FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Indiana Tech women's soccer team begins the second half of Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) play on Wednesday when they travel to Cornerstone University for their only game of the week.
 
Indiana Tech (5-7-1, 1-3-1 WHAC)
 
Wednesday, Oct 7, 14 p.m. at Cornerstone University (8-4-0, 2-2-0 WHAC) – Grand Rapids, Michigan (CU Soccer Stadium)
 
Follow Along: Links to live stats and video will be available at IndianaTechWarriors.com. You can also catch the action on Twitter by following @INTechWSoccer and @INTechWarriors.
 
Last Time Out: The Warriors fell to Lourdes on Saturday, 2-0, the first-ever meeting between the two schools. Alena Payne made three saves, while Jessica Marin had three shots on goal.
 
Head Coach Jim Lipocky: Now in his eight season as the head coach of the Warriors, Jim Lipocky has won 67 games at Indiana Tech, the most in school history. He recently reached the 100 career wins with a 2-0 victory over Davenport on Oct. 3, and is one of three active coaches in the WHAC with 100 career victories. He also holds the second-best winning percentage all-time at Tech. During the 2012 campaign, he led the Warriors to their most successful season since 2002, compiling a 16-4-1 record, the second most victories in school history. During his tenure with the Orange and Black, Lipocky has coached 37 WHAC All-Academic members, 27 NAIA Scholar-Athletes and 21 WHAC All-Conference honorees. In 2011 he was named the WHAC's Champion of Character Coach.
 
Scouting the Opposition: Cornerstone – The Golden Eagles are on a two-match winning streak heading into Wednesday's showdown with the Warriors and are two points ahead of Tech in the WHAC standings. Allison Snowden has six shutouts on the year and has only given up 16 goals in over 1,600 minutes of game action. Kerri Hoffman leads the team with five goals and 12 points, while Bria West leads the Golden Eagles in assists with four while chipping in three goals to 10 total points.
 
Series Notes: Cornerstone – Tech is 7-18-1 against Cornerstone since 2000 and have lost two straight to the Golden Eagles, most recently losing at home last year, 4-1.
 
Peeking Ahead: With only five games left in the regular season and WHAC play, the Warriors find themselves in the conference tournament with four points as they sit in eighth place. Three of Tech's remaining opponents (Cornerstone, UNOH and Concordia) are all ahead of the Orange and Black in the standings, while the Warriors last two opponents, Lawrence Tech and Marygrove, trail coach Lipocky's squad in the standings. The WHAC Tournament will take place on Nov. 4, 7 and 14. The quarterfinals will take place at the top four schools, while the semifinals and championship round will take place at the highest remaining seed.
 
Teaming Up for the Kids: The Indiana Tech women's soccer team teamed up with Go4theGoal to help fight pediatric cancer on Oct. 7 in their game against Madonna. The campaign, "Lace Up 4 Pediatric Cancer", had the Warriors take the field sporting gold shoe laces. For more information on the campaign and how to donate, visit: https://donate.go4thegoal.org/fundraise?fcid=514722.
 
Getting it done in the Classroom: Indiana Tech was recognized with the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Team Academic Award on Sept. 23 after obtaining a 3.45 composite grade point average for the 2014-15 academic year. The Team Academic Award is awarded annually to soccer programs whose student-athletes have excelled in the classroom. This is the eighth time the women's team has been recognized and the third straight year under head coach Jim Lipocky, and fourth overall during his tenure. Tech was one of only two women's teams in the WHAC to be recognized.
 
Picking up the Hardware: Senior Megan Perrey was named the WHAC Offensive Player of the Week for the week of Sept. 14-20, as she recorded three goals in two games. She provided both Warriors goals in the 2-0 victory over Huntington (Ind.) and her score in the 87^th minute against Ashford (Iowa) sent the game into overtime. She leads the team with six goals on the year.
 
Standing Tall: Senior goalkeeper Alena Payne has taken ownership of the Warriors net this season, starting 11 of the teams 13 matches and only giving up 16 goals. Her 6.91 saves per ranks her fourth in the league and is 35^th in the country, while her 76 saves rank fourth in the WHAC and tied for 34^th nationally.
 
National Rankings: As a team, the Warriors find themselves in the top 50 in two categories among the whole NAIA. They rank tied for 33^rd in total shutouts (five) and 43^rd in total saves (84).