AURORA, Ill. (SabreAthletics.com) – The Marian University women's soccer team saw its season come to a close with a, 3-1, Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference tournament loss to host, second-seeded and ranked 16th-nationally Aurora University, at Vago Field, this afternoon, Nov. 6.

The Sabres scored with just over one minute left in the match after Nicci Bermudes, the league's regular season scoring champ and NACC Offensive Player of the Year netted her second hat trick of the season. The Spartans took a 1-0 lead into halftime and extended it with two more Bermudes goals in the final 45 minutes.

Freshman Mikaila Johnson added her team-leading 11th goal of the season in the 89th minute as she slid a ball that was placed beautifully at her feet by junior Leisa Conn. Prior to that, Bermudes had registered her 20th goal of the season with scores in the 23rd, 57th and 88th minutes. Junior goalkeeper Caitlyn Rosenberger made some impressive saves and finished with 11 in all for the Sabres. 

Aurora (17-2) dominated possession in the second half, preventing the Sabres from generating any kind of momentum and showing why it has been the class of the league since the inception of the conference in 2006. The Spartans acquired a 26-6 shot advantage, including a 14-4 edge in shots on goal and won the corner kick battle, 8-1.

The Sabres (10-9-1) dropped to 0-12 all-time against Aurora, including seven tries at Vago Field. The loss marked the second time in three seasons that Marian has suffered the ill-fate of its season ending on Aurora's home field. The last time was in the 2011 conference championship match in which the Spartans prevailed, 3-0.

Aurora will eye its seventh league tournament title Saturday when it faces the winner of No. 1 Edgewood and No. 6 MSOE.