Box Score
Photo Gallery (images by Rob Garcia)

San Francisco, CA -- Over the past couple of years, the rivalry between the Academy of Art University women's soccer team and the Dominican University soccer squad has evolved to be one of the best in the PacWest, with the last six matches decided by one goal or less (one tie). Monday afternoon was no exception, as the Urban Knights and the Penguins burst out of the locker room at halftime and scored two goals apiece in the second half before heading to overtime. It was the fourth overtime game between these two teams, and with less than five minutes left in the second overtime, the Penguins emerged victorious in a 3-2 game.

"The team exhibited high work ethic today, which resulted in a better showing than our performance on Saturday," head coach Aileen Nasypany said. "Statistically, we dominated the match with time in possession, shots, corners, and set pieces; everything but the final score. We need to continue working on composure after we take the lead in important matches and not let our foot off the gas pedal. With little time before our next match on Friday, we will stay united together as a team and focused for our next 'Battle of the Bay' with Holy Names University."

Neither team was able to get on the board in the first half, though the Knights outshot the Penguins 4-to-2. But it was only five minutes into the second half that Academy of Art got on the board, when Hannah Emmett took a corner kick and sent it in to Miranda Corneliussen, who headed it in to put the Knights up 1-0. Ten minutes later, Dominican answered with a goal of their own from Jill Thomas, but yet again, less than two minutes after that, the Urban Knights leading goal-scorer this year, Louise Fillingham, scored on a feed from Giovanni Plater to give the Knights a lead again at 2-1 with 38 minutes left in the game.

"We really started to find our flow today as a team, especially in the first half," Fillingham said. "It was great to combine with Gio to get a well-deserved goal. We should have won today and we really did battle from start to finish, but we learn from our mistakes and keep striving to get better every day."

Dominican was able to answer on a breakaway goal in the 78th minute, when McKenna Kimball got behind the defense on a pass from Jessica Hisken and got it past Rachael Rempe to equalize the game again at 2-2, and it went to extra time. Both defenses stiffened in the first OT period, as each team only got one shot off, with none on goal. In the second overtime, the Knights got two shots within a minute that were both saved by Megan Herring before the last shot of the game came off the foot of Kaila Wakida. Off a cross, the ball hit off the post, and was tapped in with only five minutes left, and the Penguins left San Francisco with a 3-2 win.

"It was one of those days where you can just tell its going to be a good match," Corneliussen said. "We had a good warm-up and we were on our home pitch. Once the first whistle blew, we were dominating. Once I scored, I felt everyone's energy level raise. Lou's phenomenal goal to take the lead again is exactly what we needed. It's tough to lose a game like that, especially in overtime. We worked so hard as a team and I'm proud of each and every one of my teammates."

The Knights will be back in action at home on Friday against Holy Names as their Bay Area swing continues.