DENVER – University of Denver senior midfielder Jarod Stigall (Plano, Texas) and junior forward Alex Tarnoczi (Castle Rock, Colo.) both had a goal and an assist, helping the Pioneers to a 3-1 victory over UNLV at CIBER Field on Sunday afternoon.

Sophomore midfielder Blair Jeralds (Clemmons, N.C.) added a goal, and freshman midfielder Brian Hoyt (Tempe, Ariz.) tallied two assists for the Pioneers (3-5-3).

“I thought that we came out OK,” head coach Bobby Muuss said. “I thought that we were pretty good in transition and pretty good in the final third.  I thought that it was a fair result, although we have to give a lot of credit to UNLV for coming out alive in the second half.”  

UNLV (2-8-0) jumped ahead early, as junior midfielder Jonny Espinoza put the Rebels up 1-0 in the sixth minute on a magnificent strike from 25 yards out.

In the 27^th minute, Stigall and junior forward Joe Eubanks (Denver, Colo.) got the equalizer for DU, playing a give-and-go inside the box to free Stigall for a shot inside the far post.

Denver captured the lead in the 33^rd minute off a set piece from 35 yards out.  Hoyt took the free kick that found the head of Tarnoczi at the penalty spot. The header hit the crossbar, but Jeralds headed the rebound past Rebels goalkeeper Ryan Harding.

The Pioneers gave themselves a two-goal cushion in the 43^rd minute. Hoyt stole the ball in the midfield, sent a quick one-touch pass to Stigall who dribbled into the box and sent a cross across the face of goal to Tarnoczi, whose back-post run put him in a great spot for the tap-in goal.

Freshman goalkeeper Oliver Brown (Louisville, Ky.) returned after a seven-game absence due to injury, giving up just the one goal and making two saves.

DU will hit the road for a repeat of this weekend’s opponents.  On Friday, the Pioneers will make the trip to Albuquerque to take on No. 5 New Mexico at 7 p.m. MT, before traveling to Las Vegas to do battle with the Rebels on Sunday at 2 p.m. MT.  

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