Aurora wins second Central Conference Title

Minnesota Aurora FC won their second Central Conference Championship, earning a 1-0 win over Kings Hammer FC Cincinnati at Highmark Stadium in Pittsburgh on Sunday evening. With the win, Aurora advances to the USL W-League National Semifinals and will host the winner of the Utah United vs. Stockton Cargo match on Saturday, July 12, at TCO Stadium in Eagan; kickoff is set for 7 p.m. (CT). Tickets go on sale to the public tomorrow, July 7, at 12 noon.

With the final minutes of the match ticking away, Aurora found the game-winner through the play of Mariah Nguyen and Saige Wimes. Nguyen delivered a well-weighted through ball for Wimes as she made a run in behind the Kings Hammer backline. Nguyen’s pass split three defenders and Wimes dribbled into the box before firing a powerful strike from five yards out inside the left post. 

The goal was Wimes’ fifth of the season, while Nguyen recorded her fourth assist of the campaign. Aurora recorded its second consecutive clean sheet of the postseason.

After a tightly-contested first half, Minnesota took control in the second half in search of the game-winning goal and allowed just three shots by Kings Hammer in the second half, surrendering no shots for the first 30 minutes of the second half. Summer Diamond nearly opened the scoring in the 49th minute as her curling strike from the edge of the box was headed into the top right corner of the goal, but a sprawling save from Kings Hammer goalkeeper kept the two teams scoreless. Aurora saw several chances just miss the target from distance with Natalie Tavana’s shot from 15 yards out in the 58th minute going just over the crossbar as did chances from Westlund in the 82nd minute and Wimes in the 84th minute. 

Aurora returns home for the National Semifinals on July 12 at TCO Stadium. During the regular season, Minnesota was undefeated at home and allowed just one goal. The July 12 match marks the team’s first home playoff match since their inaugural season in 2022.