Match #8
ART U Urban Knights (3-3-1) vs. HPU Sharks (2-2-2)
Monday, Sept. 26, 2022 at 10 p.m. PT
Waipahu, Hawaii – Waipio Stadium
Live Stats | Live Video

Match #9
ART U Urban Knights (3-3-1) vs. Chaminade Silverswords (0-3-1)
Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022 at 3:30 p.m. PT
Honolulu – St. Louis Field
Live Stats | Live Video

Match #10
ART U Urban Knights (3-3-1) vs. UH Hilo Vulcans (1-3-2)
Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022 at 6 p.m. PT
Hilo, Hawaii – UHH Soccer Field
Live Stats | Live Video

ROLLING INTO CONFERENCE PLAY
Winners of their last three matches via shutout to lift their overall record to .500, Academy of Art men's soccer starts Pacific West Conference play on the Hawaiian Islands as the Urban Knights battle against Hawaii Pacific, Chaminade, and UH Hilo beginning on Monday. 

KICKOFF
The start time with the Sharks is set for Monday at 7 p.m. HT/10 p.m. PT, kick off with the Silverswords commences at 12:30 p.m. HT/3:30 p.m. PT, while the trip concludes with a match at 3 p.m. HT/6 p.m. PT against the Vulcans. 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
After a slow start to the season, Academy of Art men's soccer has picked up the pace in recent matches, winning three straight matches via shutouts after playing to a draw in the previous contest. It was the first time in program history that the Urban Knights have kept a clean sheet for three consecutive matches. The stretch started with a 2-2 draw against Cal State East Bay on Sept. 10 where the Urban Knights twice pulled in front but were unable to retain the lead, and continued with a consecutive pair of clean sheets with a 2-0 victory over Cal poly Humboldt on Sept. 12 before handing NAIA opponent William Jessup a 3-0 defeat on Sept. 15. Most recently, the ART U played a tight contest with fellow PacWest member Holy Names in non-conference action on Sept. 21, with a tally from junior midfielder Gilly Miller the only difference in the 1-0 win.

Miller has been instrumental in the offense, as the team's leader in points (10) as well as second in the PacWest in goals (four) and shots on goal (12), while also tying for third in total shots (20). Half of his goals have been game-winners, as his tally against William Jessup would be the most important despite being the first goal scored, netting the game-winner on a shot to the left post in just the 12th minute after he dribbled his way to the top of the box from the left side. Most recently, Miller curled a free kick into the top left corner the net against the Hawks, leaving the goalkeeper no chance to stop it. It has been quite the stretch for junior midfielder dating back to last season, as he has now scored a total of six goals over his previous 12 matches, producing a total of 17 points over that time (five assists). 

Also crucial to the undefeated stretch for the Urban Knights has been senior midfielder Breki Einarsson, as the Iceland native collected his first points of the 2022 campaign with a helper against Cal Poly Humboldt when he sent a quick pass in the box to senior midfielder William Mychaltchouk, who powerfully launched a ball across the front of the goal to the back post for the score. Against William Jessup he found the back of the net in the 40th minute thanks to a gorgeous header goal inside the box after a cross from the deep right wing by junior midfielder Kendryx Soriano, who is also tied for second on the team in points at three with Einarsson.

Prior to the match against Holy Names, senior goalkeeper Davis King collected an honor from the PacWest as his two clean sheets helped him earn his first ever PacWest Defender of the Week award on Sept. 19, becoming just the second ART U goalkeeper to earn the honor. King faced a total of 26 shots across the week, 13 in each match, and produced a pair of saves in each contest. Since then he added one more save during the 1-0 shutout over HNU, as his streak I have not allowing a goal has now reached 292 minutes of game action going back to the match against the Pioneers (six total saves over that span). Over the course of the campaign, he has made 16 saves on a total 80 shots faced, with his best outing coming in the season opener Cal State Dominguez Hills where he totaled four saves on 13 shots faced. 

As a unit, ART U has generated a total of 77 shot attempts with 35 making their way on goal (45.5 percent), leading to an average of 11.0 shots per game and 1.29 goals per game. Across the PacWest, the scoring average ranks them fourth in the conference while tying for second in goals (9) and tying for fourth in shots. The Knights recently set single game-highs in both shots and shots on goal, as they fired 17 attempts against William Jessup with eight finding the target. Miller paces ART U in both shots (20) and shots on goal (12), though 15 more Urban Knights have all taken at least one attempt at the net, 10 of which put their chances on goal. 

CHUMMING THE WATERS
Sitting level on the year much like Academy of Art are the Sharks of Hawaii Pacific, as they have been winners of their past two matches against their Hawaiian neighbors UH Hilo (2-1) and Chaminade (4-0) to lift their record to 2-2-2. With eight goals in five matches, their scoring average sits just above the urban Knights at third in the conference table at 1.33, though they do possess the top scoring margin in the PacWest at +0.5. The team lead in goals (three) and points (six) belongs to Gerrit Arzberger, putting up his totals in just two of the five HPU matches. Projected to be between the posts is Jermey Zielinski, making a total of 11 saves on 38 shots faced. Hawaii Pacific has gotten the better of the Urban Knights the past seven times out, and they lead the all-time series 12-1-0.

COOLING OFF CHAMINADE
Still searching for the first win of the 2022 campaign are the Silverswords, though they did earn a draw their most recent time on the pitch when they played to a 1-1 tie with UH Hilo. With just one goal scored through four matches, the Chaminade often sits at the bottom of the PacWest with an average of 0.25 goals per game. Scoring that goal was Ryan Anderson, though Ian Inigo has taken the most shots on the squad with a total of five. Brandon Yasue has been in goal for Chaminade, making 20 saves on 57 shots face. The Urban Knights snapped a four match losing streak to the Silverswords with a 4-0 victory during the last meeting, and Academy of Art leads the all-time series 9-6-0. 

VULCAN-IC ERUPTION
After opening the campaign with a 2-1 win over Cal poly Humboldt, UH Hilo has seen its record drop 1-3-2 after its next five matches, though the Vulcans are coming off a 1-1 draw against Chaminade. UH Hilo has scored seven goals and six matches, placing them fit in the PacWest in scoring average at 1.17 just behind the Urban Knights. Though they sit at a total of 51 shots on the year, only 20 have made it on target (39.2 percent). A pair of goals and assists gives Alexander Hernandez-Herbach the team leader in points with six, and he has double the amount of shots compared to the next closest Vulcan with 15, five of which have been on goal. Three different players have seen action between the posts for UH Hilo, and the team has combined to make 17 saves on 61 shots faced. Academy of Art and UH Hilo have traded winning streaks in recent matchups, but it is the Vulcans who have won the previous three meetings to take the lead in the all-time series 8-6-0.

MILLER'S STRIKE SECURES THIRD CONSECUTIVE KNIGHTS VICTORY
Locked in a low-scoring, defensive battle with Bay Area rival Holy Names for the majority of their non-conference contest, Academy of Art men's soccer pulled in front midway during the second half on a strike from junior midfielder Gilly Miller and never relented, securing a third consecutive shutout victory by a 1-0 final on Wednesday. 

LOOKING AHEAD
Waiting for the Knights when they return to San Francisco to host their first PacWest contest will be Biola and Azuza Pacific, the respective matchups happening on Oct. 6 and Oct. 8.