Jun 20, 2026
Minnesota Aurora FC closes out home schedule, welcomes River Light FC
EAGAN, Minn. – Minnesota Aurora FC, sitting at 9-0-0 in 2026, hosts division rivals River Light FC Saturday for its final home fixture of the season.
The second meeting between the two this season kicks off at 4 PM.
Aurora enters the weekend on the heels of a 2-0 win at home vs. Sioux Falls City Wednesday, handing the City their second defeat in their last three matches and moving Aurora 9 points clear of second place in the Heartland Division table.
With a win Saturday, Aurora FC would officially clinch the Heartland Division title, and with it, a playoff berth for the fifth straight season.
It marks just the second time in club history Aurora have opened 9-0-0 across their first nine fixtures.
The reigning four time Heartland Division champions are also off to their best defensive start to a season in club history, yet to surrender a goal in 2026 en route to nine straight clean sheets, setting a new club record for consecutive shutouts.
Aurora have only allowed two total goals over their last 1,080 minutes played at TCO Stadium. They are the only team left in the USL W League that has not conceded a goal this season.
The visitors from Illinois come into Saturday’s clash 6-3-0 overall, good for second position in the division standing and enter fresh off a clinical 4-1 win over RKC Third Coast in their last match. Of the three losses River Light have suffered in 2026, one came at the hands of Aurora FC back in May, a 2-0 road win for Aurora.
River Light FC, a playoff qualifier in 2024, boasts a potent attack that has 13 goals over its last four contests. Led by first year head coach Anne Iwinski, who led River Light’s reserve side a season ago, RLFC’s roster includes returners like Caroline Birdsell, who has 3 goals this season, as well as Lauren Mrugala, Mya Nugent, Sophia Skoubis and Alex Tetteh, formerly of Chicago City SC.
Despite Aurora’s win over River Light earlier this season, the two have created a fierce rivalry in a short period of time, playing to a 1-1 draw at TCO Stadium last season and a thrilling 3-2 Aurora victory in Eagan during the 2024 season that saw River Light score first before Minnesota tallied three unanswered.
News & Notes
Minnesota Aurora FC’s playoff magic number is 1 entering Saturday. A win against River Light officially clinches the 2026 division crown and a fifth consecutive playoff appearance.
Aurora are one of only four teams in the USL W League to hold a perfect record so far in 2026.
Forward Ai Kitagawa heads into Friday’s match in a two way tie for third place in the league’s Golden Boot race, awarded annually to the player with the most goals at season’s end. Long Island’s Kayleigh Goodrich sits atop the leaderboard with 11 goals, while Justyce Hollenbach of Eagle FC ranks second with 10 goals.
With two more goals scored Wednesday, Aurora remained at the top of the Central Conference in goals scored this season. Aurora’s 29 total goals ranks 6th most in the USL W League.
Postseason Picture
Aurora could make history Saturday evening by locking up their fifth straight USL W League playoff berth, a feat no other club has accomplished in league history.
Should Aurora achieve that feat, they would go on to face the winners of the Great Forest, Chesapeake and Great Lakes Divisions in July’s Central Conference Playoffs. Aurora are the reigning Central Conference champions, defeating Kings Hammer of Cincinnati last year, 1-0.
Entering the weekend, Pittsburgh Riveters, last season’s playoff host, leads the Great Forest Division by four points, while Virginia Development Academy owns the top spot in the Chesapeake with 21 points.
The tightest Central Conference race down the stretch of 2026 comes out of the Great Lakes Division, where Union FC Macomb sits only two points clear of 2024 playoff hosts Detroit City FC.
Know Before You Go
Saturday’s match is Juneteenth, presented by Allina.
For tickets, visit mnaurora.com/tickets.
If you can’t attend the match in person, all Aurora FC home matches are carried on FOX 9 broadcast platforms for the fourth season, available over-the-air on FOX 9+ and streaming on FOX Local | Minnesota.
FOX9+ can be found on Comcast channel 10/807, DirecTV channel 29, DISH channel 29, Spectrum channel 10, Mediacom channel 10/803, and Over-The-Air channel 9.2. You can also access FOX 9+ on Hulu with LiveTV, Sling TV, Tubi, fuboTV and YouTube TV. In addition, games stream on FOX Local | Minnesota, FOX 9’s mobile and on FOX9.com, the FOX 9 YouTube page.
