Match #8
ART U Urban Knights (0-6-1, 0-2-0 PacWest) vs. UH Hilo Vulcans (2-5-0, 0-3-0 PacWest)
Friday, Oct. 8, 2021 at 1 p.m.
San Francisco – Paul Goode Field
Live Stats & Video

Match #9
ART U Urban Knights (0-6-1, 0-2-0 PacWest) vs. HNU Hawks (3-3-1, 1-0-0 PacWest)
Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021 at 2:30 p.m.
San Francisco – CCSF Soccer Field
Live Stats & Video

WE MUST DEFEND THIS HOUSE!
Pacific West Conference play continues for Academy of Art men's soccer, as the Urban Knights will now host a pair of conference matches against fellow PacWest members UH Hilo on Friday and Holy Names on Sunday.  

KICKOFF
Friday's match against the Vulcans will kick off at 1 p.m., and the Knights will finish the week on Sunday against the Hawks at 2:30 p.m. Remember to follow @ARTU_Knights via the athletics app (Apple App Store, Google Play Store) and on Twitter & Instagram, as well as "Like" the Urban Knights on Facebook for score updates, videos, and recaps. 

KNIGHT WATCH
Entering as ART U's top scorer is senior forward Adrian Cekala, who leads the Urban Knights with a total of five points on the season, coming in the form of two goals and an assist. Both goals have come via the penalty kick, as Cekala has converted four consecutive opportunities dating back to last season. The goals mark the 15th and 16th of Cekala's career, tying him with Grimur Grimsson atop the ART U career goals list. Meanwhile, Cekala's now boasts 37 points in his career, this time tying him with Kristof Urbanyi for most in ART U program history. Chipping in a pair of points is junior forward Fannar Omarsson, who struck for the first goal of the ART U season just seven minutes into the season opener that was assisted by Cekala. Leading the team in shots is sophomore midfielder Gilly Miller with 19, seven of which have been on goal including a pair that rung the woodwork in ART U's first meeting with the Hawks this season. Trailing just behind him is Cekala with 17 of his own, putting a team-high 12 shots on net, which is also tied for the most in the PacWest. 

Starting five games in goal for the Knights this season is junior goalkeeper Davis King, making 16 stops on a total of 74 shots faced for a .533 save percentage. Also seeing time in net is freshman goalkeeper Omer Tal, who posted the ninth-most saves in a single match in ART U history with nine in what was his first collegiate start against HNU on Sept. 22, ultimately being named the PacWest Defender of the Week on Sept. 27. Overall through two matches, Tal has made 10 saves on 27 shots faced for a .714 save percentage. 

NOT SO ACTIVE VULCAN-OES
UH Hilo enters the matchup having got off to a slow start on the season at 2-5-0, including an 0-3-0 mark in PacWest play in their last three times on the pitch. Despite opening the season with a 2-1 win over Chaminade and a victory over Western Washington, the Vulcans have lost five of their last six matches and have been shutout in three of those contests. Most recently, they have a pair of 1-0 losses to No. 5 Azusa Pacific and Fresno Pacific with a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Holy Names in between. With a total of eight goals on the season, the Vulcans average 10 shots per match, but are only converting at a rate of 1.14 goals per match. Leading the offense are David Mayser Luca Lippert, as the duo have each scored a pair of goals for a team-high four points. Seven of the 11 shots on the season for Lippert have found the target, a team-leading mark, while Tom Vorkastner has a team-high 12 shots. Projected to start in goal is Michael Harre, who has started in six matches and posted a 1.47 goals against average and a .700 save percentage with 21 stops on 86 shots faced. Leading the all-time series is UH Hilo, but only by the slightest of margins at 7-6-0.

OH HAWK NO
Level on the year is Holy Names, sitting at 3-3-1 on the season and now a fresh 1-0-0 mark in PacWest play after a comeback win over UH Hilo to start conference action. The last four matches have brought a 2-1-1 record for the Hawks, with the tie coming against the Urban Knights just two weeks ago in non-conference action. Offense has been strong for HNU, as the Hawks generate 16.0 shots per match, though it hasn't resulted in the output they have hoped for with 1.43 goals per game. The top scorer for Holy Names is Pablo Ramirez, leading the team with five points thanks to a pair of goals and an assist. Seven different Hawks have scored a goal this season, while Robert Viera has been the top playmaker by tallying a trio of assists. Earning the majority of minutes in goal for HNU has been Rasmus Nielsen, posting a 3-2-1 record along with a 1.77 goals against average, and making 18 saves on 78 shots faced for a .621 save percentage. The all-time series between the two teams is extremely close, with ART U holding the slight edge at 5-4-3. 

MEN'S SOCCER PUTS MORE SHOTS ON FRAME, PLNU PREVAILS 2-0
Academy of Art men's soccer and Point Loma were seconds away from a scoreless first half in Saturday's Pacific West Conference matchup when the Sea Lions struck for what would end up being the game-winning goal in a 2-0 final that finished with ART U out-shooting PLNU 4-3 in attempts on frame.

LOOKING AHEAD
The Knights will host their only match of the week, as the Sunbirds of Fresno Pacific roll into town for a PacWest battle on Saturday, Oct. 16.