The Aurora University Spartan women's soccer team opened the 2013 season with a 5-1 win over St. Norbert College in the Chelsea Lloyd Memorial Classic on Vago Field.

The Spartans opened up the game on the attack and nearly took an early 1-0 lead just 20 seconds into the contest but the cross attempt went just beyond the foot of the streaking Spartan offensive player.

St. Norbert answered the threat and took the lead 1-0 with 2:43 off the clock. Green Knight junior Kaitlin Schmitz tallied the unassisted goal, beating AU freshman goalkeeper Maddy Crawford.

AU took the deficit in stride and continued to attack the Green Knight net with senior Mariah Ziegenbein finding the back of the net off a beautiful pass from junior Nicole Wolfe at 6:29.

As the Spartans continued to keep on the pressure, AU eventually took the lead that they would not relinquish with 24:23 off the clock in the first half. Senior Brittany Roydhouse scored the eventual game winner on an unassisted goal.

Crawford and the Spartan defense stayed strong and entered the halftime intermission with a 2-1 lead.

The second half played out much like the first half had been played with the Spartans

controlling most of the action. 53:34 into the game, sophomore Nicci Bermudes scored her first goal of the season off an assist from Lisa Bajkowski.

As the northern skies began to darken, Wolfe scored her second goal of the game at 62:46 off an assist from Bermudes.

Ziegenbein tallied her second goal of the game (unassisted) at 66:47 giving AU the 5-1 advantage.

With 19:45 on the game clock, the game was called due to lightning, giving the Spartans a win to start the 2013 season.

Next action for the Spartan women's soccer team comes on Sunday, September 1 when they host UW-Oshkosh at 4:30 pm on Vago Field in the final day of the Chelsea Lloyd Memorial Classic.

In the first game of the classic on Friday, Augustana College defeated UW-Oshkosh 5-0.