NISA Independent Cup Review
Five amateur sides (Vlora FC, Dakota Fusion, Milwaukee Torrent, United Stars Soccer and Inter Detroit) joined metro Detroit's Michigan Stars in the Great Lakes region of this year's NISA Independent Cup. The regional champions get a trophy but do not meet in any kind of play-off.
Vlora FC traveled out to Fusion in the opening game of the tournament, but lost 2-1 despite having taken the lead. They also competed in the National Amateur Cup.
Torrent lost 6-0 in the National Amateur Cup Final, having won the Region 2 (Midwest) Trophy. They were eliminated from the NPSL playoffs by Des Moines United/Iowa Demon Hawks in the Gateway Conference Final.
Fusion had an unbeaten regular season, despite massive roster turnover and a new head coach, but were also beaten in their Conference Final. The Independent Cup was then left as their only chance of silverware.
Unfortunately for the Fargoans, they also lost to Torrent. Full details of that match can be found at Beyond the 90's NISA Today
Michigan Stars are 8-1-4 (W-D-L) with their NISA season ending on Sept 21st. They lost their first round match in this tournament, to Inter Detroit.
United Stars Soccer lost their only match of the tournament, also to Inter Detroit.
Inter Detroit withdrew from the tournament on the precipice of the Final. Here is their statement:
https://twitter.com/InterDetroit/status/1817724627210150122
This piece will be updated when we receive a reply from Milwaukee Torrent, who have won by default.
Photo Gallery: Mpls City SC v St Croix Legends, MN Super Cup Final
Minneapolis City SC and St Croix Legends faced off at Macalester Stadium on Thursday, July 25, in the final of the second annual Minnesota Super Cup. The Legends won 3-0, with goals from Asher Ozuzu (12th minute), Stu Sain (43rd minute), and Nathan Donovan (46th minute).
You can read our full match recap here. All photos by Jason Morales Ortiz.
NPSL National Semifinals: El Farolito 3-0 Duluth FC
Duluth FC finished the regular season as the 33rd ranked team by points-per-game, the metric used to determine hosting priority for the playoffs. It is eerily similar to the last time they made this stage. Their odyssey has so far taken them on a 500 mile round trip to Fargo and back for the Conference Championship, a 830 mile round trip to Des Moines for the Regional Semifinal and now a 4000 mile round trip to San Francisco for the National Semifinal against #5 El Farolito . The hosts made their debut at this stage of the tournament, having fallen in the regional championship each of the past two seasons.
After strong Farolito possession to open the match, the best chance for either side came on a Duluth counter in the fourth minute, but the ball across the box bobbled into the hands of the keeper Johan Lizarralde. An El Farolito corner in the 7th minute was followed quickly by Jonatan Valdivia blasting one in, on the run into the penalty area. The hosts continued to dominate possession but Duluth FC threatened from a left wing free kick, which became a corner. The ball swung just over, cleared by a defender. Corner #2 goes out for a third but they could not bump the ball over the line.
As the half wore on, the BlueGreens began to funnel the ball into Liam Pritchard’s right channel.
Gabriel Arias made it 2-0 in the 31st minute, finishing from outside the box from a Kipre Sacre pass.
The visitors had a late flurry of chances in the first half. First, Jireh Oyebamji with a chance for Duluth, snuffed out by the keeper in the 41st minute. Two minutes later, Jesus Martinez made a strong slide challenge on a streaking Liam Pritchard in the box. No call. Finally, in stoppage time, Pritchard was denied by Lizarralde at point blank range, sliding out to meet him in the box.
The second half was almost entirely a tale of El Farolito squandering good chances. Eric Arias missed an open goal, and there was a corner headed well over before Duluth FC were required to defend - and Jamie Colvill made a flying save of Edgard Kreye’s point-blank header. Kreye and Arias were joined by Valdivia in placing a chance wide but the closest that Duluth came before the hour mark was a Duluth throw-in, which forced a save. Liam Pritchard, so dangerous against Steel City last weekend, drove a chance too high in the 62nd minute. It marked a short spell of BlueGreen ball control, with two corners in four minutes - the second of which was driven right under the crossbar, forcing Lizarralde to punch it out. Shortly after, attacking substitute Tyler Limmer squared the ball but it was stopped by the keeper. The pattern of El Farolito misses continued as substitute Carlos Rodriguez did so twice in two minutes, first with a diving header from a Valdivia cross and then with his foot.
Somehow, the chances kept coming (and going) for El Farolito, with Jhohann Yabur and Valdivia both stopped by the BlueGreen defense. It took until virtually the last kick of the game for the hosts to score their first of the second half, Rodriguez finally finishing a chance.
Midnight struck like the hammer of a grandfather clock on the dreams of Lake Superior's Cinderella as the 5330 mile odyssey of the BlueGreens came to an end. That also marks the end of another eventful season of NPSL coverage for you on Northern Lights Football, as El Farolito conclude their season with a mammoth 2888 mile trip out to Madison, New Jersey.
Stay tuned for our coverage of women’s professional football on this very site and if you have not already done so please check out our Patreon for ways to support our ongoing mission as a non-profit.
MN Super Cup Final: St Croix Legends 3-0 Mpls City SC
The 2024 Minnesota Super Cup final on Thursday, July 25, featured cross-town rivals St Croix Legends and Minneapolis City SC, both making their first appearance in the championship game. St. Croix closed out a high-octane performance with a 3-0 win, leaving Macalester Stadium with a cup and a clean sheet.
https://twitter.com/MNSuperCup/status/1816879749391630669
The inaugural final in 2023 saw Med City FC defeat the MNUFC U-19s for their last piece of hardware before folding in the offseason. This year's match-up was a little more personal, with an added dose of friendly competition. Following their meeting in the USL-2 regular season finale, which City won 2-0 on St. Croix's own turf, Thursday's match leveled the Oliver Derby.
Head coach Tyler Oliver's Legends had a slight edge over Justin Oliver's Crows, as the latter lost a handful of key defenders to the college season since that last match. The Legends capitalized on that shuffled backline early, opening the scoring in the 13th minute. Asher Ozuzu ran it in from midfield on a breakaway, slipping a shot past City goalkeeper Evan Siefken.
"I do think we got some great performances from three CBs who stepped up and played their first minutes of the season there," said City head coach Justin Oliver. "Andrew [Soczynski], Sam [Keading] and Tomas [Menna] were all very good today and I’m so proud of their performances. That legends attack is really good and really dangerous so to only concede one through the run of play from them was big time."
Ozuzu's tally was the only goal to come from the run of play. Soczynski, Keading, and Menna, all grew into the match, which became more chippy and physical as the officials became more and more likely to call fouls by the Crows while saying 'play on' after similar fouls by Legends.
St. Croix scored their second goal in the 43rd minute, this from a freekick in a crowded box. Siefken and a number of defenders called for a handball but it was ruled a goal for St. Croix's Stu Sain. City had a few decent chances, including a corner kick in stoppage time but the ball was skied over the crossbar, allowing the Legends a 2-0 lead at the break.
Nathan Donovan made it 3-0 less than a minute into the second half, another set piece that found Siefken's defenders off guard.
Legends head coach Tyler Oliver praised his players' offensive efforts: "Massive credit to the guys on our team today for creating a ton of chances and executing at a high rate on set pieces which was going to be strength of ours heading into the game because of no Kent brothers and others in the back. The game plan was to attack space and attack in transition today as that’s where we are the most dangerous and it showed today with Evan [Siefken] making a high high number of saves and Nolan [Meyer] being relatively uncalled on today especially in the opening 65 minutes."
While the Crows spent plenty of time in the Legends' final third through the last half hour of the match, they were unable to find a consolation goal. Had the match gone on for another 10 or 20 minutes, Sidike Jebatah could have leveled it himself on will, but he could not buy a goal in 90 minutes. Henri Tophoven and Eli Goldman also threw themselves forward.
"I thought we were brilliant on the ball today and just didn’t have that final ball or that finishing touch one of them was always missing," Justin said of the Crows' effort. "Tons of respect for St. Croix and they earned a win tonight by capitalizing off some moments we didn’t compete well enough on."
He continued: "We went into the game with the same plan as always which is to press and defend as high up the field as possible while also always trying to build and play as much as possible too. The squad was absolutely good enough to win and get a result with a lot of guys that featured a lot this season and also a lot guys that were playing the first or first couple games of the season for us. We unfortunately didn’t defend set pieces well enough today and went down 2-0 on them."
https://twitter.com/MplsCityFan/status/1816653082626764914
As the players' focus shifts to the college season, so too for the Oliver brothers. Justin will return to his head coaching role at St. Olaf. Tyler, who serves as men's head coach at Hamline, said, "It’s always great to coach against Justin. He won national coach of the year at the D3 level for a reason and he showcased that with City this summer as well. Nice to get one over him heading into the fall where it’s a tall task again."
The Minnesota Super Cup will return for a third year in 2025 and, for the first time, will include a women's tournament. Billed as "a showcase of the best pre-professional soccer talent in Minnesota", the tournament has raised the interest and stakes in the state's lower division market and added an extra layer of competition to the season. A touch of brotherly - and perhaps, one day, sisterly - rivalry is a nice keystone in that growth.
Photo Gallery: Aurora 2 vs NOSC Blast (UPSL Women Conference Championship)
Month: July 2024
After a 1-1 tie at full-time, NOSC Blast eventually defeated Aurora 2 in the UPSL Women Conference Championship 2-1 in overtime on Sunday, July 14, 2024 at TCO Stadium. Here are our pictures from the pitch.
[Editor’s Note: Apologies for the delay in getting this gallery posted – a computer failure delayed our photo processing for most of the week.]
NPSL Midwest Playoff Final
Steel City FC 2-3 Duluth FC (After Extra Time)
Steel City reached this stage last year, before falling to eventual champion Tulsa Athletic on penalty kicks. Duluth can reach a bit further back and recall their own Midwest Region Championship in 2018. They came perilously close to the mandatory 10pm lights out (per the broadcast crew) but in the mean time, the two teams produced a gutsy match.
The match began with Duluth FC dominance, culminating in a neat, close control and finish by Liam Pritchard in the 7th minute. Steel City responded with their own period of pressure, both metaphorically with a high press and literally with a tough challenge on Jamie Colvill. In the 16th minute, the hosts rang the crossbar from a corner and corners (and chances) kept coming in from Steel City. Colvill, up to the task, flew at full stretch in the 21st minute to deny Mikey Sullivan. Liam Pritchard found himself in a pocket of space in the 29th minute, only to be foiled by a last gasp tackle. Two minutes later, Sullivan was back on the ball for the hosts from a midfield free kick, he dribbled all the way to the penalty spot and laced an equalizer into the top corner.
The BlueGreens had another period of possession as the first half ended, but could not break through.
With 48 on the clock, Eduoard Nys shot, only to see it cleared off the Steel City line. Back and forth the possession went but chances went over the gridiron posts or wide. Dylan Sumner drove into the box for Duluth but was whistled for a foul against the defender. A ball in from Nicky Graeca is met with no home team runners. Duluth call for a handball in the 71st minute off a scrambled corner, but the referee didn’t give it. Back up the other end, Steel City had a free kick on the right wing, whipped in but the bicycle kick was ruled offside.
From the 77th minute onward, Duluth pinned Steel City back, they had a missed chance in the 81st minute, but only needed a minute to make up for it as Felipe Santos, who goes to college a couple of hours north of the Steel City at Mercyhurst University, drove into the box unchecked and hammered home what looked like the winning goal in the 82nd minute. Steel City had a corner, cleared, and then a long throw, cleared. However, down to the last gasp, with two minutes of stoppage time elapsed, a scramble in the Duluth box culminated in a goal. The scorer is still unknown at time of publication. Less than a minute later, the visitors were reduced to ten men by a flying two-footed challenge for a straight red card.
Duluth started Extra Time on top, Felipe Santos putting the ball just over, and then Felipe Carli connected with a deep run from Liam Pritchard to slot home in the 99th minute. The game finished with Steel City having their own shout for a penalty in the 113th minute, denied and five other chances just missed as time ran out on (yet another) #1 seed in the Midwest.
It’s difficult to even put into words the scale of achievement by this Duluth FC squad. So far in the playoffs, they have gone on the road to Dakota Fusion (and won) and on the road to Des Moines United/Iowa Demon Hawks (and won) and now on the road to Steel City (and won). In a league where road matches mean short benches, it is staggering. As the 33rd ranked team by points-per-game, their odyssey continues with a National Semifinal in San Francisco against #5 El Farolito.
Talking to us after the game, Head Coach Sean Morgan took a moment to acknowledge the scale of achievement:
It’s just an incredible achievement by a group of incredible young men like how they’ve battled through the season with adversity at different times winning games when we’re coming off the back of bad runs and, like you said the road games that we’ve had to deal with in the last two weeks have been enormous mentally and physically and to be able to put all that to the side and just give it everything I’m just so so proud of the guys can’t be more proud. It’s phenomenal.
NPSL Midwest Playoff Semifinal
Iowa Demon Hawks 0-2 Duluth FC
Duluth FC and Iowa Demon Hawks kicked off from Indianola High School, about 30 minutes south of Des Moines for the right to face the region's #1 seed, Steel City FC in Pittsburgh.
Duluth FC went 7-1-4 in the regular season and beat Dakota Fusion in the North Conference Final.
The Demon Hawks (aka Des Moines United) , went 6-2-2 in the regular season and advanced out of the Gateway Conference playoffs with a 2-0 win over Milwaukee Torrent in their conference championship match.
After an even opening 25 minutes, both teams would register shots on goal, but it would remain goal less going into half time. The BlueGreens would have a couple of shots across the six yard box not converted before Liam Pritchard broke the deadlock in the 65th minute, dribbling inside and out of his defender before finishing at the near post. Only four minutes later, Duluth FC rang a shot off the post and in the seventy-fifth minute, a Demon Hawk shot from distance was tipped onto the crossbar by Jamie Colvill. That would be the closest that the home side would come, and the door slammed firmly shut in the 80th minute as Rory Doyle acrobatically volleyed the ball in from the top of the box.
The visitors face another long road trip in their pursuit of more silverware, facing Steel City FC in Pittsburgh on Saturday to decide the NPSL Midwest Regional Champion. Steel City reached this stage last year, before falling to eventual champion Tulsa Athletic on penalty kicks. Duluth can reach a bit further back and recall their own Midwest Region Championship in 2018.
NPSL North Playoffs Final
Dakota Fusion hosted the BlueGreens of Duluth FC last Saturday night in Moorhead, MN for the inaugural NPSL North Conference playoff title, with a spot in the Central Regional playoffs on the line. Fusion who won the regular season title at 9-3-0 (W-D-L) defeated Joy AC 2-1 to advance to the Conference title match. The BlueGreens meanwhile finished the season 7-1-4 in second place in the North. Duluth FC took down the Minnesota TwinStars 2-0 in their conference semi-final to advance to the North final.
Late in the first half it was Duluth's Edouard Nys putting a ball into the corner of goal for what would turn out to be the only goal the evening. A weather delay extended the halftime break in Moorhead, but when both sides came back out for the second 45' neither club could muster another goal.
Duluth FC's win sent them into the revamped NPSL Midwest Region playoff where they'll face plays Moines United (aka Iowa Demon Hawks) in the Midwest Region semi-final in Indianola, IA. Des Moines United, who went 6-2-2 in the regular season advanced out of the Gateway Conference playoffs with a 2-0 win over Milwaukee Torrent in their conference championship match.
The winner of tonight's match will face a lengthy trip to the Pittsburgh area this weekend for the Midwest Region final. Great Lakes Conference champion Steel City FC secured themselves the top seed in the region and a bye to and hosting rights for the final. Duluth FC and Des Moines United will kickoff tonight at 7pm from Indianola High School about 30 minutes south of Des Moines. The match will be viewable on the Iowa Demon Hawks YouTube channel.
UPSL-W Spotlight: NOSC Blast defeat Aurora 2 to raise conference trophy
On Sunday, MN Aurora FC 2 concluded their inaugural year with their first and only loss of the season, falling 2-1 to NOSC Blast (and the league's leading goal scorer) late in extra time. While Aurora 2 was not able to lift the championship trophy at TCO Stadium (now an unsavory tradition for the franchise), the club remains proud and hopeful of its continued success.
With Blast matching Aurora's results throughout the summer, ending the regular season with an identical 9-0-2 (W-L-D) record but a lower goal differential, Aurora head coach Mandy Pochabradsky expected - and wanted - a final showcasing the best against the best.
"We expected them to be good with the ball, which they were, and that's something we anticipated from the first match [of the season] to this match," she said following the game. "They had a couple of new players that were able to come in, which was good to see. And at the end of the day, we wanted to have our best group against their best group. I think that's what makes for the most entertaining and worthwhile games."
Despite a heat advisory and glaring sun, a few hundred fans took advantage of the free admission to enjoy one last game in Eagan before moving on with their summer. While it was a low scoring game, both teams played a fast-paced first half in which both goalkeepers, Bayliss Flynn of Aurora and Lauren McAlpine of Blast, each registered a handful of saves and close calls in the first half hour.
It wasn't until the 34th minute that Aurora finally found the first goal. Starting forward Ava Westlund received a ball from Maya Dempsey, broke through traffic in the box, catching McAlpine off her line, and sent a shot under the back-stepping keeper. The 1-0 lead (and Westlund's 15th goal of the season) deserved a little extra flair.
The lead did not last for long, however. In stoppage time before the half, Jessica Eischens sent a shot on frame, well wide of where Flynn was tracking another runner, leveling the match just before the whistle.
While both teams made a few changes going into the second half, Blast had the impact sub. Berit Parten, the league's leading scorer with 18 goals in the regular season, sat out the first half. It only took the casual viewer ten minutes into the second half to see why she was held back. Despite putting their own fresh legs into action, Aurora was caught flat-footed repeatedly by Parten's late runs. She would hold back in midfield as her team's attack developed before committing to run and would then charge right into each defender, finding every gap. But for 45 minutes, Aurora's midfield and backline held her off and found ways to disrupt the developing runs. When that didn't work, Flynn made some massive saves to keep Aurora in the game.
The entire final half hour of regulation felt like a golden goal moment, but they remained locked up at 1-1, sending the match into extra time (two 15-minute periods). Finally, in the 115th minute (the 25th minute of extra time), there was a goal - by Parten.
Goalkeeper Bayliss Flynn described Parten's freekick and Blast's efforts leading up to it:
"They just had so many numbers right at the top of the box and then they would draw us. We had a lot of fouls and that's hard not to do when it's such a physical back and forth match. And then on that freekick - I already watched the video back and the wall was good. It was an amazing strike and just curved right."
Blast held on to the lead for the remaining five minutes of extra time and the vistiors' bench erupted at the final whistle. A long, tough game that had everything a championship final should have - heat (literal and metaphorical), tension, exciting plays, a late decision to end even play.
Aurora 2 walked away with the runners-up trophy but left everything else on the field.
"This team had never played together before May 6," Pochabradsky reflected. "So to come into such a quick season and get them to adapt and, as I told them at the end, we took care of the process. The results don't always follow but continuing to take care of the process will get them in the direction that they want to go."
USL-2 Spotlight: MPLS City SC vs Thunder Bay Chill
Minneapolis City SC closed out their home season with a 2-1 win over the Thunder Bay Chill on Friday night. Not only did the Crows melt the Chill for three points, but they also tallied a win for their stadium neighbor, M Health Fairview Masonic Children's Hospital.
Dubbed the Gene Party, Friday's festivities featured a denim print kit and a halftime selfie with a crowd full of denim. The event was inspired by Evan Menk, son of City member Scott Menk, who received a gene therapy treatment at Masonic Children's. [Click here to read more and to donate to the cause.]
https://twitter.com/mplscitysc/status/1812155412449271846
Fans who were there to watch the soccer (in their weather-adapted denim outfits) were also treated to a pretty good game.
After losing to the Chill 3-2 on Canadian soil last Friday, the 5th, the Crows got their revenge at Edor Nelson Field with two first half goals. It took Mizael Harris only 10 minutes to find the opener, a quick volley past the Chill's goalkeeper, player/coach Francesco Leuzzi. Minneapolis keeper Evan Siefken came up with a few big stops to keep the Chill off the board, despite a few of the attacking runs that made the Canadians successful the previous Friday. Just before the halftime whistle, Sidike Jabateh found a lane in a crowded box through which he smashed a volley into the net to double the hosts' lead.
Despite a flurry of chances in the second half, which included a few nutmeg spectacles, the Crows were held to their 2-0 lead until the 85th minute when Loris Tsiatsipy sent a ball past Siefken into the bottom right corner. Siefken kept busy for the remaining minutes of regulation, plus six minutes of stoppage time, to close out the game without another goal.
The win was a great way to close out the Crows' home season, one that started with some ups and downs. While Thunder Bay will continue on to conference playoffs, City capped off their league season on Sunday with a 2-0 road win over St Croix Legends. City still has the MN Super Cup final (against St Croix) to look forward to on Thursday, July 25. Northern Lights will be there to provide live updates and recap the action.
WPSL Central Playoff Gallery
Union KC 1-2 FC Pride
This weekend, the WPSL Central Playoffs took place. Read our recap here and check out our full gallery below. All photos by Sonja K Abbott.
WPSL Central Playoff Spotlight
The #1 team in the country, Sioux Falls City FC, hosted the Central Region’s playoffs over the weekend, with the winners of the Heartland, Midwest and Mountain Conferences all joining the North’s best with the heat index hitting over 100 degrees on both days.
Saturday
(National Ranking/Regional Ranking)
#1/1 Sioux Falls City v FC Pride
The first chance of the game came in the tenth minute through Sioux Falls City’s Mia Mullenmeister. The Pride goalkeeper Abby Jenkins cleans her out, no penalty was called. You be the judge:
NO CALL! @SiouxFallsCity fans (and players, and coaches) probably would want a PK call there.
Great press leads to a super dangerous counter attack chance for City but no whistle on the aggressive keeper move, there. pic.twitter.com/klsKzo9W7e
— Equal Time Soccer (@EqualTimeSoccer) July 13, 2024
Shortly after the first water break, in the nineteenth minute, Kayla Budish put the visitors ahead with a calm finish past Cambell Fischer. The team from Indiana would then proceed to control play through the remainder of the first half and the Aquawomen went in to the locker room up 1-0.
The second half began with City on the front foot and it was their turn to look expectantly at the referee in the penalty area. While they had no luck on that occasion, the hosts’ pressure was incessant and after a couple of corners the ball found its way into the Pride net, only to be ruled out with the referee pointing to his hand and then to the penalty spot. Jordan Tenpas made the reprieve for Pride temporary, hammering home the penalty kick equalizer.
Kayla Budish continued to produce chances for the visitors, including hitting the post, but it was City who went ahead. Hailee Christensen firing a laser from just outside the penalty area, across the goalkeeper and into the far post in the eightieth minute.
Both sides would again have chances but it was Pride who scored with the last kick of regulation, in the fifth minute of stoppage time, with Budish again on the end of a powerful free kick from fractionally outside the right corner of the penalty area.
She would complete her hat trick on a solo counter in the 108th minute but it was City’s turn to snatch a last-gasp equalizer, Mia Mullenmeister finishing off a free kick in the 120th.
And so it went to “kicks from the mark”, or a penalty shootout as it is usually called, with Lulu Moreno unfortunately the player to miss for Sioux Falls – ending a perfect season in the most imperfect way.
FINAL | SFCFC 3-3 PRIDE (ADV PKs)
What. A. @WPSL. Game!@FCPRIDESOCCER & @SiouxFallsCity battle all the way through 90 min, extra time, PKs (all 10 below). Pride advances!
SFCFC
✅Tenpas
✅Fujii
✅Olsen
✅Bosch
❌MorenoPRIDE
✅Budish
✅Fishel
✅Swingle
✅Kelly
✅Dunaway pic.twitter.com/0UQezsZTl2— Equal Time Soccer (@EqualTimeSoccer) July 14, 2024
Speaking to us after the match, FC Pride head coach Jamie Gilbert spoke warmly of the contest:
One of the best games I’ve been involved with. I thought we’d won it, but obviously they scored in the last second but yeah, incredible game.
Very, very good advertisement for the league. It’s an incredible environment here in Sioux Falls, what the club have done here is fantastic. It was an incredible environment to play in. It’s a game I probably won’t forget for a while.
#7/5 Colorado Pride v #15/7 Union KC
Somehow, the second straight upset of this matchday struggled to reach the heights of the breathless first match, with the Heartland Conference winners holding off late pressure from Mountain Conference winners Colorado Pride.
Union started the game on the front foot and after 9 mins of constant pressure, Adriana Benassi made it 1-0 on the counter. And then, just minutes after Pride had a chance to tie it up, Kate Gibson brokeaway to make it 2-0.
Things got more interesting after the break, Megan Davies benefiting from the high press to make it 2-1 with barely two minutes on the second half clock. There followed a period of end-to-end action, with Adriana Benassi poking home her second from a long diagonal which was squared into the middle to make it 3-1 but Nicole Ray slotting home a long pass into the left back berth for Pride’s second only 3 minutes later.
The last twenty minutes were marked by chances not taken by the Coloradans, with the keeper’s leg and the crossbar intervening.
The game nearly had a grandstand finish, but Union KC held on.
Sunday – WPSL Central Championship
After a back and forth opening half hour, it was Breece Bass breaking the offside trap in the 32nd minute to put Pride ahead.
Union Kansas City finished the half on top, but were unable to equalise.
Gracey Dunaway cannoned the ball off the crossbar in the 51st minute as Pride continued to push forward in search of the decisive blow. Their closest effort came in the 67th minute when a Summer Fishel corner in the 67th minute found the post via an effort on goal from Caroline Kelly..
Adriana Benassi whipped a ball over for Union KC. Then, in the 75th minute, they struck the crossbar with an audacious 27 yard free kick. It would take another 10 minutes before Gigi Meer would score for Union, but unfortunately for them, Tatum Coleman had scored the second for Pride just three minutes earlier.
We spoke to Pride Head Coach Jamie Gilbert again following his team’s victory:
A different game than last night. A lot less drama. We did what we had to do in very, very hot conditions after a very good team W last night. Respect to our opponents and we’re looking forward to Oklahoma.
Check out our full photo gallery here
And so it is on to Stillwater, OK for the Pride. They will play South champion (and defending WPSL champion) Charlotte Eagles. East champions Clarkstown face California Storm in the other semifinal. Both those matches are on Friday, with the Final on Sunday.
UPSL-Women Spotlight: Aurora 2 extends unbeaten inaugural season into championship game
Minnesota Aurora FC 2 remains unbeaten in their inaugural season with a win on Friday night against Superior City FC. Aurora 2, the 1st seed in the Midwest West, hosted 4th seed Superior with an appearance in the conference final on the line.
Aurora 2 | 4-1 | Superior
Aurora 2 opened the scoring early when Ellie Primerano received a ball on the run from Mandy Elton in the 5th minute and beat Superior goalkeeper, Katelyn Olson, with a shot to the far post. Ava Westlund doubled the lead in the 16th, with an assist by Primerano. The trio of Primerano, Elton, and Ava Westlund, had a natural chemistry in Aurora's offense from the first game but seemed to improve with every match. The three have scored a combined 30 goals in the regular season, out of the club's total, 45.
The squads traded midfield runs and shots that tested both keepers (Olson for SCFC and Bayliss Flynn for Aurora 2) until Superior finally found a breakthrough in the 32nd minute. Molly Henderson's goal was a long time coming as, after forcing some Flynn to make a number of saves, she was finally able to beat Flynn and hammer a ball into the net. The score remained 2-1 at halftime.
The second half began slowly, with legs beginning to feel the pace of the first half and the weight of the humidity. While Aurora had nearly a full squad in reserve (nine players total), Superior brought only four available subs and were forced to pick and choose their moments to sub players. Last ditch defense by Superior through the first 25 minutes denied a handful of run-of-play chances from Aurora, forcing the hosts to take three consecutive corner kicks. Aurora capitalized on the third, served in by Aleah Treiterer in the 70th minute to Bailey Dodds.
Ten minutes later, Primerano notched a brace, this time assisted by Westlund, a banger of a goal that made it a 4-1 game. Superior nearly benefited from some chaos in front of Aurora's goal in stoppage time but Flynn and her backline smothered the chance and held on to the 4-1 lead until the final whistle.
"It was a good game," said Aurora 2 head coach Mandy Pochobradsky. "They challenged us in ways that we weren't necessarily expecting or anticipating but, to see the players be able to adapt and grow together and I think that's the momentum we want to take moving forward."
Aurora 2 v. NOSC Blast
That momentum will be tested by Sunday's opponent, NOSC Blast. Blast finished the regular season in second place, tied with Aurora 2 on record and points but behind on goal differential (Blast +36, Aurora +38).
The clubs faced off once this season, on May 29th, fighting their way to a 1-1 draw. That was the only match in which Aurora 2 scored just one goal. Aside from that proven defense, the Blast boast the league's leading goal scorer, Berit Parten, who tallied 18 goals in the regular season. (Ava Westlund's 13 goals put her in a three-way tie for second behind Parten.)
On Sunday, Aurora 2 hopes to have an edge, hosting the match at TCO Stadium rather than at Concordia. Aurora will continue their campaign to make soccer more accessible by offering free admission to all who wish to attend. The franchise sent this statement to community members and media on Saturday:
"To make soccer accessible for everyone, admission to the match will be free. No tickets are required for entry. Fans are encouraged to consider a donation of $10 per person to support Aurora and the growth of soccer in Minnesota.
As part of the club's commitment to fostering talent and nurturing young players, Aurora 2 provides a platform for emerging athletes to showcase their skills and develop within a highly competitive soccer environment."
Whatever the result, the match played in front of what has the potential to be the largest crowd for a UPSL Women's game this season will be a positive end to the season. If Aurora 2 win on Sunday, they will lift the franchise's first trophy - a long awaited moment at TCO Stadium, where the senior team has suffered only one loss in three seasons.
Minnesota Aurora FC 2 will kickoff against NOSC Blast at 5 PM CT on Sunday, July 14. Follow Northern Lights Football for live coverage.
Photo Gallery: Aurora 2 vs Superior City FC (UPSL Women Conference Semifinals)
Month: July 2024
Minnesota Aurora 2 (4) defeated Superior City FC (1) on Friday night in the UPSL Women Conference Semifinal match at Humboldt High School in St. Paul. Here are our photos from the pitch.
Aurora 2 moves on to the Conference Championship match at 5pm on Sunday evening at TCO Stadium, where admission will be free to all attendees.
NPSL North Playoff Semi Finals
Wednesday
(#= Conference seeding/National ranking)
#1/6 Dakota Fusion 2-1 #4/38 Joy Athletic Club
Fusion v Joy is the league's stingiest defense against the joint Golden Boot winner Philip Caputo.
It took Joy Athletic 20 mins to register a chance, in a first 40 minutes dominated by the home side. Nonetheless, it was Joy’s Zinedine Kroeten who put the visitors ahead with the first of two penalty kicks this evening. The lead lasted barely a minute, as Takumi Sato headed in a left wing corner in the 41st minute.
The second half was much more even, but Ryosuke Miyata made the decisive blow, a smooth, sliding finish from a right wing cross in the 83rd minute. In the seventh minute of stoppage time, Fusion goalie Vincent Sanchis nearly conceded again after a header back to him went over his head and he palmed it away.
Fusion Men's Head Coach Alex Trent talked to us after the game:
Playoffs always bring a new challenge. Our guys showed great resilience, which I'm really proud of. We know Duluth will give us their best and we are looking forward to another good matchup with a trophy on the line.
#2/31 Duluth FC 2-0 #3/39 Minnesota TwinStars (Game halted because of red cards)
Duluth FC v TwinStars went into extra time tied at 0-0, with TwinStars down to ten men following a melee in the 90th minute. Dylan Sumner broke the deadlock from the penalty spot in the 98th minute. Felipe Santos made it 2-0 in the 105th minute before a fifth red card for the visitors triggered a forfeit in the 115th minute.
Coming Up:
Dakota Fusion FC v Duluth FC Saturday at 7pm.