Match #7
ART U Urban Knights (1-5-0, 0-0-0 PacWest) vs. #8 UH Hilo Vulcans (4-0-1, 0-0-0 PacWest)
Monday, Sept. 25, 2023 at 1 p.m. 
San Francisco – Paul Goode Field
Live Stats | Live Video  
 
Match #8
ART U Urban Knights (1-5-0, 0-0-0 PacWest) vs. Chaminade Silverswords (3-2-0, 0-0-0 PacWest)
Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023 at 1 p.m. 
San Francisco – Paul Goode Field
Live Stats | Live Video

Match #9
ART U Urban Knights (1-5-0, 0-0-0 PacWest) vs. HPU Sharks (1-3-2, 0-0-0 PacWest) 
Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023 at 2:30 p.m. 
San Francisco – CCSF Soccer Field
 Live Stats | Live Video

ALOHA PACWEST SEASON OPENER
PacWest play is upon us as Academy of Art women's soccer will play their first conference matches of their 2023 season. The Urban Knights will host three straight Pacific West Conference matches as they battle against UH Hilo, Chaminade, and Hawai'i Pacific starting on Monday.

KICKOFF
ART U kicks off on Monday, Sept. 25 at 1 p.m. against UH Hilo, Thursday, Sept. 28 at 1 p.m. versus Chaminade, and closing out the homestand on Saturday, Sept. 30 at 2:30 p.m with Hawai'i Pacific. Remember to follow @ARTU_Knights via the athletics app (Apple App Store, Google Play Store) and on Twitter & Instagram as well as "Like" the Urban Knights on Facebook for score updates, videos, and recaps.

KNIGHT WATCH
The Urban Knights have had three different goal scorers thus far on the season including redshirt junior defender Katie Williams, freshman midfielder Kara Aradóttir and freshman midfielder Ashley Tasev. Williams is the leader in points (3) with her goal and one assist while being the only member of the squad to play in every minute through six matches (540). Freshman defender Jade Alverio and junior defender Haley Vaughan have been forces for the Knights out on the back line while sophomore forward Danielle Medellin and senior forward Brooklyn Villapudua are up front getting shots off. 

With a recent change in goal for the Urban Knights for their 2023 campaign, graduate student goalkeeper Nicole Peoples has already put up big numbers in her four matches played. Peoples has recorded 41 saves, putting her at first place in the PacWest Conference rankings in saves per game with a 10.25 average, and third in save percentage (.837). Coming off back-to-back matches with double-digit saves, including tying a program record for saves in a half (11) and ranking second in total saves in a game (18) for ART U women's soccer in her match against Cal Poly Humboldt on Sept. 16, Peoples looks to remain a force for the Urban Knights moving into Pacific West Conference matchups.

DISBAND THE VULCANS
Remaining undefeated through four matches on the season is No. 8 UH Hilo (4-0-1), having won their first match hosting the No. 22 UCCS Mountain Lions 2-1 before playing to a scoreless draw with Northwest Nazarene and wrapping up their previous two matches with a win against Stanislaus State and Hawai'i Pacific. The Vulcans currently possess the second-best goal differential in the PacWest, scoring eight goals while only giving up three with a scoring average of two goals per game. Teani Arakawa leads the team and conference in points, goals, and game-winning goals while ranking second in the PacWest in assists and her teammate Alyssa Padron leads the conference in shots. In goal will be Phoebe Barnes who has posted a .786 save percentage while making 11 saves on a total of 26 shots faced. Winners in each of the past five, UH Hilo leads the all-time series over the Urban Knights, 12-2-1.

CLASHING WITH CHAMINADE
With picking up a win in their first match of the season against Western Colorado and a tie with Fort Lewis College, the Silverswords (3-2-0) picked up another win against Hawai'i Pacific and lost their most recent match with Stanislaus State. The 'Swords have four different goal scorers on the season all currently with one each and all tied with two points. Kenna Kiefer leads the team in shots with 14 and six of those being on goal. Their total of 52 shots is also sixth in the conference, and have put 25 of their attempts on goal (48.1 percent). In goal has been Naomi Takata, making a total of nine saves through 25 shots faced while allowing just two goals for a .818 save percentage and recording two shutout performances. Despite Chaminade having won each of the past three matchups, it is Academy of Art that still leads the all-time series, 9-7-0.

SHIVERING SHARKS
Currently looking for their first win of the season, Hawai'i Pacific (0-4-1) has dropped their last two matches to No. 8 UH Hilo and Chaminade, and have gotten shut out in three matches including ones with St. Mary's (Tex.) and Northwest Nazarene With two goals so far on the year's total, Carissa Miller and Aubree Westjohn share the pair of scores, being the team's leaders in points. Hawai'i Pacific is currently ranked last in the PacWest in goals, with an average of .400 per game as they have launched 27 shots on the season with 14 of them making it on target. Sophia Garrido is the leader in minutes in goal for the Sharks with a total of 21 saves. With the last three games having been won by HPU, they currently lead the all-time series over ART U, 10-3-1.

WOMEN'S SOCCER DROPS NARROW DEFEAT HOSTING DOMINICAN
The Sept. 19 match for Academy of Art women's soccer was a scoreless battle until Dominican was able to sneak one in the back of the net on an 89th minute corner kick, handing the Urban Knights a 1-0 defeat in their last match before Pacific West Conference play begins.

LOOKING AHEAD
Following their three-match homestand, Academy of Art will head down south to take on Concordia Irvine on Oct. 7 before heading over to Azusa Pacific on Oct. 9.