BELLINGHAM, WASH. – Academy of Art women's soccer struggled to find a rhythm against No. 3 Western Washington, falling 3-0 on a day where WWU only allowed one shot on goal.
 
The Urban Knights put together another strong defensive first half however, allowing just one goal while facing 19 shots (nine on goal.) For the second consecutive game, sophomore goalkeeper Morgan Wirz put together an eight-save first period. After adding three more in the second, that brought her early-season total to 20 which leads the PacWest. Furthermore, her 11 saves on the day mark a career-high and the most since just two days ago when she saved nine shots against Simon Fraser. Junior goalkeeper Maggie Alikpala-Wilson also added 34 minutes in front of the net, compiling four saves of her own.
 
The Vikings added their second goal just 4:23 into the second half. WWU's Mariah Roggow and Olivia Larson entered the box together, working in tandem to allow Larson's shot to go just beyond the reach of Wirz's diving attempt. Despite relentlessly attempting to break Washington's attack, ART U struggled to keep the ball out of their backfield. The Vikings would score once more before it was over in Bellingham, ending the match by a score of 3-0.

"We stayed very organized defensively today, but our efforts could not keep up with their pace," said head coach Katie Awerkamp. "We are going to continue to build and move forward."
 
The Urban Knights will now return to San Francisco for their first home match of the season as they host Western Oregon at noon on September 7. Wednesday's match will also serve as the christening for Beach Chalet, Academy of art's new home field for men's and women's soccer.