SAN FRANCISCO – Academy of Art men's soccer played from ahead throughout most of its non-conference match with familiar foe Fresno Pacific on Tuesday, but a goal from FPU in the 89th minute sent both teams home with a 1-1 draw.

It was the Sunbirds (2-8-1) who came out the more aggressive, taking a trio of shots within the first 15 minutes that forced great saves from the Urban Knights' (3-7-3) freshman goalkeeper Jaiden Brooks, the first of his career that included a stop on a breakaway opportunity for FPU. Though Academy of Art had an attempt at the net when senior midfielder Breki Einarsson put a chance on target, FPU came right back with another scoring opportunity that required a team save from ART U.

The tide soon turned in the match on the next scoring chance for Academy of Art, as their second shot of the match resulted in a goal in the 32nd minute for the 1-0 lead. An interception from junior midfielder Gilly Miller set up an attacking opportunity, as he played the ball out to the right edge of the box for Einarsson who promptly sent a cross into the middle. Receiving the pass was redshirt freshman midfielder Elvis Mensah, who took a brief pause before playing the ball back to Miller, and the ART U goal leader added another on a one-touch shot into the top left corner. 

As Academy of Art was afforded the chance to play from ahead in the second half, it was the Sunbirds who took the majority of shots 12-3, ultimately holding the edge in the shop battle by the end of the match 20-5. After making a total of four saves in the first 45 minutes, Brooks produced another six in the second frame for ART U, as the 10 total saves he made are the most by an ART U keeper in a match this season and tied for sixth-most in program history.

However, just two minutes from the end of the match was when Fresno Pacific found the equalizer. Utilizing a quick free kick after a foul, Fabricio Pozas Saboya played a short forward pass that led to a one-on-one opportunity for Antonio Angel Lepe, who found the back of the net to make sure the match ended level.

Both Miller and Mensah have been crucial to the office lately, as they have respectively put together impressive points streaks in recent matches. For Miller, he had recorded one assist in each of the previous two games before his goal today, and the team leader in points has bumped his season total to 17 (six goals, five assists). The 17 points are currently tied for second-most in a single season in program history, while the six goals are tied for seventh-most. Dating back to last season, Miller has 24 points over his previous 18 matches (eight goals, eight assists).

Meanwhile for Mensah, he has tallied a point in each of his previous five matches, producing seven points over that span thanks to a pair of goals and three assists. He is the only other Urban Knight to accumulate at least three goals and three assists on the campaign (nine points), both of which are new career highs. 

Leading the team in shots with a pair on goal was Miller, while both Einarsson and junior midfielder Ping Yao put their scoring opportunities on target. Also taking a shot in the match was freshman forward Nixon Thompson.

After consecutive 1-1 draws, Academy of Art will look to get back in the win column later this week as the Urban Knights return to the pitch on Sunday, Oct. 16 to take on Dominican beginning at 2:30 p.m.