HAYWARD, Calif. – Less than two of the 90 minutes played between Academy of Art men's soccer and Cal State East Bay were untied in Saturday non-conference matchup as ART U goals in each half were quickly answered by CSUEB for an eventual 2-2 tie out at Pioneer Field.
The third shot of the match for the Urban Knights (0-3-1) came in the 14th minute when a goal kick by senior goalkeeper
Davis King found senior midfielder/forward
Breki Einarsson just inside the box battling with multiple defenders. The ball was kicked out a few feet away where junior midfielder/forward
Gilly Miller promptly rocketed it past one defender then the goalkeeper to the back of the net.
Shortly after the ensuing kickoff, however, the Pioneers (2-3-1) played a ball into the box and it was Josh Gaeckle who set up Michael Rossi for the rebuttal under 40 seconds later. Perhaps the best look for Academy of Art was a chance from Einarsson in the 29th minute which had to be saved, but the halftime scoreboard read 1-1.
It was not until the 57th minute that ART U's first shot of the second half was attempted, this again by Miller, yet it did not connect. In the 66th minute, however, a Miller free kick near the corner was played deep into the box just past redshirt freshman midfielder
Elvis Mensah and the CSUEB keeper to a wide open junior midfielder
Kendryx Soriano for the decisive header goal and second of his career.
Academy of Art would lead 2-1 for just over a minute when Gackle played a low cross inside the box to Rossi for another score, knotting up the match yet again. Miller accounted for two more opportunities on frame in the final 23 minutes and senior midfielder
William Mychaltchouk added one as well, but all were saved. Meanwhile, King notched his second save of the contest on a chance in the 88th minute, preserving the 2-2 deadlock as time expired.
The Urban Knights' 13 shots matched their season-high set in their previous match versus SF State, however, the seven total opportunities on frame were their most in a match this year.
ART U will be on the road in Arcata this Monday, Sept. 12 when the Urban Knights challenge Cal Poly Humboldt at noon.
