime intermission with a commanding 12-3 lead in shots and 3-0 advantage in corner kicks.
The Aztecs controlled the ball for the majority of the second half and their efforts were rewarded when freshman Nick Cardenas scored on a header off a corner kick by Chiles at 84:13.
The Rebels added a goal in the 90th minute as Marcos Balladares received a pass in front of the net from Paterson and knocked it into a wide-open right side of the net.
SDSU outshot UNLV, 18-7, for the match and had five corner kicks to the Rebels' 1.
Freshman Evan Toft had a game-high five shots (three on goal) for the Aztecs and four others - Chiles, DiCicco, junior Freddy McDonald and freshman Daniel Ortega - each added two shot attempts.
Hall, a 2005 All-American, made two saves to preserve the win for SDSU.
San Diego State will play in its annual alumni match at 2 p.m. Sunday.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Junior Kraig Chiles earned the Man of the Match award after playing a part in three of the Aztecs' four goals. He scored on a penalty kick in the 18th minute, tallied another on header in the 33rd minute and set up Nick Cardenas for a goal in the 85th minute.