Friday, June 22

Indy Premier SC vs. Genesee FC

7:00 PM EDT – Marian University (Indianapolis, IN)

Of the bottom three teams in the Midwest Conference, Indy Premier SC does have a realistic chance of crashing the party and making it into the postseason. Of the five matches they’ve played so far, four have come against sides that are currently in the postseason picture. But IPSC have a lot to build on for their second half of the season as they are coming off of a very strong effort in their Week VI match last Sunday against Grand Rapids. Despite falling 3-2 to the defending UWS Champions, they had a lead going into the final 15 minutes and received a number of great individual performances. Midfielder Noelle Jester had a goal and an assist in the match and Kaitlyn Hicks posted a season high 14 saves to keep her team in the game. So if they can carry that performance into this week and get a couple of results from elsewhere to go in their favor over the next fortnight, they will give themselves an opportunity to make the top four when they face four-placed Michigan Legends twice to finish out the season.

Genesee FC are looking to get back to basics in their final three matches of the season as after posting a pair of tough 2-1 losses in Week II, they have not scored in five straight games. Chelsea Hunter’s team has been outscored 16-0 over that stretch and despite getting some great work in goal from Annabelle Hegeman, having the defense conceding constant waves of attacking pressure towards her goal has been too much to handle. But while the teams’ hopes for a postseason bid are all but finished, ending the season on a high note will be something this team wants to do. And that starts with their next two matches as they will face both teams that join them on the outside of the playoff race.

Michigan Legends vs. Lansing United

7:00 PM EDT – Legacy Center Fieldhouse (Brighton, MI)

In the first of two matches featuring top-four Midwest conference teams facing off against each other, Michigan Legends welcome Lansing United to the Legacy Center Fieldhouse for a key Friday night matchup. Lansing United won the first matchup between the two sides on June 10th as Lexi Pelafas and Dani Stephan both found the net for the hosts, with Alia Frederick scoring the lone tally for the visitors. In that match, Lansing pressured Michigan for the full 90 minutes and didn’t allow their opponents to get into much of a rhythm. But, with a full week of rest, Michigan had a chance to make an early Week VII statement with a 9-1 win over Fort Wayne this past Tuesday night. The Legends saw Jennifer Borawski net a hat trick on the night, which gives Michigan now 10 points through six matches and are in good position to make the Midwest Conference tournament. The win over Fort Wayne also increases the Legends’ all-time home record to 5-1-1 in UWS play and having Friday night's match being played on their home ground will give them real belief that they can go get three points.

Lansing United continues to put together a fabulous 2018 campaign as they come into Week VII with an unbeaten record of 5-0-1 and sit just one point behind first-place Grand Rapids. After drawing to GRFC in their opening match, Jason Crist’s team has rattled off five wins in a row and decimated Indy Premier 8-0 at home last Friday night. Aubrey Schierbeek netted a hat trick in the win and sealed her spot on the UWS Team of the Week list for the third time this year. With this match starting a crucial three-match stretch in facing each of the other top-four teams in the conference, they will want to get off to a good start with a result in their last road game of the regular season.

Sunday, June 24

Lansing United vs. Detroit Sun FC

12:00 PM EDT – East Lansing Soccer Complex (East Lansing, MI)

Lansing will wrap up their two-match weekend by taking on Detroit for the only time in the regular season. In addition to this contest being the middle game of a three-game stretch pitting them against the other top-four teams, it also begins a three-match homestand to finish out the season.

But they will welcome in a Detroit Sun FC that come into Week VII play just as hot as any of the other surging sides in the conference. They have won three straight matches, outscoring their opponents 10-1, and were in cruise control last week against Fort Wayne, winning 5-1. After seeing US Youth International Amelia White give the Gryphons a fifth minute lead, Detroit poured on the pressure and got goals from five different players. And more impressively, they did out without needing the services of team leading goal scorer Madison Schupbach. However, it was recently announced that Schupbach has signed a contract with Cardiff Met LFC, the reigning Champions of the Welsh Premier League and 2018/19 UEFA Women's Champions League participant, and will report to the club immediately. So while losing Schupbach will create a bit of shuffling within the starting XI, getting that balanced scoring performance last week gives Head Coach Skipper Mukhtar a lot more confidence about his teams' scoring depth. And that is a big factor for Detroit as while Lansing have done a tremendous job on the attacking side of things, they’ve only mustered one clean sheet in six matches leading up to this week. So having featured attackers all over the field could be the tipping point in the scale for Detroit. And while there are key matches still to play before the year ends, the result of this match could very well determine what the future holds for both teams in terms of their postseason aspirations.

About United Women's Soccer:

UWS is a national women’s soccer league sanctioned by U.S. Soccer. UWS is a professionally operated league created for teams that meet high minimum standards. The season runs from May until the end of July, culminating in a National Championship match. The UWS player pool is comprised of college players, aspiring & former professionals and international stars. You can follow UWS on social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Media can contact the UWS Communications office by e-mail at UWSPress@gmail.com. You can visit the league’s official website at UWSSoccer.com. Interested team applicants can contact League Commissioner Joe Ferrara, Jr. by e-mail at Joe@UWSSoccer.com.