HARROGATE, Tenn. -- Kicking off the first of a three-match road trip to close the regular season schedule, the Railsplitters (7-3-3, 4-2-3 SAC) travel to Salisbury, N.C. for a South Atlantic Conference contest on Saturday against Catawba (4-9-2, 1-6-2 SAC). First kick between Lincoln Memorial and the Indians is set for 8 p.m. at the Frock Athletic Complex.
 
The Railsplitters have not felt defeat since a 1-0 loss to Lees-McRae back on October 1, reeling off a streak of five consecutive matches without a loss. Most recently, Lincoln Memorial closed the home schedule by playing the Tusculum Pioneers to a 1-1 stalemate on Wednesday afternoon. It was an unfortunate result for the Railsplitters, though, as junior defender Nathaniel Johnson (London, England) staked them to a 1-0 lead with a header in the 55th minute. LMU clung to that 1-0 advantage until Tusculum's Jonathan Spicher got the equalizer with just 3:23 remaining in regulation.
 
Lincoln Memorial was officially taken out of the running for the South Atlantic Conference regular season title with Wednesday's result, but the Railsplitters remain in prime position to host their SAC tournament quarterfinal match. The top four teams in the final regular season standings earn host duties, and the Railsplitters are currently tied with Anderson for fourth with 15 points, just a single point behind third-place Lenoir-Rhyne.
 
Catawba heads into Saturday's tilt well out of playoff contention, sitting in 12th in the SAC standings with a 1-6-2 league mark. But, the Indians drew with Lenoir-Rhyne on Wednesday to keep a shred of hope alive as wins in their final two league matches could potentially open up the final seed for the SAC tournament.
 
Goals have come at a premium for the Indians this season as they have accounted for a league-low 12 goals through 15 matches. Catawba has been blanked on nine separate occasions, failing to register 10 or more shots in nine matches. The Indians have produced the fewest number of shots (129), shots per game (8.6), shots on goal (60) and assists (9) among South Atlantic Conference programs this season.
 
Kenny Bonilla leads the Indians with three goals, 26 shots and 14 shots on goal to go alongside a pair of assists. Brian Woulfe has accumulated a team-high four assists with a single goal in 14 starts. Additionally, Michael Basnett and Adam Kurdi have deposited two goals apiece. Despite firing the second-most shots for Catawba with 19, Jack Pettett has broken through for only one goal.
 
Catawba keeper Christian Watts has spent every second of the Indians' season in goal, logging an even 1,400 minutes with 24 goals allowed and 44 saves. Watts' 1.54 cumulative goals against average is the eighth-best among conference netminders.
 
The Railsplitters have not lost to the Indians since the 2006 campaign, roping off nine consecutive victories to assume an 11-5 cushion in the all-time series. Lincoln Memorial has shut out Catawba in seven of those nine wins, accumulating an 18-4 scoring edge. Last season, the Railsplitters topped the Indians in a dramatic 3-2 win in overtime at the LMU Soccer Complex.
 
Nine separate players have tallied goals for the Railsplitters this season, while each of the team's last seven scores have been logged by a different source. Junior Leonardo da Silva (Itajuba, Brazil) leads the Railsplitters with six goals, but he has not found the nylon since October 4. Junior striker Pedro Villa (New Braunfels, Texas) has accounted for four goals, while Marcel Barwanietz (Berlin, Germany), George Burne (Carlisle, England), Nathaniel Johnson and Yuri Passos (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) have pitched in two goals apiece. Passos also leads the Railsplitters with four assists.
 
The Railsplitters and Indians are scheduled to get underway at 8 p.m. in Salisbury, N.C. The Catawba Sports Information Department will be providing live stats for that match.

Live Stats