Match #1
ART U Urban Knights (0-0) vs. Cal Poly Humboldt Lumberjacks (0-0)
Thursday, August 31, 2023 at 10 a.m.
San Francisco – Paul Goode Field
Live Stats | Live Video

Match #2
ART U Urban Knights (0-0) vs. Cal State East Bay Pioneers (0-0)
Saturday, September 2, 2023 at 1 p.m.
San Francisco – Paul Goode Field
Live Stats | Live Video

Academy of Art men's soccer balances a strong returning core with the infusion of young talent as the program begins to forge a new identity in 2023, its second under Head Coach Danny Kirkland, starting with this opening week.

A home-heavy first portion of ART U's 18-match schedule kicks off with the Urban Knights hosting Cal Poly Humboldt (Aug. 31) and Cal State East Bay (Sept. 2) the first week then Dominican (Sept. 7) in non-conference play and Cal State Monterey Bay (Sept. 11) thereafter. Six consecutive home contests finish with UC Santa Cruz (Sept. 15) and St. Mary's (Tex.) (Sept. 17) and the last two non-conference games of the year then take Academy of Art to Stanislaus (Sept. 19) and Jessup (Sept. 22). ART U will be in San Francisco to initiate the Pacific West Conference portion of the schedule with UH Hilo (Sept. 25), Chaminade (Sept. 28), and Hawaii Pacific (Sept. 30) touring the Bay Area prior to October. The Knights make the first of two Southern California journeys when they visit Concordia (Oct. 7) and Azusa Pacific (Oct. 9) before returning for Senior Day versus Fresno Pacific on Oct. 14. Four road matches conclude the regular season with a local rematch at DU (Oct. 21) followed by another SoCal stint at Westmont (Oct. 30), Point Loma (Nov. 2), and Biola (Nov. 4).

Highlighting a contingent of upperclassmen will be senior midfielder/forward Gilly Miller, a 2023 Preseason All-PacWest Team honoree, who comes off a breakout 2022 campaign that saw him break ART U's single-season records for points (26) and goals (10) en route to being named D2CCA All-West Region Second Team. In addition to leading the PacWest with six assists in 2022, Miller scored at least one point in all but six of his 18 matches played and enters 2023 ranked first in Academy of Art history with a career average of 0.97 points per contest, second in career points (37), and fourth in career goals (14) and assists (9).

Joining Miller will be fellow experienced collegiates in defender Chris Stokes, midfielders Kendryx Soriano and Ping Yao, forward Jossart Jodito, as well as incoming transfers including goalkeeper Thomas Plowman, defenders Ibikunle Duro-Oyekanle and Abraham Valencia, midfielder Dor Moskowitz, and forward Alejandro Palos. Stokes logged the second-most minutes among returners, having played over 1,300 minutes of action in 2022. Meanwhile, notables from the newcomers are Oyenkanle's time competing for his U17 Nigerian National Team and Valencia leading Evergreen Valley College to a postseason victory while being named to the All-Conference Team and his squad's Most Improved Player in 2022.

Sophomores and freshmen make up more than half of the Urban Knights' 2023 team with goalkeeper Jaiden Brooks, defender Teo Benedick, midfielders Elvis Mensah, Nixon Thompson, and Guilherme Gomes, and forward Ismaël Elmi all back for their respective second years in the ART U red and black. Brooks handled three starts in his debut season, amassing 14 saves in those matches while Mensah finished 2022 ranked third in the conference with five assists and second on the team in points (11), goals (3), and assists (5). Over just 24 career collegiate matches, Mensah is now first in ART U history with a career average of 0.29 assists per contest, sixth with a career average of 0.62 points per match, and seventh with seven career assists.

A total of eight freshmen grace the squad as goalkeeper Ronaldo Gutierrez, defenders Xander Cleaves and Brody Duff, midfielders Joey Glaab, Tristen Banquil, and Heath Nager join forwards Max Ryan and Audie Garza expand the Knights' versatility. Cleaves, who comes from Collége Bourget in Canada, was the Most Valuable Player at the Ottawa Winter 2022 combine and also helped his team go undefeated through the group stages of the Gothia Cup in Sweden. Additionally, Banquil was a First Team All-Region Midfielder and First Team All-District among other honors at Desert Mountain High School while Nager comes off a senior season at Eagle Valley High School in which he tallied eight goals and seven assists in 12 matches.

Assembling a roster of determined individuals, Academy of Art kicks off the program's 16th season this Thursday.