Box Score

Photo Gallery (images by Kier LaCrosse & Lorraine Etchell)

San Francisco, CA -- The Urban Knights women's soccer team played 90 hard-fought minutes on Thursday afternoon, but ended up being on the short end of a 1-0 loss against PacWest newcomers Azusa Pacific at Crocker-Amazon Field. The Knights dominated the second half, but despite their chances at the net, they were unable to equalize.

"I am very proud of my team's ability to execute our game plan," said head coach Aileen Nasypany. "We held a perennial powerhouse in check to only long distance shots, which Rempe handled well. We gave up a soft goal in the first half from a miss clear of a defender. The team is finding confidence with every match."

All three captains were very visible, especially on defense for the Knights (2-3, 0-1 PWC), as seniors Tanner McCandlish and Jasmine Sharpe played some impressive soccer in the midfield and sophomore Sophie Meneses anchored the back line with her ability close in on opposing attackers. New addition Hanna Aronzon was also active on the defensive front, showing off a big boot on some clears that we're instrumental in keeping the Cougars (2-3, 1-0 PWC) off balance and unable to expand on their lead.

The Urban Knights defense was key in the game, as countless attempts by APU were turned aside, but there was that one shot that got through that proved to be the difference in the game. The last two matches have been battles on the defensive side of the ball, both ending in 1-0 results with ART U splitting those decisions. The one lapse for the Knights came in the first half on a corner kick in the 22nd minute. The Cougars crowded the box, and despite the stalwart Academy of Art defensive set, APU got it past Rachael Rempe for the only goal of the game.

Coming out of halftime, the Urban Knights showed off their offensive skills as well, pushing the Cougars back on their heels for a majority of the second period. The Knights had three chances in the second half on great through balls from the midfielders. Junior Hannah Emmett had three shots, two that hit off the crossbar, in a day that was marked by near misses by ART U.

"The ladies came out fired up in the second half with two golden chances that nicked the top crossbar, one inch lower and it could have been a totally different result. Emmett and Klandt both had beautiful strikes," Nasypany said. "We also had a golden chance with a corner to tie the match with less than a minute left that we didn't convert on. I need my playmakers to make those big plays and the W's will start to come again."

"Today for our first NCAA season match of the year was truly a battle," said Sharpe. "Playing Azusa Pacific really tested our mental toughness. We showed that the hard work we have put in during pre-season has paid off. Even though we lost 0-1, we dominated the second half with a few close shots right at the end. I'm proud of my team and feel we are ready to take on any team that comes our way."

The Urban Knights will turn it right around for their second of six home games on Saturday as they take on Point Loma Nazarene University at 2:30 at the City College of San Francisco.