Game #7
ART U (1-5, 0-2 PWC) vs. Dixie State College (2-5, 0-1 PWC)
September 23rd at 4:30 pm MDT (3:30 pm PDT)
St. George, UT -- Hansen Stadium
Live Stats
EASTBOUND BUT NOT DOWN: The Urban Knights hit the highway once again to take on the Red Storm of Dixie State in a PacWest matchup on Friday. On Tuesday, Academy of Art fell to Hawaii Pacific, scoring first, equalizing in the second half, but in the end going down swinging against the first-place Sea Warriors. The Knights set their season high for goals (2) and look to continue conference play in Utah.
FINDING A GROOVE: Head Coach Aileen Nasypany pointed to the team's better chemistry as the reason for the recent increase in offensive output. The team seems to be gelling and it has been showing on the pitch. Having Megan Bucci back in the lineup is making the Urban Knights a better team up front right away, and her nose for the big score showed with the opening goal against HPU. On Tuesday, ART U had some chances that were only inches from being goals, with one hitting off the crossbar and another heading just over the crossbar on separate tries. The set pieces were much more fluid, and if the chances keep on showing up, the Knights will inevitably start to find the back of the net.
GOALS FROM THE NORTH: Hannah Emmett (Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada) factored largely in the scores for Academy of Art on Tuesday, and is emerging as an offensive weapon for Coach Nasypany. Her cross from the top of the box was in the perfect spot for Bucci to head it in, and then her goal off the corner kick was just inside the left post to tie the game at 2-2 and also give Emmett her first three-point day of 2011. On the other side, Margaret Thorolfsdottir (Reykjavik, Iceland) is also proving to be another weapon for the Knights, increasing her team-leading shot total (12). Thorolfsdottir seems to be in the thick of every scoring chance, and her speed and ability to break away from defenders is a good sign for the upcoming schedule.
THEY COME IN THREES: The Red Storm of Dixie State are 2-2-1, but have lost two in a row coming into Friday's match against the Urban Knights. ART U will try to make it three in a row for Dixie State, but will have to stop PacWest Top Ten Honor Roll selection Whitley Davis, who had two assists in last week's game against Colorado Christian. They will also have to contend with freshman forward Mindi Beckstrom, who is in the top ten in shots for the PacWest, and get past senior goalkeeper April Beck, who is fifth in the conference in goals-against average (1.90).
TOUGH DRAW...AGAIN: Freshman defender Sophie Meneses has had tough assignments in the opening weeks of the season, usually being called upon to mark the opposing team's top offensive player. Against Dominican she was defending against Julianna Bratsberg, who is in the conference top 10 in points and assists. Last week against Cal Baptist, Meneses was asked to cover PacWest goals leader Kimberly Allard. Against Hawaii Pacific, Meneses had to deal with the dual threat of Meghan Fuller and Andrea Aguirre. Coach Nasypany has been extremely impressed with her young stopper, praising her efforts after every game.
LOOKING AHEAD: The Urban Knights will be on the road again for their next match, taking on William Jessup in Rocklin, CA. The game will take place at Jessup Field, and start at 3:00 P.M. The Knights will be home again on October 1 to face Chaminade.
