SAN FRANCISCO – Heading into their tenth year of competition, the Academy of Art men's soccer team has officially set their schedule for the upcoming, 2017 season.
 
"I'm looking forward to seeing the improvement of our core group of returners from the spring," said head coach Mike Keller. "We're always looking to make progress which will be a key for us this year. Adding the new guys and mixing in the new talent is always a positive."
 
The Urban Knights will open the season on September 3 with their first non-conference match against Cal State East Bay. ART U is currently 2-1-1 all-time against the Pioneers, winning two out of their previous three contests.
 
Academy of Art will then host their third-consecutive tournament and second under the name: Golden Gate Classic. The Urban Knights are currently 1-1-2 while playing host during their non-conference tourneys and will look get back above .500 when they face Humboldt State and SF State this year. ART U's 2-1 record against the Gators will be put on the line when the two go head-to-head in the finale of the classic for the third-straight year. In 2015, the Knights were victorious in a thrilling, 1-0 overtime win, but SF State managed to exact revenge with a win in 2016.
 
After a final non-conference tune-up against William Jessup, ART U will head to Notre Dame de Namur to kick off PacWest-play. Two days later, the Urban Knights will welcome in Dominican against whom the Knights have won five of their six previous contests.
 
The Urban Knights will then jettison off to Hawaii to face the likes of UH Hilo, Chaminade, and Hawaii Pacific. ART U put together an impressive 3-1 record during their previous trip to the Aloha State in 2015. Academy of Art has enjoyed much success against both Chaminade and UH Hilo, winning 11 out of their previous 16 matches combined dating back to 2010.
 
A week after their return, the Urban Knights will welcome in a pair of PacWest powerhouses beginning with Dixie State who won the conference in 2016 after going 13-0 in conference-play. Two days later, Concordia will visit the city by the bay, riding the back of a second-place finish in conference after posting a 10-3 record in 2016.
 
After hosting Holy Names the following week, ART U will head to Southern California for their final road trip of the season, taking on Azusa Pacific and California Baptist. The Knights are 2-3 and 2-4 all-time against the Cougars and Lancers, dating back to 2011.
 
Academy of Art will then return home, closing out the season with a two-game homestand. The Urban Knights will get their first look at Biola, the PacWest's newest member. It will be just the second time that the two universities have squared off in men's soccer with their only other matchup coming in 2008. ART U's final game of the 2017 campaign will take place on November 11 against Point Loma. The Sea Lions took third-place in the PacWest in 2016, finishing with an 8-4-1 record and a four-game winning streak.
 
For the complete 2017 Academy of Art men's soccer schedule, click here.
 
"I expect the guys will perform with a high effort and good team mentality," said Keller. "They will improve from day-to-day and it will be a great season."