SAN FRANCISCO – The Friday afternoon battle between Academy of Art women's soccer and Cal State Monterey Bay could not find a winner after two periods of overtime and 110 total minutes, ending in a 0-0 draw for both teams thanks to an outstanding effort in goal from ART U keeper Nicole Peoples who kept a clean sheet with 13 saves.

Both teams had numerous double-digit shot chances in a match that ultimately ended without a score, as the Urban Knights (0-1-1) took a total of 12 shots, more than doubling their looks from the season opener. Even still, the highlight was Peoples, as the career-high 13 saves she made is tied for the second-most saves in a single game in ART U history (first: Rachael Rempe, 19). Six of those saves came in overtime, as she kept ART U in the match as the Otters (1-0-2) threatened often to end the game in the golden goal periods. 

One of the best looks of the match came at its beginning, as junior forward Brooklyn Morera collected a bouncing ball off of a free kick before spinning putting a shot off the crossbar and out of play just 10 minutes in to the contest. The two teams would trade looks through the rest of the period, but none serious enough to threaten a goal, with a fairly level match at the break.

CSUMB came out firing in the second frame, launching five shots before ART U would get a chance of their own. Twice in under a minute junior forward Baylie Christensen would get a pair of header opportunities inside the box, but the first would work its way wide before the second was saved by Otters goalkeeper Aubrey McKessy.

Despite the flurry Cal State Monterey Bay remained in control, ending the second with a total of 14 shots, but were stonewalled on every chance by Peoples and her five second-half saves. A corner kick would lead to one final shot from junior defender Avica Robings, but it would just head over the net. 

Early into the first overtime after a pair of wide shots from the Otters, Christensen would have a chance to end it after a gorgeous lead pass from graduate student midfielder Melissa Wilson would put Christensen in on goal alone, but the resulting shot went over the net. Wilson would have an outstanding chance of her own less than a minute later, as a nice pass from sophomore defender Raquel Calvo Mendez would lead to a shot just from outside the top of the box, forcing a diving save from Otters keeper McKessy to keep the score square.

The Otters would return the favor in what was literally the final seconds of the half, as Peoples had to make a jumping save on a shot from Jasmine Safarians as time expired. While the last period of play was all CSUMB, Peoples posted perhaps her best 10 minutes of the match with another five-save period, earning the Knights their first draw of the season. 

Seven different Urban Knights would tally a shot in the match while five would put one of their looks on net, with Christensen leading ART U shot takers with three shots. Morera, senior forward Veronica Rodriguez, and junior midfielder Reyna Valencia would end the day with two shots each. 

The Knights will hit the road for the first time in 2021 the next time out, as next on the schedule is a match with Simpson on Monday, Sept. 20 at 4 p.m.