Game Notes

ACADEMY OF ART RUNS THE HAWAIIAN GAMUT:
After wrapping up their three-match homestand to start Pacific West Conference play, the Urban Knights now face an intense road test. Academy of Art University will play four matches in Hawaii this week to complete its longest roadtrip ever on the islands.

OPENING KICKOFF:
ART U begins the week on Monday, Sept. 27 with a match at BYU-Hawaii which is set to kickoff at 3:00 PM HST (6:00 PM PST) at the BYU-Hawaii Soccer Field in Laie, HI (Live Stats). Two days later on Sept. 29, the Knights face Chaminade for the first time at St. Louis Field in Honolulu, HI. That match will begin at 10:00 AM HST (1:00 PM PST). In a rematch with Hawaii-Hilo, Academy of Art University faces the Vulcans on Oct. 1 at Amauulu Field in Hilo, HI starting at 12:45 PM HST (3:45 PM PST). Finally, ART U's extended trip concludes on Sunday, Oct. 3, with another pairing at Chaminade at 1:00 PM HST (4:00 PM PST).

KNIGHT WATCH:
Though they do not yet have a PacWest victory in this young season, the Urban Knights have several players who are finding opportunities to score. Three members of the ART U squad have reached the double digits in shots including junior forward Andrew "Boomer" Cruz (11) and junior midfielder Richard Luna (10). Cruz continues to lead the team in shots on goal with six total and a .545 clip. The goalkeeping duties have remained primarily in the hands of junior Daniel Waller who has 18 saves in over 546 minutes of work.
  
SCOUTING THE SEASIDERS:
BYU-Hawaii will come into Monday's matchup with ART U after a thrilling 2-1 overtime victory over Chaminade last Tuesday. With all but one match coming against PacWest opponents this season, the Seasiders split a pair of games in non-conference and have also split two in PacWest play. Currently led offensively by midfielder Viktor Bezhani and his two goals on penalty kicks, BYUH has netted six total goals this season. Defensively, Zachary Rasmussen has played the most minutes as a goalkeeper with 10 saves and five goals allowed. When the Seasiders and Knights met last season in Hawaii, Academy of Art University fought back with to send the match into overtime, but BYU-Hawaii prevailed 3-2.

SCOUTING THE SILVERSWORDS:
With a 3-0 victory over Cal State East Bay to their credit thus far, Chaminade sports a 1-3 overall record following PacWest Conference losses to Hawaii Pacific and BYU-Hawaii. The Silverswords have only been shutout once this season, however, and that came in the 2010 opener against Northwest Nazarene. Forward Michael Marrs has been CUH's go-to man as evidenced by his three goals and one assist to date. In goal, Hayes Sperry has played in all four matches and has totaled 30 saves with eight goals allowed. The Silverswords defeated ART U twice last season, but both matches were close: 4-2 in San Francisco and 2-0 in Honolulu.

SCOUTING THE VULCANS:
When Hawaii-Hilo and Academy of Art University squared off last week, both teams appeared to be closely matched. The Urban Knights outshot the Vulcans 13-11, but a pair of goals by UHH (the first of which came on a penalty kick) spelled the difference. The Vulcans then went on to defeat Dominican 2-1 two days after their match with ART U. Forward Christian Soto now leads the team with two goals and one assist on the season, but midfielder Drew Geis still has the edge in total shots with 23. Goalkeeper Alex Parra, who started the match against the Knights, has played 360 minutes in goal with 20 saves and four goals allowed.

THE WEEK THAT WAS:
In two matches this past week, the Urban Knights battled Hawaii-Hilo in a very close contest at Boxer Stadium on Sept. 22 then began their eight day roadtrip to Hawaii with a matchup against Hawaii Pacific. Academy of Art University played a particularly strong first half against the Vulcans in which they posted seven shots and put early pressure on the defense. However, for all the opportunities that came, ART U was unable to put a shot into the back of the net. After a 0-0 tie at halftime, Hawaii-Hilo pushed across two goals in the second period to win. Then, going up against one of two undefeated conference teams in Hawaii Pacific on Sept. 25, Academy of Art University could not find an answer for PacWest Player of the Week Chance Bukoski who assisted three goals. HPU prevailed 5-0 though the Knights played a solid second half.

MOVING FORWARD:
After the Urban Knights board their final plane to return home from Hawaii, they will open up a four-match homestand beginning on Oct. 7. Academy of Art University starts with two matches in three days including pairings with PacWest Bay Area rivals Dominican and Notre Dame de Namur.