Game #2
ART U Urban Knights (0-0) vs. Northwest Nazarene Crusaders (0-0)
Saturday, September 3, 2011 at 3:00 PM
Nampa, ID – NNU Soccer Field

Game #3
ART U Urban Knights (0-0) vs. The College of Idaho Coyotes (0-1)
Monday, September 5, 2011 at 12:00 PM
Nampa, ID – NNU Soccer Field

ART U OPENS WITH SONOMA, TRAVELS TO IDAHO THIS WEEKEND
Academy of Art University men's soccer returns to the field this Thursday to commence its 2011 campaign. With “Dedication, Desire, and Determination” driving their game, the Urban Knights start at CCAA powerhouse Sonoma State, then head to Idaho for contests against Northwest Nazarene and The College of Idaho.

OPENING KICKOFF
The 2011 season begins on Thursday, Sept. 1 when Academy of Art takes on Sonoma State at 2:00 PM at Seawolf Soccer Field. Over the weekend, ART U will travel to Idaho to play Northwest Nazarene first on Saturday, Sept. 3 with game time set for 3:00 PM MDT (2:00 PM PDT). Two days later, the Knights and The College of Idaho will compete against one another in a non-conference affair also to be held at NNU's Soccer Field. That match is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 5 at 12:00 PM MDT (11:00 AM PDT). Remember to check @UrbanKnightNews on Twitter for score updates and recaps. Also become a fan of the Knights on Facebook by 'Like'-ing the Urban Knights page.

KNIGHT WATCH
All four Urban Knights honored with All-PacWest Team awards at the end of last season will be in uniform again this year. Senior forward Andrew "Boomer" Cruz, the PacWest Newcomer of the Year, was one of the top five scorers in the PacWest with eight goals as well as one assist. Sophomore midfielder Andrew Durano contributed seven assists in 2011 (second in the conference) and earned Honorable Mention for his efforts. As essentially the third-best goalkeeper in the PacWest with his Honorable Mention, junior Ian Sutherland finished last season ranked fourth in the conference in goals against average (1.29) and third in save percentage (.722). Rounding out the ART U players receiving honors, sophomore Patrick Heinemann posted one goal and four assists en route to his Honorable Mention among midfielders.

SCOUTING THE SEAWOLVES
A consistently strong men's soccer program, the Seawolves dethroned Cal State Dominguez Hills to become CCAA Champions last year, but ultimately fell to Chico State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. SSU sported a 14-6-1 overall record by the season's end and the team returns their top two goal scorers, forwards Trevor Hurst and Taylor Varnadore, who combined to score 20 of the team's 43 total goals. Both Seawolves were among the CCAA's top five in goals scored. In goal, junior Andrew Ball is a new face for SSU who posted shutouts in both of the team's exhibition wins thus far. The Knights and Seawolves have never met prior.

SCOUTING THE CRUSADERS
With an 8-8-0 overall record last season, Northwest Nazarene finished fourth in the standings among its fellow GNAC members. The Crusaders return 15 total players including Second Team GNAC midfielder Alex Mangeac, who led Northwest Nazarene and the conference with 10 assists in 2010. Pacing the team in goals scored (5) was midfielder Sal Sanchez who will return as well. Back for his final year is goalkeeper Mitchell Rice who handled the majority of the time in NNU's goal, registering 59 saves with a .747 save percentage. This will be the third meeting between Academy of Art and Northwest Nazarene.

SCOUTING THE COYOTES
The College of Idaho, a NAIA institution currently part of the Cascade Collegiate Conference, played its first match of 2011 this past Monday, falling to Whitman 2-1. Key returners to the Coyotes lineup include midfielder Matt Kelly, who led the team with six goals scored last year, along with midfielder Brad Byers. Byers totaled six assists last season and already added one this in TCI's opener as well. A starter in all but one contest in 2010, goalkeeper Aaron Reynolds looks to pick up where he left off with 10 victories and 75 saves to his name in just under 1,670 minutes on the field. This will be the first meeting between the Coyotes and Urban Knights.

2010 IN REVIEW
Last season, the Urban Knights were a competitive force on the road. Beginning with a 3-2 overtime victory over Menlo College, ART U went on to win four more matches in overtime and all were on the opponent's field. One of the most exciting stretches for Academy of Art last year was a four-match win streak in Hawaii where forward Andrew "Boomer" Cruz set a new PacWest record by scoring five goals in a single outing. After surging to win three consecutive matches to close out the season, the Knights had already created a positive momentum heading into 2011.

LOOKING AHEAD
Following this week's action, ART U will be at home for the first time this season when the Knights host Menlo College on Thursday, Sept. 8 at Boxer Stadium. This will be Academy of Art's final non-conference match of the year.