Minnesota Aurora FC has new focus after 2022 run to USL-W title game

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The process of putting the roster together has been about 200 days in the making, but Minnesota Aurora FC is back on the soccer pitch training for the 2023 season.

They’ve set quite the standard for themselves, after winning 13 games in their inaugural season last summer and going undefeated until a 2-1 loss in extra time in the USL-W title match. Minnesota Aurora FC has 17 of the 28 players back from that team, but coach Nicole Lukic says there’s a new focus for 2023. It’s a new mindset that’s important enough that she brought in a mental skills coach, Jen Ireland, to wipe the slate clean from an incredible run last year.

"It’s a brand new year, we have a brand new squad even though there are a lot of returners. It’s a blank slate for everybody, and that’s how we’re going to approach it," Lukic said Tuesday at the team’s media day at TCO Stadium.

That said, Lukic said there’s a new energy with Minnesota Aurora just a few days into training. It’s a lot louder.

"There’s tons of energy flying around out here in a great way, but getting new people to relax and shake out the nerves and start trusting each other is what this week is going to be about," Lukic said.

One of the team’s 17 returners is midfielder Morgan Stone. She was second on the team with five goals last season, and played nearly 600 game minutes in nine appearances. The Boulder, Colorado native plays collegiately at Boise State. She likes the mix of returners and new faces, and the standard they established last year.

"It’s nice because I know some girls super well, they’re some of my best friends. But we are a completely different team and we still have to learn each other. We have to let what happened last season be last season," Stone said. "We can’t come in confident that we’re going to win every game like we did last season, we have to take it day by day and be confident in who we are, but respect our opponent enough to know that we have to put up a fight every day and everybody is going to be coming for us."

Lukic has already had multiple conversations with her 2023 team about "The Aurora Way." So what exactly is that? They’re going to put the ball in the net, and they’re going to have fun on the pitch.

"Very attacking-minded. Fun, we want to score as many goals as possible. Jenny Clark, if you’re listening, we might give up a few goals here and there, but we’re confident that our way, we’re just going to keep scoring goals," Lukic said. "I think that’s fun, that’s what makes soccer fun, that’s what brings people in here. They want to see the players celebrating, so scoring goals and attacking without fear, giving players the freedom to just have fun and make good plays."

Scoring certainly wasn't an issue last season. In 15 games, they found the net 39 times and allowed just 11 goals. The Aurora also had six clean sheets.

Minnesota Aurora FC opens its 2023 season on May 24 against Rochester FC at 7 p.m. at TCO Stadium. You can watch all Aurora home games on Fox 9 Plus.