SAN DIEGO - After the game was tied after 90 minutes, still tied after 110 minutes and STILL tied after five rounds of penalty kicks, UNLV's Oscar Velazquez scored the advancing penalty kick in the eighth round against San Diego State to send the Rebels into the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Adam Musovski put the Rebels on the scoreboard in the 30th minute, putting a forehead on a free kick by Velazquez. The Aztecs evened up up less than two minutes into the second half as AJ Vergara fired in a shot from long range that snuck just under the crossbar.
The Rebels continued to pressure the Aztecs as the teams remained tied at the end of regulation. UNLV outshot SDSU 4-1 in the extra 20 minutes but neither team could find that golden goal as the match headed to penalty kicks to decide who would advance.
Richard Garness took over for Enrique Adame in goal for UNLV for the shootout and it paid off in the first round as the senior made the save on SDSU's first attempt. UNLV's Danny Musovski hit the Rebels first attempt to give the Rebels the early lead. Marquis Pitt and Timo Mehlich both made their attempts in the second and third rounds but the attempts by Adam Musovski and James Drye were saved, forcing extra kicks.
In the eighth round, the shot by San Diego State's Daniel Sagno went wide left, giving Velazquez the opportunity to send the Rebels to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and the midfielder tucked the ball into the right side of the net to end the match and send UNLV to a matchup with fifth-seed Denver on Sunday. Gametime with the Pioneers is set for 5 p.m. MT.