Box Score
San Francisco, CA – The Academy of Art University women's soccer team battled the elements and a tough William Jessup team on Friday afternoon. After the game was rained out at their home Boxer Stadium, the Knights had to drive across the city to play at Treasure Island in rainy conditions. ART U and William Jessup battled it out, and were forced into overtime when they game was scoreless at the end of regulation play. After two well fought overtimes, the game ended in a 0-0 draw.
"This young team is learning how to overcome adversity and play mentally and physically tough," said Head Coach Aileen Nasypany. "The ladies came out hard from the first minute and never let down. I am very proud of the group as a whole because it was a great overall team effort. I really saw their desire to not only play well but to win."
ART U stepped onto the field eager and ready for this game, and it showed. Their intensity was high and they struck with the first shot on goal early in the game. The women made their presence known as they held the momentum through the start of the match. Late in the first half, the Knights shot a corner kick by sophomore Jasmine Sharpe that allowed freshman Hannah Emmett to put the ball in the net. Unfortunately, there was a foul on the play, and the goal could not be counted.
The game was still evenly matched in the second half as both teams posted seven shots. The Urban Knights had two opportunities to strike in the half, but the shots were either saved by the Warriors or just missed the net by a few inches. At the end of regulation play, the game was tied 0-0 and overtime was inevitable.
The Knights again had the momentum in the first overtime as they put up two shots. Their defense which had been solid all game, continued to be flawless, and they were able to prevent the Warriors from even recording a shot in overtime. The Knights had their chance to take the game in the early minutes of second over time, but the shot was just wide. After double overtime, the women had to settle for a tie with a top ranked NAIA William Jessup team.
ART U outshot their opponents 15-13 and 8-6 in shots on goal.
For the Urban Knights, keeper Hana Klimek had another outstanding game in goal for her team. She played all 110 minutes allowing no goals, and recording six saves. Offensively, freshman Magda Torres had two shots, both which were on goal, and Sharpe had three shots, two of which were on goal. Senior Emi Sullivan and Emmett both posted three shots, including one shot on goal, and junior Solveig Barnes and freshman Maya Tucker each recorded one shot on goal in the game.
For the Warriors, Breanna Mastropoala posted two shots on goal for her team, and four other William Jessup players recorded a shot on goal on the day. Their main keeper Katie Rappazzo played 65 minutes in the net for the Warriors recording seven saves, and Claire Reiss played the remaining 45 minutes halting one shot in the game.
"This performance was just what the team needed as we head into the final push of conference play," added Nasypany. "They all played with tremendous heart and are working well together. We will use this upcoming week to work hard and get mentally prepared for our rematch with Grand Canyon."
After the tie, the Academy of Art University's record is at 2-9-3 overall, and William Jessup University's record is at 7-4-2 overall. The Knights resume conference play when they host Grand Canyon University in their next competition. The game against the 'Lopes is scheduled for October 28th at 3:00 pm at Boxer Stadium.
