SAN FRANCISCO – Academy of Art women's soccer struck for the fastest goal scored in program history and didn't look back on Sunday, burying the game-winning goal in the very first minute of the match en route to a 3-0 win over Holy Names for ART U's first Pacific West Conference victory of the season.
While fans were still finding their seats at City College of San Francisco, the Urban Knights (2-4-2, 1-3-0 PacWest) had already found the back of the net, as junior midfielder
Reyna Valencia gathered her second goal of the season (both have been game-winners) after she was able to score on a cross into the box from junior defender
Avica Robings only 51 seconds into the game. Just over a minute later, Valencia would gather her third point of the game when she flicked a ball forward with her head to put junior forward
Brooklyn Morera on a run toward the box, and Morera finished off her one-on-one moves with a screaming shot into the top right corner of the goal.
Despite the Hawks (0-10-0, 0-2-0 PacWest) trailing early, HNU did not show any quit as the two teams continued to battle hard through the end of the first half. While the two teams didn't put many shots on target, it certainly wasn't for a lack of trying, with the squads combining for 20 total shots in the first frame. Though each side's goalkeeper had to be called on once to make a save, both were also bailed out by the goal frame with each team hitting the goalpost at least once (twice for ART U).
The offensive intensity continued into the second frame as the Knights and Hawks generated another 18 shot opportunities, 11 of which belonged to ART U. One of those 11 shots would be converted into a goal, as graduate student midfielder
Melissa Wilson notched the first goal of her Urban Knights career as the result of a beautiful string of offense. Beginning on the the right side of the pitch, ART U worked their way up and sent a cross all the way across the field to Valencia. Ever dangerous, Valencia drew the defense's attention before playing the ball into sophomore forward
Brooklyn Villapudua in the middle of the box, with Villapudua continuing the passing to the top of the box where she found Wilson to ultimately earn the primary assist on the third goal of the match. Valencia would finish the match with four points (tied for sixth-most in program history), as she now owns the team lead for goals (two), assists (two) and points (six).
When the dust was settled, the Knights held the edge in shots at a 20-18 margin, with seven of their 20 shots making it on target. No one had more looks than Morera, as she fired off seven shots in the match which is tied for the fifth most in a single match in ART U history. Four of her chances were on goal, and her goal was her fifth goal in her last three matches she has played against HNU dating back to the two games played in the shortened spring season. Valencia and junior forward
Baylie Christensen finished with three shots apiece, while a total of nine different Urban Knights would record a scoring opportunity.
Combining for a shutout was the duo of sophomore goalkeeper
Nicole Peoples and senior goalkeeper
Jordyn Wight, with Wight doing the majority of the labor by making a pair of saves, one coming in each half.
ART U will try to turn this victory into a winning streak when the Knights return to the pitch on Oct. 16 for a battle with Fresno Pacific from CCSF at noon.
