Spartan Women Win NAC Tournament Championship

AURORA, Ill. November 3, 2007 - The Aurora University Spartan women’s soccer team captured the Northern Athletics Conference tournament championship on Saturday afternoon on AU Field with a 1-0 win over Dominican University Stars.

The Spartans must now wait and see what the 2007 NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer Championships selection committee has to say about their potential bid into this years Division III Championship field.

The lone goal of the game came early on, as Spartan junior midfielder Kendra Sickinger found the back of the net just over two minutes into the contest. Sickinger’s goal, her seventh of the season, came off of a beautiful double assist from sophomore defender Katie Lunsford and sophomore forward Jessica Novickas. Novickas headed the Lunsford cross right on to the foot of the waiting Sickinger in front of the Stars net.

With the early lead, Aurora’s efforts turned to defense. The turning point in the game was a missed free kick from just outside the goal box and an un-converted corner kick immediately following for Dominican. Both plays came about midway through the first half. Aurora used the defensive momentum to stop the Stars for the remainder of the contest.

In the losing effort, Dominican sophomore goalkeeper Jacqui Lani had eight saves. Six of those saves came in the second half, as both teams played stellar defense throughout the game. The loss, however, ends Dominican’s season, which closes with a 13-8 overall record.

The shutout by Aurora sophomore goalkeeper Jenny Jarvis was her twelfth of the season, which sets a new school single-season record. Jarvis had three saves in the winning effort.

For the season, Aurora has thirteen team shutouts, which ties an AU single season record. The previous record holder was AU’s 2002 team.

Aurora’s overall record moves to 19-2-1, which is highlighted by the current nineteen-game winning streak that the Spartans will hopefully carry into the postseason. The nineteen wins in a season sets a new Aurora University record, while the winning streak (19) is also a school record. The Spartans also have tallied a goal in ever game this season, which equals out to a streak of twenty-two consecutive matches with a goal scored, a school record as well.

The Spartans will now wait word from the 2007 NCAA Division III women's soccer selection committee on a possible bid into the 2007 NCAA Division III Championship field. Announcement will be made for the 60 team field on Sunday, November 4, 2007 and the bracket will be announced on Monday, November 5, 2007.