Match #10
ART U Urban Knights (0-8-1, 0-4-0 PacWest) vs. FPU Sunbirds (3-5-0, 1-2-0 PacWest)
Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021 at 2:30 p.m.
San Francisco – CCSF Soccer Field
Live Stats & Video

HOME COOKING
Saturday marks the conclusion of a three-game homestand for Academy of Art men's soccer, as the Urban Knights will host Fresno Pacific in a match that will count towards the Pacific West Conference standings, their first of two meetings in 2021. 

KICKOFF
The only match of the week will take place this Saturday as the second act of ART U soccer's doubleheader scheduled for a 2:30 p.m. kickoff. Remember to follow @ARTU_Knights via the athletics app (Apple App Store, Google Play Store) and on Twitter & Instagram, as well as "Like" the Urban Knights on Facebook for score updates, videos, and recaps. 

KNIGHT WATCH
Senior forward Adrian Cekala's goal in the 64th minute during last Friday's match against UH Hilo was one for the record books, as he became ART U's all-time leading scorer with his 17th goal, breaking him out of a tie with Grimur Grimsson (16). It was also the 39th point in Cekala's career, giving him the all-time ART U record after passing Kristof Urbanyi (37). It marks his team-high third goal of the season, as he leads the Knights in points with seven as the midway point of the season draws near. Chipping in a pair of points with a goal each are junior forward Fannar Omarsson, who struck for the first goal of the ART U season just seven minutes into the season opener that was assisted by Cekala, and freshman forward Ping Yao, who scored his first career goal in his fourth match with the Knights against the Hawks in a rematch last Saturday. Leading the team in shots is sophomore midfielder Gilly Miller with 26, including ringing the frame of the goal on numerous occasions, with 10 of his looks making their way on target. Trailing just behind him is Cekala with 22 shots of his own, putting a team-high 14 of his attempts on net, which is also tied for the second-most in the PacWest. 

Platooning in goal for Academy of Art is the combination of junior goalkeeper Davis King and freshman goalkeeper Omer Tal, with King drawing five matches between the pipes and producing 16 saves on 74 shots faced (.533) with a 2.74 goals against average. Meanwhile, Tal has seen action in four contests, stopping 19 chances on 60 shots faced (.679) with a 2.13 goals against average. Earlier this season, Tal posted the ninth-most saves in a single match in ART U history with nine in his first collegiate start against HNU on Sept. 22, ultimately being named the PacWest Defender of the Week on Sept. 27.

CAGING THE SUNBIRDS
Sitting just below .500 on the season at 3-5-0 are the Sunbirds of Fresno Pacific, including a 1-2-0 mark in PacWest play with losses to Point Loma (3-0) and Biola (2-1), though they did earn a close victory against UH Hilo (1-0). Most recently, FPU was able to pick up a 2-1 decision over Division III opponent UC Santa Cruz, making them 2-1-0 in their last three matches. Offense has been humming for Fresno Pacific, as the Sunbirds generate 13.8 shots per match while putting 40.9 percent of their looks on goal (45-for-110), though opponents have generated a whopping 14.6 shots per match against. Leading the team in points, goals and assists is Fellipe Souza, netting three goals while assisting on three others for a total of nine points, tied for the third-most in the PacWest. Three different goalkeepers have earned a win for FPU, combining for a .692 save percentage (36 saves on 117 shots faced) with a 1.96 goals against average. The all-time series between the two teams has gone the way of Fresno Pacific, 10-1-0. 

YAO SCORES FIRST ART U GOAL, BUT HAWKS WIN 3-1
The second meeting of the season between Academy of Art men's soccer and Holy Names was another tight contest, but unlike the first matchup, the second would provide sufficient scoring to decide a winner. Despite newly added freshman Ping Yao scoring his first collegiate goal in his fourth career game, it was HNU that would take the win in Pacific West Conference action by a 3-1 final. 

LOOKING AHEAD
ART U will hit the road once again, as the Urban Knights return to Southern California for a quick two-match trip to No. 2 in the PacWest Concordia on Oct. 23 before ending with Azusa Pacific on Oct. 25.