Box Score

San Francisco, CA — Debuting in 2014 Thursday with a new head coach and a potent, energetic mix of veterans and newcomers, the Academy of Art University women's soccer team shut out visiting Cal State San Bernardino in the first half and continued their defensive scoreless streak for an additional eight minutes into the second.
 

But the Coyotes, an NCAA quarterfinalist a year ago, broke through with two second half goals to come away with a 2-0 season-opening victory at Boxer Stadium.
 
Things were knotted up at zeros until the 54th minute when a loose ball rolled cleanly through the goalkeeper box, getting past ART U (0-1) defenders and finding the foot of Cal State San Bernardino's (1-0) Sierra Van Meter, who drove it home from 15 yards out to give the Coyotes a 1-0 lead.
 
The Urban Knights handled CSUSB's offensive onslaught in the first half well and in return kept them off the scoreboard. Cal State San Bernardino would outshoot Academy of Art 14-4 in the first half alone, pushing that to 21-5 at the game's conclusion. ART U senior goalkeeper Rachael Rempe made two saves in the first half and added another in the second. The starting defense of Caina Field, Sophie Meneses, Maddie Shelton and Brooke Stewart helped in fighting off CSUSB's shots barrage and held them scoreless for more than half the game.
 
ART U also had its offensive chances in the game. Senior forward Louise Fillingham made a run and attacked the net from the right side in the ninth minute, putting a shot directly on goal from inside the box, but Cal State San Bernardino goalkeeper Emily Whyte corralled it for the first of her two saves in the game.
 
Junior forward Rea Leaudat also had two shots go wide in the game's first 16 minutes, including one 5 minutes, 51 seconds in that appeared to beat Whyte but just missed left.
 
Academy of Art's perhaps best opportunity came on a play late in the second half that was waved off. In the 82nd minute the Urban Knights ran a set piece off a foul that was spotted near the corner. A resulting header shot that went wide was deflected back to the center of the box where in the scramble an ART U player netted the ball, appearing to make the score 2-1, but the far line judge signaled offsides, nullifying the play.
 
The Urban Knights return to action Sunday in San Francisco for an away game at San Francisco State. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the Gators' Cox Stadium.