Thursday August 27th, 3:00pm @ Kezar Stadium
AAU vs. Cal State East Bay
Sunday, August 30th, 1:00pm @ Negoesco Stadium
AAU @ Univerisy of San Francisco
San Francisco, CA—The Urban Knights' women soccer team will start their 2009 campaign with a home opener on Thursday August 27th, against Cal State East Bay. This will be a non conference game, as CSU East Bay is in the Division II, CCAA conference. The match marks a five game non conference stint for the Academy of Art University. On Sunday, August 30th, the Urban Knights travel across the city to battle the University of San Francisco, a tough Division I competitor. This game is set for 1:00pm.
Scouting the Pioneers: The 2009 season will mark the first year of official Division II, California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) play for CSU East Bay. They finished the 2008 season with a 10-8-1 record as Division III members. CSUEB head women's soccer coach Amy Gerace will return for her ninth season with the team. The Pioneers are returning eight players and adding ten newcomers; five of which are Junior College transfers. Coach Gerace has led the team to three consecutive seasons with 10 or more wins.
Scouting the Dons: The University of San Francisco finished with a 5-13-2 overall record and a 0-7 conference record last season. However, the Dons are already out to a strong start in their 2009 season. They defeated both UC Davis (Division I) and San Francisco State University (Division II) in exhibition games last week. 2009 marks the third season for the Dons head coach Mark Carr. The Dons are returning six key players to the roster this season.
Looking Ahead: After the home opener on Thursday, the Urban Knights set off on a six game road trip, playing four non conference teams before beginning PacWest play on September 19th.
