ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Augustana dropped its 2020 home opener Saturday, falling 10-8 to Aurora at Thorson-Lucken Field. The Vikings dropped to 0-3 on the year, while the contest was the Spartans' season opener.
 
After Aurora's Braden Toll scored to give his team a 1-0 lead, Coach Dan Torie's club took advantage of Spartan penalties to go ahead on a pair of man-up goals. Steve Robertson (York HS, Elmhurst, Ill.) scored first with an assist from Sam Shaver (Kettle Moraine HS, Delafield, Wis.) and Shaver scored off a Trever Moore (Naperville Central HS, Naperville, Ill.) assist to put Augustana up 2-1 with 6:12 left in the first quarter.
 
An unassisted goal by Moore preceded tallies by Spartans Toll and Dan Lada, but Mark Teschke (Sandburg HS, Orland Park, Ill.) scored shortly before the first quarter horn to give the Vikings a 4-3 lead.
 
Aurora's Jimmy Gorecki sandwiched goals around another by Moore in the second quarter. A last-second Spartan goal was waved off as too late by the officials and the teams went to the halftime break tied at five-all.
 
Harrison Canaday scored at 12:08 of the third to give the guests their first lead since 1-0. Gorecki added a goal little more than a minute later and Augustana would play catch-up the rest of the way. Shane Forsyth (Maine South HS, Park Ridge, Ill.) scored to get the Vikings within one, but Toll answered to give Aurora an 8-6 advantage going to the fourth.
 
After more than nine scoreless minutes in the final period, Moore tallied his third of the day to get Augustana within one. However, Gorecki answered with two goals in short order to give the Spartans their biggest lead of the day at 10-7. Robertson's goal with 3:50 to play accounted for the final.
 
Moore finished with three goals and three assists to lead the Vikings. Matt Pierson (Montini HS, Downers Grove, Ill.) recorded four caused turnovers and John Calabrese (Maine South HS, Park Ridge, Ill.), who was seven of 20 in faceoffs, led Augustana with seven ground balls. Despite suffering the loss, goalie Tommy Angelos (York HS, Elmhurst, Ill.) recorded 23 saves to break the previous school record of 22, which he had shared.
 
Gorecki led Aurora with five goals and Toll chipped in with three. Goalie Phillip Gianelle stopped 12 Viking shots.
 
The Spartans had advantages of 40-29 in shots, 33-20 in shots on goal and 36-31 in ground balls. They also won 15 of 22 faceoffs and committed 21 turnovers to Augustana's 24.
 
Up next for Torie's bunch is a road date against Benedictine in Lisle, Illinois on Wednesday, February 26 at 7:00 p.m.