Match #3
ART U Urban Knights (0-2-0) vs. SF State Gators (0-1-1)
Friday, Sept. 2, 2022 at 11:30 a.m.
San Francisco – Paul Goode Field
Live Stats & Live Video

SAN FRANCISCO SHOWDOWN
After a pair of matches on the road to open the 2022 season, Academy of Art men's soccer gets the chance to play in front of a home crowd for the first time on Friday when the Urban Knights host SF State in a battle for San Francisco in their only match of the week.

KICKOFF
Get up and ready for Friday's kickoff, as the two teams kick off the action from Paul Goode Field beginning at 11:30 a.m. 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
It's been a tough start to the season for Academy of Art, as the Urban Knights have not been able to get into the win column during their first two matches of the 2022 campaign. Though senior goalkeeper Davis King started the year off with a save on the first shot he faced, Cal State Dominguez Hills put up tallies in the seventh and 22nd minutes, with that 2-0 score holding firm for a Toros victory despite the Knights launching four shots of their own in the second half.

Aiming to rebound against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, it was once again the Knights who put the first shot on the stat sheet with an attempt from graduate student forward Nolan Shafik, but the Stags would score twice before the half in the ninth and 23rd minutes. The second half would see CMS add a pair of insurance goals before the Urban Knights were able to find the scoreboard for the first time this season, with a goal coming from the boot of junior midfielder Gilly Miller when he converted a penalty kick opportunity, the first attempt and conversion of his ART U career. 

As a squad through the very early season, the Urban Knights have totaled 13 shots for an average of 6.5 per game, and are just under the halfway mark on putting their shots on goal with a total of six (.462). Miller paces ART U in both shots (four) and shots on goal (three), though eight more Urban Knights have all taken at least on attempt at the net, three of which made it on net from freshman midfielder Guilherme Gomes, senior midfielder William Mychaltchouk, and senior forward Fannar Omarsson. Between the posts, King has denied seven attempts on a total of 20 shots faced, with his best effort so far this season coming against the Toros when he produced four saves. 

GATOR-INFESTED WATERS
Much like the Knights, SF State is also looking to get into the win column for the first time in 2022, though they did open their season with a 2-2 tie against MSU Denver. However, that tie was followed by a 2-0 shutout at the hands of nationally-ranked No. 20 Colorado School of Mines. The Gators have taken just 11 shots as a team with only four making it on goal (.364), though two of those have resulted in goals from Julio Gonzalez Ponce and Johnny Kuwano. Earning the helper on both of those goals was Gustavo Ferrari, leading to a three-way tie for points on the Gators. While the Urban Knights won the first two clashes in the all-time series, SF State has jumped out in front 4-2-0 by winning each of the past four battles, including the last instance which occurred on Sept. 9, 2021. 

URBAN KNIGHTS STRIKE LATE IN STAGS' VICTORY
While Academy of Art men's soccer was able to net their first goal of the season late in ART U's non-conference battle against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, the early goals by CMS set the tone they would take a 4-1 victory on Saturday. 

LOOKING AHEAD
The Urban Knights will have a week to regain their legs as they prepare for their next test, as ART U travels across the Bay Bridge to the East Bay to battle Cal State East Bay on Sept. 10 at 11 a.m. before heading north to face off against Cal Poly Humboldt on Sept. 12 at noon.