Top USL W League Team Minnesota Aurora Adds Second Team, Joins UPSL Women

USL W League team and pre-professional women’s side, Minnesota Aurora, have exciting news to share. Starting 2024, the Aurora will be adding a second team and joining the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL). The new team will be named Aurora 2 and will call Eagan, Minnesota its home, playing matches at the Minnesota Vikings practice field. The club had previously announced its intention to submit an official expansion bid to join the NWSL.

Nicole Lukic, Aurora’s Sporting Director, explained “UPSL is a perfect fit for Aurora to grow. I am looking forward to finding top talent in Minnesota to represent Aurora 2 on and off the field. Aurora 2 will increase our community engagement on so many levels. I am excited to increase our player pool, grow our technical staff, and to provide our fans with an opportunity to continue supporting Aurora soccer.” 

UPSL Commissioner Yan Skwara welcomed Minnesota Aurora FC to the UPSL, stating, “We are truly excited to welcome Minnesota Aurora FC to the UPSL. Our UPSL Women’s league has expanded greatly over the past several months, and we look forward to embracing one of Minnesota’s top soccer clubs. Minnesota Aurora is a community-owned organization with an incredible commitment to player development that aligns exactly with ours, and we look forward to seeing them compete in the UPSL.”

Players of Aurora 2 will have access to training with Aurora and other benefits provided to the first team. Aurora 2 will serve as a pathway for players aspiring to make the first team, providing opportunities for local talent to engage with the club year-round.

The anticipated debut of Aurora 2 in the spring of 2024 is eagerly awaited. The club will commence the search for coaching staff in October, with player tryouts scheduled for December 2023 and January 2024. Players interested in trying out can complete this form: Aurora 2 Tryout Form. For further information regarding the UPSL Women’s league and standings, please visit UPSL Women’s League.

About Aurora

Minnesota Aurora is a pre-professional soccer team in the USL W League that plays at TCO Stadium in Eagan, MN. The team is community owned with 3080 community investors.

In its first two seasons, Aurora is undefeated in the regular season at 23-0-1 and has won the Heartland Division title both years. Aurora averages 5800 fans per game. The team was founded by a group of Twin Cities residents to develop  the next generation of women’s talent, both on and off the field. For more visit MNAurora.com.

About UPSL

Founded in 2011, the United Premier Soccer League now stands as the largest and most competitive pro-development league in North America. The league was started in Santa Ana, California by Leonel Lopez, with 10 teams. Today the league has nearly 400 clubs competing nationwide, and the Premier Division for Spring 2022 has 255 clubs competing for 32 places in the National Playoff Bracket to become National Champion.

The league occupies the 4th tier of the US Soccer pyramid, just below the three professional tiers in the pyramid. With a participant average age of 22.5 years, the UPSL fills and brings structure to the large gap that exists between the youth game and the professional game, serving thousands of aspiring players and coaches as they strive to further their aspirations and fuel their passions.

For more information:

https://www.mnaurora.com/minnesota-aurora-fc-2/ 

Andrea Yoch [email protected]