TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – The Rose-Hulman athletic department will be featuring multiple student-athletes across all of their varsity sports teams this summer in the Fightin' Engineers to Watch media campaign.
 
Women's soccer's Fightin' Engineer to Watch is midfielder Lena Darini as she enters her junior season.
 
Darini played a key role for Rose-Hulman as she started 14 of the final 15 games of the season during Rose-Hulman's run to the NCAA Tournament. The Fightin' Engineers won the 2025 HCAC Tournament Championship, and Darini would assist on the opening goal of their HCAC Semifinals victory over Transylvania. She would also score the opening goal in the Fightin' Engineers' win over Webster, while adding another assist in the win over Berea.
 
"Being a part of the women's soccer team and playing alongside uplifting and like-minded women here at Rose has been such a rewarding experience these past two years," said Darini. "Winning the HCAC Championship this year and competing in the first round of the NCAA Tournament is a memory I hope to never lose. None of this would have been possible without my teammates, and the tremendous support and mentorship of Coaches Amy Helliwell and Kacey Baker."
 
Darini is pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering, and she is currently working on her internship with ThermalTech Engineering in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Her internship consists of doing HVAC heat load calculations, equipment and process modeling, and field work for large-scale projects. "During my first week, I was sent to a site that happened to be near my hometown in Toronto, Ontario, Canada," said Darini. "Not only did I get to use 3D scanning equipment, but I was also able to stay at home for my sister's college graduation!"
 
Darini is also spending her summer playing soccer for Tulip City in Holland, Michigan alongside Rose-Hulman teammate Meagan Hall. The team is having a very successful season as they are currently ranked third in their league.
 
While Darini has been having a great summer, she is looking forward to returning to Rose-Hulman. "I am genuinely so proud to be a part of the Rose-Hulman women's soccer team, and I am itching to get back on the field in August as we look to defend our title as reigning HCAC Champions. Rose is a very special place that allows their student-athletes to pursue both their sport and education at such a high level. I am surrounded by teammates and coaches who understand the mental strain we endure in the classroom and are able to support and push me both on and off the field."
 
The Fightin' Engineers kick off the 2026 season on the road against Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Tuesday, September 1 at 5 PM. They will play in their home opener a week later against Greenville, on Tuesday, September 8 at 7 PM.