SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Niv Berkovitz recorded his second brace in the last three games while Spencer Roberts and Alen Begovic chipped in with a goal apiece as Santa Clara men's soccer rolled past UNLV 4-0 in a nonconference match on Sunday night at Stevens Stadium. It was the Broncos' biggest margin of victory since September 6, 2019 when they defeated San Jose State 5-1.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Santa Clara dominated play against UNLV with a goal in the first half and poured in three in the second half, holding a 20-5 advantage on shots including 8-1 on frame.
- Berkovitz scored the first two goals of the game, opening the scoring in the 20th minute and another in the 51st minute. The junior from Hod Hasharon, Israel leads the team with five goals on the year.
- The first tally by Berkovitz came on assists from Itamar Efrat and Pierce Dyal as the latter slipped a pass to Berkovitz at the 12 yard line and blasted it past the Rebels goalkeeper Hugo Lemos to put the Broncos on the board, 1-0.
- In the 51st minute, Jaiden Windell delivered a perfectly weighted ball to Berkovitz on the left side who one-timed it to the back of the net through the five hole of Lemos.
- Spencer Roberts made it 3-0 with his first goal of his career in the 77th minute. Moises Almontes' blast hit the underside of the crossbar and Roberts was in position to pounce on the rebound.
- The final goal came at the 81st minute by Alen Begovic. His initial shot was saved by Lemos but it bounced right back to Begovic who didn't miss on his second chance to bury the goal from an angle on the left side. It was also the first career goal for Begovic.
- Nine Broncos recorded a shot, led by Will Wiersdorf with five.
- UNLV (2-3-1) managed to put one shot on goal that was saved by SCU goalkeeper Jackson Ozburn who had his third shutout of the year.
NOTABLE NUMBERS / GAME NOTES:
- Santa Clara trails the series 3-5-2.
- Berkovitz has scored five of the 12 Bronco goals on the season. Seven other players have a goal each.
HIGHLIGHTS:
POST-GAME COMMENTS:
NEXT UP:
- Santa Clara play a midweek contest at CSU Bakersfield on Wednesday. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. PT.
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