SAN FRANCISCO – An early flurry of goals set the tone for a competitive match between Academy of Art men's soccer and Point Loma, but they held as the only tallies on the scoreboard with PLNU outlasting ART U to capture a 2-1 Pacific West Conference victory on Thursday as the Knights honored Movember/Mental Health Awareness Day. 

Striking first as the mach opened at a quick pace, the Urban Knights (3-11-3, 0-8-1 PacWest) scored in the 12th minute when senior midfielder Christian Schaffner tallied his first goal of the season. He was the beneficiary of a cross to the left post from redshirt freshman midfielder Elvis Mensah, his fifth of the season to tie for the team lead, doing so after Mensah had dribbled his way up the right side of the pitch into the box. 

Retaliation for the Sea Lions (8-6-3, 5-3-1 PacWest) came just moments later in the 15th minute while the go-ahead goal struck soon after in the 17th minute, as Parker Scalzo netted both by successfully finishing off crosses from the edges of the pitch. The first came from Austin Lavell on the right wing, while Samuel Tuscano assisted on the second with his cross from the left wing. 

While neither team reached the scoreboard again through the end of the match, it was not for lack of trying as both sides finished the day with 10 shots, four of which were on target. It came in the form of identical halves, as the Knights took seven shots in the opening frame while the Sea Lions did so in the second. 

Junior midfielder Gilly Miller once again led ART U in shots, as he has done for the season, taking three shots on the day while matching Schaffner with a pair of shots on goal. Producing a pair of saves was senior goalkeeper Davis King, making one in each half. 

Academy of Art will return to the pitch one final time in 2022, doing so on Saturday, Nov. 5 as they play host to Concordia on Senior Day with a senior celebration prior to the match.