- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,206,302
- Reaction score
- 59
If you like penalty kicks, Saturday night’s USL W semifinal playoff game was for you.
The Minnesota Aurora women’s soccer team fell to host Salmon Bay 4-3 on penalty kicks after the two teams battled to a 1-1 draw through regulation and added extra time in Seattle.
Salmon Bay advances to the league title game against Vermont, while the Aurora season came to a sudden and stunning conclusion.
Minnesota was two minutes away from from advancing to the league title game for the second time in five years. However, a late goal scored by the home side off of another penalty kick, followed by a round of even more penalty kicks changed Minnesota’s plans.
The Aurora took a 1-0 lead on a penalty kick awarded for a defensive gaffe was converted by leading scorer Ai Kitigawa in the 29th minute. The lead held for nearly 70 minutes as neither team scored despite multiple opportunities, and it appeared that Minnesota was primed for another crack at an elusive first USL W championship.
All that changed with a few scant moments remaining in regulation play as the hosts were thrown a lifeline in the form of a penalty kick.
Salmon Bay earned the kick after it was ruled that Aurora goalkeeper Taylor Fox had fouled a Salmon Bay player while attempting to catch the ball in the air to the right side of her net. Minnesota players and coaches argued that Fox had actually been undercut by the opposing attacker, but those protests were to no avail.
After the arguing had died down and play resumed, Salmon Bay’s U’i Kaaihue beat Fox with her kick from the spot to knot the score at 1-1. Regulation time came to a close and the contest moved to two 15-minute intervals of added extra time.
Both halves of the additional session passed without any further goals, despite the Aurora going down to 10 players after midfielder Flavie Dube was sent off with a red card after earning her second yellow card of the contest. The game went to a round of penalty kicks to decide matters.
Both teams made two of their first four kicks. Fox stepped out of the goal to take Minnesota’s fifth attempt, but slotted the ball wide left.
Salmon Bay’s Anna Menti then strode to the spot, shot the ball low, left, and into the goal off Fox’s outstretched fingertips to hand the Aurora their first and last loss of the summer.
Minnesota wraps its 2026 campaign with a 14-1 record. Over 15 total games, the Aurora scored their opponents 42-2.
Continue reading...
The Minnesota Aurora women’s soccer team fell to host Salmon Bay 4-3 on penalty kicks after the two teams battled to a 1-1 draw through regulation and added extra time in Seattle.
Salmon Bay advances to the league title game against Vermont, while the Aurora season came to a sudden and stunning conclusion.
Minnesota was two minutes away from from advancing to the league title game for the second time in five years. However, a late goal scored by the home side off of another penalty kick, followed by a round of even more penalty kicks changed Minnesota’s plans.
The Aurora took a 1-0 lead on a penalty kick awarded for a defensive gaffe was converted by leading scorer Ai Kitigawa in the 29th minute. The lead held for nearly 70 minutes as neither team scored despite multiple opportunities, and it appeared that Minnesota was primed for another crack at an elusive first USL W championship.
All that changed with a few scant moments remaining in regulation play as the hosts were thrown a lifeline in the form of a penalty kick.
Salmon Bay earned the kick after it was ruled that Aurora goalkeeper Taylor Fox had fouled a Salmon Bay player while attempting to catch the ball in the air to the right side of her net. Minnesota players and coaches argued that Fox had actually been undercut by the opposing attacker, but those protests were to no avail.
After the arguing had died down and play resumed, Salmon Bay’s U’i Kaaihue beat Fox with her kick from the spot to knot the score at 1-1. Regulation time came to a close and the contest moved to two 15-minute intervals of added extra time.
Both halves of the additional session passed without any further goals, despite the Aurora going down to 10 players after midfielder Flavie Dube was sent off with a red card after earning her second yellow card of the contest. The game went to a round of penalty kicks to decide matters.
Both teams made two of their first four kicks. Fox stepped out of the goal to take Minnesota’s fifth attempt, but slotted the ball wide left.
Salmon Bay’s Anna Menti then strode to the spot, shot the ball low, left, and into the goal off Fox’s outstretched fingertips to hand the Aurora their first and last loss of the summer.
Minnesota wraps its 2026 campaign with a 14-1 record. Over 15 total games, the Aurora scored their opponents 42-2.
Related Articles
- The ‘Aurora Way’ takes nearly new team back to semifinals
- Women’s soccer: Aurora advances to national semifinals
- Aurora wins USL W playoff opener
- Aurora FC enters postseason undefeated thanks to tenacious, gnat-like defense
- Aurora complete perfect regular season by shutting out RKC Third Coast
Continue reading...
