Box Score
Belmont, Calif. -- Academy of Art University battled Notre Dame de Namur University, but suffered a 3-2 overtime loss in the start of Pacific West Conference play at Koret Field. Freshman forward Daniel Higa scored two goals including one late in the match to send it to overtime where a goal off a penalty kick for the Argonauts gave NDNU the victory. The Urban Knights are now 3-3-1 overall and 0-1 in PacWest play while Notre Dame de Namur moves to 1-7 on the year and 1-0 in PacWest play.
“Opening at NDNU against the defending champs and our boys played an intense physical game and we matched them step to step,” Coach Daniel Rosaia said. “Danny Higa, a true freshman out of Hawaii, scored both of those goals to really keep us even with NDNU. In the overtime, our team pushed forward hard with more offensive play and we went for the win, but we just came up a bit short.”
Surprisingly, either squad could have taken an early advantage as the match began with one penalty kick for each team in the first four minutes, but both were missed. The Argonauts got on the board first with a goal by midfielder Kellen Coffis in the 39th minute off an assist by midfielder Christian Rosales. With 42:52 on the clock, Higa received a pass from freshman forward Petur Kristinsson and scored his first goal as an Urban Knight. The teams would head into halftime tied 1-1.
The second half was more physical as evidenced by the 19 total fouls called on the teams. In the 54th minute, NDNU's midfielder Cole Travis scored a goal off low cross from forward Cristobal Montes to give the Argonauts a 2-1 lead. Higa, who served as an offensive sparkplug off the bench, found the back of the net for the second time when he put a ball past the goalie following a pass over the defense from senior midfielder Jaime Patino-Calvo in the 85th minute.
The Knights held on and the match would head into overtime with the squads deadlocked at 2-2. A foul by sophomore defender Vilmundur Sveinsson with 94:18 on the clock resulted in a penalty kick for Montes who put away the goal for the match victory.
Besides four shots on goal by Higa, junior forward Frankie Diaz and sophomore midfielder Richard Martin each had one. Sophomore goalkeeper Daniel Waller completed the first half in goal with three saves and one goal allowed while freshman goalie Ian Sutherland finished with five saves and two goals allowed over the second half and into overtime.
On Notre Dame de Namur's side, Montes and Coffis each had three shots on goal. The Argonauts outshot AAU 20-10, but it was also the defense of goalkeepers Isaiah Castro and Joseph Mora which kept the home team in the game.
Conference play continues for the Knights with a road match against Dominican University on Sept. 21. Kickoff is set for 4:30 PM.
