LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) — The second-seeded UNLV men's soccer team (11-5-3, 6-3-1 MW) booked its trip to the Mountain West Championship final with a 2-0 semifinal win over No. 3 seed San José State (7-9-3, 4-4-2 MW) on Tuesday night at Peter Johann Memorial Field. 

With the win, the Rebels will meet No. 1 seed Grand Canyon (12-5-2, 8-0-2 MW), which beat No. 4 seed Air Force in their semifinal, at 6 p.m. PT on Saturday in Phoenix at GCU Stadium for the MW title. The ticket to the inaugural MW Men's Soccer Championship leads to the squad's first appearance in a conference championship final since 2023.

After SJSU controlled the ball for the majority of the first, UNLV took control of the match with a second-half brace by sophomore forward Maxim Scordo who scored the go-ahead goal on a penalty kick in the 52nd minute and added insurance in the 65th minute. The recently named Mountain West Co-Offensive Player and Co-Newcomer of the Year was set up by a foul in the box earned by senior forward Bryce Allred for his first strike and then got his second on the assist from Allred and junior Joaquin Eisenberg.

STAT OF THE GAME: The Scarlet & Gray marched to its first undefeated home record since 2002, ending the 2026 home slate with a 7-0-2 mark in front of the 702's faithful.

Despite not holding the ball as long as the Spartans, the stingy Rebel backline held strong by allowing just two shots on goal by the visitors. Those shots on target were met with two saves by senior goalkeeper Hugo Lemos as he picked up his and his supporting defensive unit's second straight shutout and their sixth clean sheet overall this year.

QUOTABLE: "It was a great performance tonight in front of our home crowd. Our fans have been great all season and we can't thank them enough. The team played with poise tonight and controlled the game even though we wanted to be on the ball more. The players coming off the bench tonight made a big impact to change the game and I am so proud of them. We will celebrate it tonight and get back to work tomorrow to get ready for the final."
-UNLV Head Coach BJ Craig

NOTES:

• UNLV walked away with the series win against the Spartans, going 2-1 in their three matchups after defending its home turf twice.
• Continuing its goal scoring streak, the Scarlet & Gray attack found the net for the 15th consecutive contest.
• The Rebels improved to 2-0 in conference semifinal matches under fifth-year head coach BJ Craig.