KEA'AU, Hawaii – In their first of three matches in the Aloha State, Academy of Art men's soccer stayed resilient throughout, eventually defeating UH Hilo 1-0 in a two-overtime thriller.
 
In the first half, neither side was able to get on the board despite ART U getting off five shots (two on-goal). The Urban Knights were outshot in the opening period 9-5, but freshman goalkeeper Kris Jensson looked strong at the net, collecting four saves. Three of his saves were accumulated within a period of three minutes at the end of the half including a pair that happened almost simultaneously.
 
However, it was in the second half that Academy of Art began to take control of the match. The Urban Knights outshot the Vulcans 7-2 and controlled the majority of the possession time. Nonetheless, ART U was unable to secure a goal, forcing the contest into overtime.
 
"It was in the second half that we were able to regroup and get back to playing our game," said head coach Mike Keller. "The guys really executed from that point forward."
 
Throughout the entirety of the first overtime, the Knights held UH Hilo to just one shot. Meanwhile, ART U forced a penalty in the Vulcan's goalie box in the 97th-minute which set up a penalty kick for senior forward Alex Walsh. Walsh scored the game-winner in Academy of Art's previous contest against Dominican in a similar fashion: a PK in the 22nd-minute to seal the victory. With his success in mind, Walsh was given another chance at becoming the hero, but his attempt was saved, allowing the match to continue. Walsh took another shot off of the rebound, but it was saved once again and the contest moved into a second, ten-minute overtime.
 
When the whistle blew to begin the final set of OT, the Urban Knights did not need long to secure the win: just 70 seconds into the period, junior midfielder Bobby Gutierrez sent in a shot from 20-yards out, crossing UH Hilo's goalkeeper and ultimately finding the back of the net. The goal was Gutierrez's first of the season and first since October 27, 2016 against Notre Dame de Namur. The Riverside, Calif. native had a strong offensive-presence throughout the entirety of Saturday's match, amassing a team-high 4 shots with his one on-goal sending the Urban Knights home as victors.
 
"Bobby has been a main catalyst for us in the attack, passing game, and around the goal," said Keller. "I am really happy for him as his effort and mentality have been strong this year."
 
Walsh was also at the top of the stat sheet for ART U against UH Hilo with three shots (two on-goal). Meanwhile, Jensson turned in five saves while earning his second shutout of the season. The Reykjavik, Iceland native has already established himself as one of the premier goalkeepers in the conference, ranking third in the PacWest in save percentage (.852) and average goals allowed (.639). Both figures are the top marks for all freshmen keepers. Academy of Art has now won three of their last four matches and their previous two PacWest contests. The Knights are now 2-1 in PacWest-play and 3-3-1 overall.
 
ART U will now jettison off to Oahu where they will face Chaminade on October 3 and Hawaii Pacific on October 5.