The Aurora University men's soccer team hosted the semifinal round of the 2023 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Tournament against Dominican University on Tuesday night at the Spartan Athletic park pitch. After being down 2-0 against the Starts with less than four minutes left to play, the Spartans stormed back to force a draw that sent the game into two overtime periods that saw neither side score a goal. The Spartans would eventually lose in a shootout to the Stars in front of a packed and loud crowd at Spartan Athletic park. 


FINAL SCORE: Dominican University 2, Aurora University 2
LOCATION: Spartan Athletic Park - Montgomery, Illinois
RECORD: Aurora University 14-3-4 and 10-0-2 in the NACC


- Spartan Enrique Gonzalez tied the AU men's soccer single season goal record with his 22nd of the season. He tied the record set by AU Ha.ll of Famer Terry Rock in 1980


- Neither team got a shot on goal until the 33rd minute, which was saved by Spartan Jalen Depenbrock.
- The Spartans fell behind 1-0 about a minute later.
- Depenbrock collected three saves in the first half.
- AU trailed 1-0 going to halftime.
- The second half opened with a Max Crawford shot on goal that nearly found the back of the Stars net.
- In the 72nd minute Dominican scored to go ahead 2-0.
- WIth 86:16 on the clock, Enrique Gonzalez started the Spartan comeback with a penalty kick goal that put the Spartans down 2-1.
- A short time later and with just a minute and a half left in the game, Crawford struck a corner kick that set up Branden Dolezal for a header, tying the game at two and sending the home crowd at Spartan Athletic Park into a frenzy.
- The score remained tied 202 heading into the first 10-minute overtime period.
- Gio Villegas put a shot on goal six minutes into the first overtime period that nearly put the Spartans ahead.
- The score remained tied 2-2 heading into the second overtime period.
- The Spartans put the only two shots on goal from either team during the second overtime period.
- Late in the second session AU nearly ended the game with a header that clanged off the cross bar.
- The game was forced into a shootout.
- With the Spartans down 3-2 in the top of the fourth round of the shootout, Depenbrock layed out to prevent the Stars from going up 4-2.
- In the bottom of the fourth round of the shootout, Anthony Marmolejo snuck one past the Stars goalie to tie the shootout at 3.
- AU would eventually fall in the shootout 5-4.


POINTS: Enrique Gonzalez, Max Crawford and Branden Dolezal (1)
GOALS: Enrique Gonzalez and Branden Dolezal (1)
ASSISTS: Max Crawford (1)
SAVES: Jalen Depenbrock (5)


The Spartan men's soccer team finishes the 2023 season with a 14-3-4 overall record and 10-0-2 record in conference play.