Box Score

Photo Gallery (images by Rob Garcia)

San Francisco, CA -- A mere 28 seconds into Thursday's Pacific West Conference battle between Bay Area rivals, Academy of Art University was up 1-0 thanks to junior Sylvester Gyan's header and junior Aron Ekberg's fifth assist of the season. However, Notre Dame de Namur, ranked #5 in the West Region. would not go lightly on its own Koret Field as the Argonauts scored three times and came back to take the 3-1 victory.

“We started out great, scoring on them early,” head coach Daniel Rosaia said. “We felt it was important to jump ahead quickly since they were coming off a tough loss in Hawaii. Our team played well, we just didn't have enough to finish strong. We're known for finishing, but unfortunately we weren't able to do it today.”

The match began in dynamic fashion as the kickoff found Ekberg out wide on the left wing. He would make a quick stop and cross the ball into the box where it found Gyan's head at the perfect location to evade the goalkeeper.

This goal, at the 28-second mark, was historic for multiple reasons. First and foremost, it was the fastest in ART U program history, bettering the one by Andrew "Boomer" Cruz which came at 53 seconds on the day he scored the PacWest record five goals. It was also the 100th goal in Urban Knight history, all of which Coach Rosaia has seen in his time building the program.

“The team winning is certainly more important, but it's a good sign for our program to reach that kind of milestone,” Coach Rosaia said. “It's exciting to know that we're making progress and competing with teams to become a legitimate NCAA Division II program. I just wish it could have been a game-winner.”

Gyan's goal held up for the next 37 minutes as the Academy of Art University defense and senior goalkeeper Ian Sutherland held tough against a flurry of NDNU attacks. Sutherland had three big saves and, in the 16th minute, senior Grimur Grimsson found himself only inches from a goal as his foot stabbed at a ball which the Argos keeper barely grabbed.

Towards the end of the period, Armando Garcia managed to dribble through the ART U defense and poke one past Sutherland for the equalizing score. After halftime, the Argonauts managed to capture a 2-1 advantage on a goal by Jesus Gonzalez in the 53rd minute via a short Frank Barnes pass to the top of the box.

Battling through injuries, the Urban Knights continued their fight, but another goal by Garcia came in the 74th minute and the score remained 3-1 to the end. Grimsson, freshman Kristof Urbanyi, and junior Luis Barrera all had close opportunities as Academy of Art University turned up the offensive heat late, but NDNU held on.

ART U finished with the goal by Gyan, his second of the year, Ekberg's team-leading fifth assist of the season, and five more saves for Sutherland. The Urban Knights move to 2-8-1 overall and 1-5-1 in PacWest play thus far.

Garcia had two goals for Notre Dame de Namur while Jack Ewert, Barnes, Tito Tenorio each added an assist apiece. Jay Tsuruoka totaled three saves for the Argonauts who are now 8-2-1 overall, 5-1-1 in conference.

Though this match serves as ART U's lone contest for the week, the Knights will stay on the road for their next game which takes place at California Baptist on Oct. 13.