LA MIRADA, Calif. – A pair of first half Biola goals proved to be too much for Academy of Art women's soccer in the Pacific West Conference season opener for both teams, as ART U failed to reach the scoreboard and fell by a final of 2-0. 

Perhaps the best two chances of the match for the Urban Knights (1-2-2, 0-1-0 PacWest) came early on, with an expertly-placed free kick from senior midfielder Sydney Cooke starting a scramble in the box. Cooke would take a free kick and label it for the top of the goal, forcing a save from Biola goalkeeper Anna Boyer, with the ball rebounding off the goalpost and out in front of the net. Collecting the free ball was junior midfielder Reyna Valencia, but unfortunately her boot towards the goal would send the ball just wide to the left.

With three saves early in the match, sophomore goalkeeper Nicole Peoples extended her streak of not allowing a goal to 36 consecutive saves, spanning a total of 354 minutes of game action. The third stop was absolutely brilliant, as Peoples was able to follow a cross from one side of the box to the other and making a sliding save to keep the match scoreless. Eventually, a beautiful play from the Eagles (3-4-1, 1-0-0 PacWest) would bring Peoples' streak to an end, as Frances Andrade would send a cross from the right wing into the box and connect with the foot of Jazmin Montalvo, who tucked the ball just to the right of the challenging Peoples to reach the scoreboard first. 

In what was nearly the equivalent of a buzzer beater towards the end of the first half, an ART U foul would lead to a Biola free kick literal inches outside the top of the box. Stepping up to the ball with just under 10 seconds left was Ella Hiveley, who smashed the ball into the upper right corner, leaving Peoples no chance to get a hand on it and doubling the Eagles' lead to 2-0. 

The second half was nearly all Biola, as while the Knights would be credited with a pair of shots, neither would find their way on target. Peoples tallied seven saves on 20 shots faced by the end of the match, with four coming in the second frame. Valencia would end with the ART U lead in shots at two, one of which was on goal, with Cooke putting the other on target. 

The road trip for the Knights concludes this Saturday, Oct. 2 when the Knights stop in San Diego to take on Point Loma at 11:30 a.m.