INDIANAPOLIS - The IUPUI women's soccer team will open a key three-game homestand on Sunday (Oct. 26) when the Jaguars host Western Illinois in a Summit League match at 1:00 p.m. at the on-campus Michael A. Carroll Stadium. IUPUI home soccer is free of charge this season although standard university parking rates will apply.

IUPUI (4-9-3, 2-3 Summit) needs results during this stretch to claim a spot in the upcoming four-team Summit League Tournament, to be held in Denver in mid-November. Head Coach Chris Johnson's team has been solid at home all year long, going 2-2-2 in six matches thus far. 

Offensively, the duo of Tori Minnich (7 goals) and Krissy Kirkhoff (6 goals, 1 assist) have accounted for 72 percent of the team's output while junior Kalli Shepler-Tucker has a team-high four assists from the midfield. Both Grace Perkowitz and redshirt freshman Meghan Day have three assists apiece. Kirkhoff is on a school-record pace in shot attempts, having fired a league-best 62 times in 16 games.

Defensively, freshman Catherine Schmidt and sophomore Nicole Kulovitz have split time in goal, combining on a 1.50 goals against average and 103 saves in 16 games. Schmidt has a 3-4-3 record and 1.40 GAA while Kulovitz is 1-5 with a 1.65 mark.

Senior Anna Rode and junior Lauren Kulaga are the only Jags to have started all 16 matches in the defensive third.

Scouting the Fighting Leathernecks
Western Illinois (2-11-1, 1-2-1 Summit) is winless in its last three outings, having dropped matches to South Dakota State and Denver before playing Fort Wayne to a scoreless draw on Oct. 17. The Fighting Leathernecks host Oral Roberts on Oct. 24 before heading to Indianapolis.

Sarah Wright leads the Western attack with two scores and three others have three points on the year. In goal, Victoria Kappel has played the majority of the minutes and has a 2.14 GAA and 75 saves. Lexi Harris has a 1.70 GAA and six saves in limited action, including one start. 

Inside the Series
IUPUI is 7-9 all-time against WIU, having lost two-in-a-row in the series. The Jaguars lost 5-2 in Macomb, Ill., last season before dropping a 1-0 count in Indianapolis in 2012. IUPUI is just 4-5 in the previous nine meetings in Indianapolis.