For the Aurora 2 players, the UPSL final at the TCO Stadium is an opportunity to underline the club’s identity

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

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

Even though this summer is the inaugural season of Aurora 2, Bayliss Flynn and a handful of other players have been waiting a long time for this championship game.

Minnesota natives Flynn and Olivia Graupmann, goalkeepers, were two years as reserve players on Aurora’s first team. Tylar Sayles, Bee Chang and Maya Dempsey also trained with the first team but did not play in games. But now the five players have taken on leadership roles in Aurora 2 (9-0-2), which the club created with the hope of developing young talent in a more regional league.

“It was really fun to see these players, who have worked so hard in relative obscurity over the last two years, play so many minutes and be successful on Aurora 2,” said Aurora co-founder Andrea Yoch.

Interested players were able to audition for both teams before the season, with the returning team being selected as potential leaders for the 25-man squad.

Goalkeeper Flynn, from the University of Montana, has made just one appearance for Aurora’s first team. At 16, she was the youngest player on the inaugural season squad and has found Aurora 2 a great opportunity to gain confidence and match practice.

“Knowing how things work from the last two years, I now have the opportunity to continue down this Aurora path,” Flynn said.

While Aurora’s first team has finished all three regular seasons in the USL W League undefeated, Aurora 2 has a chance to achieve a club first: After Friday’s 4-1 win over Superior City FC, the team could also finish a playoff series undefeated.

“I’m really proud that we can maintain that level of excellence, that standard,” Flynn said. “I think that comes from having people who have been there from the beginning.”

Aurora 2 played its home games this summer in Concordia (St. Paul), but the final will be played at TCO Stadium, where the first team also plays. Admission is free.

“We’re excited to be able to play where we train every day. I know the players. When I told them we had the potential if we kept going, they were really excited,” said head coach Mandy Pochobradsky. “Hopefully we’ll have a good crowd out there.”

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

“A lot of us are pretty emotional,” Flynn said, “because a lot of us have been at Aurora for three years and have never played a game at TCO Stadium.”