FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Indiana Tech women's soccer team looks to secure a spot in the upcoming Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) tournament when they open a two-game homestand starting on Wednesday with No. 2 University of Northwestern Ohio and then on Saturday with Senior Day as #RV Concordia comes to town.
 
Indiana Tech (6-7-1, 2-3-1 WHAC)
 
Wednesday, Oct 21, 7 p.m. vs. No. 2 University of Northwestern Ohio (10-2-2, 6-0-0 WHAC) – Fort Wayne, Indiana (Warrior Athletic Field)
Saturday, Oct 24, 3 p.m. vs. #RV Concordia University (9-5-1, 5-2-0 WHAC) – Fort Wayne, Indiana (Warrior Athletic Field) – Senior Day
 
Follow Along: Links to live stats will be available at IndianaTechWarriors.com. You can also catch the action on Twitter by following @INTechWSoccer and @INTechWarriors.
 
Last Time Out: The Warriors defeated Cornerstone, 3-2, last Wednesday thanks to Michelle Landry's goal in the 89^th minute. Sydney Lemelin and Nicole Price also tallied for Tech as the Orange and Black snapped a two-game losing skid.
 
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: UNOH – The Racers head to the Summit City as the number two team in the country and riding a six-game winning streak. The NAIA runner-ups from a season ago have eight shutouts this season, the ninth most in the nation and lead the WHAC with 18 points. Laura Blanchard leads the team in goals with six, while Camilla Andersen has five goals is second in assists with three. Nadine Stonjek has seen the lion's share of time in the net this season, with a 0.61 goals against average (GAA), six shutouts and an 8-2-1 record.
 
Concordia – The Cardinals will face off with Cornerstone in Ann Arbor on Wednesday before coming to Fort Wayne this weekend. Concordia is third in the WHAC standings currently with 15 points. Julia Palushaj's 13 goals lead the team and is the third most in the conference. Older sister Lora leads the Cardinals with six assists, the fourth most in the league. Maria Lulgjuraj has only given up 11 goals in 15 games this season, sporting a 0.73 GAA and 45 saves while recording five clean sheets.
 
Series Notes: UNOH – The Warriors are 0-4 since 2013 against the Racers, most recently suffering a 6-0 defeat to the number one seed in the WHAC Tournament quarterfinals on Nov. 5 last year.
 
Concordia – Tech is 8-5-1 against the Cardinals since 2005 and are on a six-game winning streak. Last year in Fort Wayne, Megan Perrey's goal in the 102 minute gave the Orange and Black the win and gave head coach Jim Lipocky his 62^nd victory at Tech, breaking David Allway's program record.
 
Peeking Ahead: With only four games left in the regular season and WHAC play, the Warriors find themselves in the conference tournament with seven points as they sit in seventh place. Coach Lipocky's squad trails Lourdes by two points and is just ahead of Cornerstone by a point in the standings. If the season ended today, the Warriors would take on No. 13 Siena Heights in Adrian, Michigan. Tech's next two opponents, No. 2 UNOH and Concordia, are first and tied for second in the conference, respectively. The Warriors last two opponents, Lawrence Tech and Marygrove, trail the Orange and Black 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.
 
Switching it Up: Only once this season has Tech had the same decision in back-to-back games, which happened the week of Oct. 4, when the Warriors dropped games to Madonna and Lourdes. The Orange and Black alternated wins and losses through the first eight games of the season before drawing with Aquinas on Sept. 26. The Warriors have since gone loss, win, loss, loss, win.
 
No Luck against the Rankings: The Orange and Black haven't had much success this year against teams in the top-25 or receiving votes in the poll. The Warriors have fallen to then No. 8 Spring Arbor, then No. 17 Siena Heights and #RV Judson and (Ill.) and Ashford (Iowa). While Tech has scored four goals in the four matchups, three of those game in the overtime loss to Ashford. All four matches were on the road as well. The Warriors take on No. 2 UNOH and #RV Concordia this week.
 
Senior Day: Tech will hold Senior Day on Saturday, Oct. 24, when Concordia comes to town. The four seniors, midfielders Megan Perrey and Michelle Landry, defender Nicole Price and goalie Alena Payne, will be honored at halftime.
 
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 14 matches and only giving up 16 goals. Her 6.91 saves per ranks her fifth in the league and is 32^nd in the country, while her 76 saves rank fourth in the WHAC and tied for 48^th nationally.
 
Tough to Crack: The Warriors defense has been strong all season long, only giving up 18 goals in 14 games and recording five total shutouts. As a team, Tech has made 91 saves, tied for 44^th in the nation while the five shutouts place them in a tie 48^th.