On Saturday, March 2, the Aurora University men's soccer team began its journey to do something that no other program in Aurora's history has had the opportunity to do; take an international trip to play professional teams from another country. The trip has been on the minds of the players and coaches for several months, and everyone was anxious and excited as the day
approached.
The trip started late Saturday night when the team left AU at 11:00 p.m. for O'Hare International Airport. Their flight took off at 2:30 a.m. on Sunday morning and after a small layover in Guatemala, they landed in San Jose, Costa Rica at 9:30 a.m. local time. As the soon as the team arrived, they were greeted by Lilliana, Mario and Emilio, the friendly members of Costa Rica Soccer Tours who would be their guides for rest of the trip.
Once the Spartans arrived at their hotel, Lilliana presented the team with the history and story of Costa Rica and their country motto “PURA VIDA” or pure life which they try to live by every day. It was truly amazing to see how many people used the phrase to greet and welcome the players into different areas.
After the presentation, the boys were on their way to the first location where they would play an international game in San Carlos, located in a rainforest within a few miles of the historic volcano, Arenal, in the City of La Fortuna. The team was happy to get their legs moving in the first practice session where they were able to play against one another on the same field they would play on the following night.
After practice, the team departed to the world famous Arenal Hot Springs, which are pools of water heated by the surrounding volcano. After spending some time in the springs and enjoying the intense water slides, the Spartans shared a meal with some of the locals and went back to the hotel for some much needed rest before the next day's match vs. San Carlos!
DAY 2
After a very long first day, the Spartans were able to get some rest in the morning. Following a delicious, ethnic breakfast, the team left for some sightseeing in downtown La Fortuna. There were some
interesting shops in the downtown area where the team was able to see some of the local products provided by the La Fortuna residents. After spending the morning shopping, the Spartans went back to the hotel to relax before competing in the first international competition in Aurora University history.
The day turned out to be filled with firsts as the Spartans took the field against Asociación Deportiva San Carlos. The match began with both teams exchanging chances with AU's
Jon Rosenbaum nearly connecting off a free kick from Spartan Al Brunell, and Brunell nearly finishing his own chance from the top of the 18. After the first few minutes, the game began to settle in with the talented side from San Carlos maintaining possession; however, the Aurora Spartan defense held strong with great contributions from defenders
Ryan Murphy,
Kory Seddon, Cory Novotny,
Jon Palomar,
Kyle Newman and
Michael Rajter. However, San Carlos was able to break through midway through the half to make the score 1-0 going into the break.
The Spartan men came out with a new vigor and intensity at the beginning of the second half that San Carlos was unable to match. After a few minutes where it seemed that the San Carlos squad was going to be able to hold out, freshman
Ben Edith was able to break free and score the first international goal in Aurora history. The Spartans continued to press and looked poised to break the deadlock when in the final minute of the match San Carlos was able to quickly counter on the Spartan side to take a 2-1 lead. This would turn out to be the final goal of the match.
After the match, both teams gathered in the middle of the field to thank each other for a well-played game. Spartan
Anthony Parra, was chosen as MVP by the opposing team. Overall, it turned out to be a great first game for the Spartans who had not played a competitive match in over four months.
The Spartans were thrilled to have this opportunity and were very excited for the next day which included whitewater rafting!
DAY 3
The Aurora Men's Soccer team wanted to use this trip to grow together on the playing field, while also having the chance to experience the culture and explore opportunities that they never had before. Day three of the trip provided that opportunity. After an early breakfast, the Spartans hopped on the bus and were greeted by a tour guide from Wave Expeditions who informed the players that they would be whitewater rafting.
After arriving to the location, the players were divided into multiple groups and taught how to row together to make their way down the river. This was an unbelievable experience for the Spartans with beautiful scenery and intense rapids that caused a few of the players to experience a bit more of the river than they had initially anticipated.
About halfway down the river, the boys were treated to some fresh fruit and given the chance to jump off a ledge into the water. Nearly every player took this opportunity and the team was even treated to the sight of Coach St. Clair launching himself from the cliff. They continued down the river and were
provided with a delicious lunch provided by WAVE before departing back to the hotel.
The Spartans then made their way out to the field for their second session of the trip. After waking up their tired legs from the intense match the night before and the day of whitewater rafting, the boys got some touches and had some fun with a variety of games in which the tour guides, Mario and Emilio, partook in.
The night concluded with another delicious meal and sometime in the pool and hot tub at the hotel. The Spartans already felt that they had experienced so much that it was hard to believe that this was only day three of the trip. After three active days, the team feels that the people of this country are truly unbelievable and are excited for each new day to bring another great adventure.
PURA VIDA!!!
DAY 4
Day four began with a quick breakfast, packing, and a long bus ride back to the Capital. The Spartan
players had little time to prepare as they arrived to the field just 25 short minutes before the match was to be played against Heredia. The field and team that they were to play is the same program that the LA Galaxy will play on the following night!
Heredia came out firing and forced the Spartans to find their feet quickly. However, the boys were able to hold off the assault by Heredia with a strong performance in net by freshman
Steven Soderstrom. Both teams generated a few solid chances with the half ending 0-0.
The second half began much as the first with the talented Heredia squad throwing everything they had at the Spartan defense. However, the boys were able to hold strong with the defense and keeper,
Chris Donner, making save after save. After thirty-five minutes, the Spartans saw their chance to capitalize on a Heredia error and made a quick counter attack through the midfield where they were able to find the feet of keeper converted forward for the match,
Ethan Cashen. After some nice footwork, Ethan was able to cut back and find
Jason O'Brien lurking 25 yards out. Jason took his chance and struck the ball into the back of the net to put the Spartans up 1-0.
The remaining 10 minutes required some heroics from some Spartan players including a goal-line save from junior
Kory Seddon. The boys were able to hold off the final Heredia attack and finish the match with a 1-0 win. The players were able to exchange remarks with the Heredia team with both teams
having great things to say about the match. Cashen was named MVP of the match.
After the win, the team headed back to the hotel for some well-deserved rest and ice baths in order to prepare for the final match the next day in Alajuela Stadium.
DAY 5
Day 5 began with another delicious breakfast provided by the friendly people of the hotel the team was staying at. After breakfast, the Spartan boys took off for a tour of downtown San Jose, the Capital of Costa Rica. Their tour guides took them to many different parts of the city, introducing them to a variety of history and culture, including the story behind why Costa Rica does not have a standing army. The boys were then able to do some souvenir shopping in the fantastic downtown markets in San Jose.
The Spartans then went back to the hotel for a quick lunch and rest before departing to their match against Alajuela which was played in a professional stadium. This was an amazing experience as the field and team from Alajuela were both very high quality and made for a great day.
The match began with both teams exchanging possession and chances before Alajuela was able to break through for the first goal of the game. Both teams continued to battle, however, Alejuela proved to
be too much for the Spartans and held the Spartan men scoreless for the first time on their trip. Despite the loss, the Spartans were able to exchange some kinds words with the talented players from Alejuela, and Spartan
Jason O'Brien was awarded player of the match.
Despite initial plans, the day was not over for the Spartans. Earlier in the day, the team discovered that the Los Angeles Galaxy was going to be playing on the very same field that they had played on the day before against Heredia. With the help of their tour guides, we were able to buy some tickets for the match and see the LA Galaxy take on Heredia in the exact place where Aurora took its first ever International victory.
The game was an amazing experience with both sides displaying incredible talent and skill. The Spartans were able to get within mere feet of the players and were even acknowledged by some of the members on the team. The Spartans were entertained watching the culture and excitement that the fans brought to their team. This was a once in a lifetime experience that the AU players will never forget.
Despite playing their last game of the trip, we are very excited to see what the next day would bring with
a trip to an orphanage and the beach.
DAY 6
Despite not being able to play another competitive match on the trip, the Spartans soon found out that today may have been the most fun and beneficial experience of the trip. After a quick breakfast, they made their way to the orphanage to play with the kids were there. Many of these children, they were told, have to be left there during the day so that their parents can work to put food on the table. The men's team was also informed that many of these children do not have fathers that are still with them and that having a male soccer team there will excite them.
That very well could have been one of the larger understatements that the team has ever heard. As soon as they arrived, the children were yelling and jumping at the chance to play. The children sang a song to begin the experience and for the remainder of the time, the Spartans were running, carrying, and chasing these children around the playground area. The smiles and laughter coming from both the
children and Spartan players made for one of the most rewarding experiences imaginable. After the time was up, both the players and the children were sad to depart. The men's team presented them with a soccer ball as well as many other donations that were generously given by too many people to mention individually. The Spartans will truly remember this part of the trip for the rest of their lives!
After the orphanage, the guys traveled to Punta Leona for an afternoon at the beach. They decided to bring the balls and have a practice on the sand. After some dynamic warm up, the players displayed their ball skills, and even Coach St. Clair was able to show that he still has the ability to compete with the young Spartans.
Overall, this day was a day that will forever remain with the Spartan men. They are excited to see what the rest of the trip has is store as each day brings a new experience and chance to grow together!
DAY 7
Day 7 was a day of well-deserved fun and relaxation for the Spartans. As soon as the day began, the boys were shipped off to another part of the coast. Here they embarked on a rainforest canopy zip-line tour. The players were able to experience the exhilarating adventure of swinging through a tropical
rainforest secured with a steel cable and harness capable of holding up to 1000 pounds. The zip lines varied in height and speed, and the players were even able to travel upside-down on one particular line. This was a once-in-a-lifetime chance with an amazing experience and views!
After the zip lining tour, the players spent the rest of the day at the beach, taking the opportunity to rent boogie boards and ride the waves. They also were able to have some fun exploring the area of Punta Leona, an experience many of them will never forget.
After dinner, the Spartans rented a soccer court and competed in some matches. Some teams fared better than others with all teams having fun and staying competitive for nearly two hours on the court.
Some of the main highlights included some megs by a few of the players leaving their teammates with some slight embarrassment, Coach St. Clair showing his skills and particularly his aggressive slide against an unprepared freshman
Jon Rosenbaum, Coach Rizzo showing that it has been a long time since the years that he played for a competitive college soccer team and may need to fine tune his skills, and freshman
Chris Donner scoring the game winning goal!
Overall, it was a great night that allowed the team to bond once again and grow closer together as a team. The guys are sad to only have one day left in Costa Rica, but are looking forward to what the last day brings!
