SAN FRANCISCO – In their first game of the 2016 Golden Gate Classic, the Urban Knights looked to uphold their title as reigning champions from 2015. They did just that coming behind from a 2-0 deficit and tying Stanislaus State within the final 30 minutes of regulation.
 
ART U quickly found themselves trailing the Warriors after Desmond Madrigal was able to sneak one by sophomore goalkeeper Kevin Mendez in the 6th minute. For the remainder of the half, Stanislaus was able to keep the Knights' offense at bay, as Academy of Art only managed one shot on goal. It wasn't until the second half that ART U was able to find a rhythm and begin controlling the game.
 
After another Stanislaus goal eight minutes into the second period, The Urban Knights came alive. A foul on the Warriors in the box set up a penalty kick for sophomore midfielder Jordan Seech. As the crowd drew quiet, the advertising major readied his attack. Stanislaus' keeper dove to his right, but he guessed incorrectly as Seech's shot sailed into the opposite corner. The goal was the sophomore's second as an Urban Knight with his first coming October 1, 2015 at Chaminade. His work was not finished however, as just two minutes later, he received another look at the net and did not miss. Freshman forward Philippe Zamignani placed a perfect cross into the box which allowed Seech to send an equalizer into the back of the net and gave him a career-first, two goal match.
 
"Jordan showed a lot of grit and guile on the field today and played well with an extremely high work rate," said head coach Mike Keller.  "It's great to see him getting forward more and being an all-around player."
 
ART U got off three more shots in the closing 29 minutes, but none went through, sending the game to overtime. In search of a golden goal, defense prevailed in the first set of extra minutes as both teams combined for just one shot. Second overtime closely mirrored the first, where neither side was able to put together a strong attack, ending the game in a 2-2 tie.
 
"I credit our depth as a team for keeping us in control of today's game," said Keller. "A lot of guys came off of the bench when the game went to zero against us and really provided a spark that got us back into the game. We saw their impact immediately and I was really happy to see everyone contribute."
 
Academy of Art returns to SF State on Saturday for the finale of the Golden Gate Classic, looking to take care of business against a budding inner-city rival. The Urban Knights last faced the Gators in 2015's Kezar Classic and went home with a 1-0 overtime victory.