For Aurora 2 players, UPSL final at TCO Stadium is a chance to underline club identity

Undefeated season, take two. Or rather, take 2.

On Sunday at TCO Stadium in Eagan, Minnesota Aurora FC’s new development team, Aurora 2, will face NOSC Blast with a United Premier Soccer League conference title and an undefeated season on the line.

Despite this summer being Aurora 2′s inaugural season, for Bayliss Flynn and a handful of other players, this championship game has been a long time coming.

Goalkeepers and Minnesota natives Flynn and Olivia Graupmann spent two years as backups on the Aurora first team’s deep roster. Tylar Sayles, Bee Chang and Maya Dempsey trained with the first team, too, but didn’t dress for matches. But now, the five players have stepped into leadership roles for Aurora 2 (9-0-2), which the club started with the hopes of developing young talent in a more regionalized league.

“It’s been really fun to see these players who have worked so hard in relative obscurity for the last two years having so many minutes and being successful over at Aurora 2,” Aurora co-founder Andrea Yoch said.

Interested players could try out for both teams prior to the season, with the returning crew singled out as potential leaders for the 25-player roster.

University of Montana keeper Flynn had only one appearance for Aurora’s first team. She was the youngest player on the inaugural season roster at age 16 and has found Aurora 2 a great opportunity for her to gain confidence and playing time.

“Knowing how things operate from the previous two years has given me a chance to continue that Aurora way,” Flynn said.

While the Aurora first team has finished all three of its regular seasons undefeated in the USL W League, Aurora 2 has the chance to achieve a club first: finishing a playoff run undefeated, too, after defeating Superior City FC 4-1 on Friday.

“I’m really proud that we’re able to uphold that level of excellence, that standard,” Flynn said. “I think that does come from having people who have been there since the beginning.”

Aurora 2 played its home matches at Concordia (St. Paul) this summer, but the final will be at TCO Stadium where the first team plays, with no cost to attend.

“We are stoked to be able to play where we train every day. I know the players, when I told them that was the potential if we moved on, they were super excited,” head coach Mandy Pochobradsky said. “Hopefully we get a good crowd out there.”

Aurora 2 drew 1-1 with NOSC Blast on May 29 in what Flynn called a “physical and intense” match.

“A lot of us are kind of emotional,” said Flynn, “because many of us have been at Aurora for three years and never gotten to play a game in TCO Stadium.”