Talk of the League, Fort Wayne FC, Ready for Indy Eleven in 1st Edition of Victory & Liberty Derby
USL1 Fort Wayne FC

Talk of the League, Fort Wayne FC, Ready for Indy Eleven in 1st Edition of Victory & Liberty Derby

Published on May 15, 2026 under United Soccer League One (USL1)
Fort Wayne FC News Release


Fort Wayne Football Club is the talk of USL League One, unsurprising considering its recent success - including a 2-0-1 record since opening Ruoff Mortgage Stadium - with the youngest team in the league.

Now comes another opportunity to shine: A Prinx Tires USL Cup match 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Ruoff Mortgage Stadium against Indy Eleven, the Indianapolis-based team that competes in USL Championship, one level above Fort Wayne FC.

This is the first installment in the Victory & Liberty Derby.

The name draws directly from two of Indiana's most iconic landmarks. In Fort Wayne, the dome of the Allen County Courthouse is crowned by Lady Liberty, a symbol of justice, independence, and the enduring spirit of its people. In Indianapolis, the Soldiers and Sailors Monument rises at the heart of the city, topped by the Statue of Victory - representing triumph, strength, and the pursuit of excellence - and is a key component of Indy Eleven's primary logo that rests about their players' hearts.

Know before you go

As Fort Wayne FC put the finishing touches on Ruoff Mortgage Stadium, the largest outdoor venue in Northeast Indiana, the club is advising fans leave for the stadium early to ease the flow of traffic on Bass Road and entry for all guests.

The parking lot at 6411 Bass Road opens at 4:45 p.m. and the stadium gates at 5:30 p.m. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are available for purchase at tickets.fortwaynefc.com.

Parking at Ruoff Mortgage Stadium is prepay only. We ask that you help us preserve a positive matchday experience for all our fans by having your parking pass on your phone and ready to show to gain entry to the lot. It will then be scanned by an attendant once you've reached the end of the main entrance drive.

Purchasing parking after you've pulled into the lot is prohibited.

If you have questions regarding stadium entry, please email tickets@fortwaynefc.com.

The bounce houses will be open for the kids and there will be face painting, balloon animals and other activities.

The first 1,000 fans 18 years old and older will receive free $1 scratch-off coupons, courtesy of the Hoosier Lottery.

Fans 21 and older can visit the Northwest Perch to take part in a complimentary Tasting with Sun Cruiser, courtesy of Five Star Distributing.

Fans 21 and older can also take part in an Ultra Shootout in the south concourse for a chance to win World Cup tickets, courtesy of AALCO Distributing.

Purchases at the Fan Shop using a 3Rivers Federal Credit Union MasterCard get 10% off on match days; simply present your card to the staff for verification.

About the match

Fort Wayne FC's Taig Healy has been on a tear with goals in four straight league matches, including the last three - all at Ruoff Mortgage Stadium.

Goalkeeper Bernd Schipmann has clean sheets in the last two matches, stopping four shots in a 3-0 victory over Portland Hearts of Pine on May 6 and four shots in a 1-0 victory over Westchester SC on May 9. Schipmann now has 30 career shutouts in USL League One, which is the fourth most all time. He trails Akira Fitzgerald by one for third place. Rashid Nuhu has the all-time league record with 47 clean sheets.

The USL League One Team of the Week was stocked with Fort Wayne FC players - Healy, Schipmann, Jeremy Garay, Michael Rempel and coach Mike Avery. Lilian Ricol was among the seven bench players.

Fort Wayne FC is 3-2-1 overall, placing it in a tie for sixth place among the league's 17 teams. Indy Eleven is 3-2-3 in USL Championship, and it's in eighth place among the 13 Eastern Conference teams.

Fort Wayne FC has played one USL Cup match this season and, despite losing 3-1 at Louisville City FC on April 25, held an early lead thanks to a Ricol goal in the fifth minute. Indy Eleven lost its first Cup match, 2-1, to USL League One side Union Omaha on April 25.

The Prinx Tires USL Cup is a World Cup-style annual tournament.

Each club will play four group-stage matches in the Prinx Tires USL Cup. In addition to facing Louisville City FC and Indy Eleven, Fort Wayne will have Cup matches against Union Omaha (June 6 in Nebraska) and USL Championship's Detroit City FC (July 11 at Ruoff Mortgage Stadium). Also in six-team Group 4 are Forward Madison of USL League One and Lexington SC of USL Championship.

During group play, any matches tied at the end of regulation will proceed directly to penalty kick shootouts. The Cup points system is as follows: Three points for a win in regulation; one point for a draw at the end of regulation; one additional point for winning in penalty kicks; zero points for a regulation loss.

Seven group winners and one wildcard will advance to the quarterfinals Aug. 13. The semifinals will be Sept. 9 and the final Oct. 4.

More from Fort Wayne FC

Trace Terry and Fort Wayne FC have mutually agreed to part ways. Terry played in four matches this season. ... Goalkeeper Alex Grow's 25-match contract has expired and he's no longer on the roster. Grow didn't appear in any matches for the club. ... Fort Wayne FC took part in Cookin' Fort Wayne for a second time on Thursday night. The annual event raises money for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northeast Indiana. ... Fort Wayne FC will be selling special Victory & Liberty T-shirts at the match for $30. ... The match will air on ESPN+ and locally on MeTV, 33.6 digital.

Check out the Fort Wayne FC Statistics

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United Soccer League One Stories from May 15, 2026


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