SAN RAFAEL, CALIF. – It was a defensive struggle between two evenly-matched teams on Sunday. However, Dominican (3-9-1, 3-4-1 PacWest) was able to sneak one through in the 50th-minute to narrowly defeat Academy of Art (2-9-1, 2-5-0 PacWest) 1-0.
 
In the first half, the stat sheets for both sides looked nearly identical: the Penguins amassed eight shots (three on goal), while the Urban Knights took six shots (also three on goal). ART U got off to a slow start on offense, but made up for it in the final fourteen minutes when they got off six of the period's seven shots. Sophomore defender Bobby Gutierrez frequently found himself in the attacking third, tallying three shots (two on frame) in the opening half.
 
Dominican opened the second period with a sense of newly-found determination as they saw their first shot go through in the 55th-minute. Moments after a corner kick for the Penguins, Arturo Carillo put a well-placed ball in front of Tristan White who was sprinting into the box and broke the deadlock. Academy of Art fought back with six shots, ultimately outshooting Dominican in the second half, but could not find an equalizer. The Knights' best opportunity of the half was in the 47th-minute when junior midfielder Justin Erhunmwunsee was fed the ball alone, directly in front of the net. Despite a strong shot, the Industrial Design major sent it soaring just over the crossbar.
 
Overall, Gutierrez and junior midfielder Jonny Navarro were the team leaders with three shots (two on goal) each. Just behind was sophomore midfielder Jordan Seech who tallied two shots (both in the second half). Sophomore Kevin Mendez totaled four saves on the day, bringing his season total to 38.
 
The Urban Knights will now head back on the road for a pair of matches against Fresno Pacific and Dixie State on Wednesday and Saturday.