HARROGATE, Tenn. – In a battle for the No.2 seed in next week's South Atlantic Conference Championship, the Lady Railsplitters (9-3-2, 7-1-2 SAC) travel to Wingate, N.C. on Saturday to tangle with the Bulldogs (9-2-3, 8-1-1 SAC) in the regular season finale. Lincoln Memorial and Wingate are set for a 1 p.m. first kick in that contest.
Following a 1-1 draw with Catawba last Saturday, the Lady Railsplitters suffered their first defeat since September 13 in the form of a 3-2 loss to Trevecca Nazarene on Tuesday evening in Nashville, Tenn. A pair of first half goals by the Trojans buried LMU in an early 2-0 hole that proved insurmountable despite goals by junior
Olivia Thompson (Melbourne, Fla.) and senior Fernanda Miaic (Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil). Among the rubble of Tuesday's defeat,
Lauren Dusold (Spirit Lake, Iowa) notched an assist which marked the first point of the veteran full back's three-year stint in the Blue and Gray. Miaci also increased her goal total to eight, which ranks seventh in the SAC.
The Lady Railsplitters' streak of 10 consecutive matches without a loss propelled them into the top eight of the initial NCAA Division II Southeast Region rankings, breaking in at No.7.
Saturday's finale provides another opportunity to bolster the NCAA Tournament resume as the Bulldogs welcome the Lady Railsplitters while holding the five-seed in the region rankings. Wingate currently has the inside track to the No.2 seed for the SAC Championship, as the Bulldogs are in the runner-up spot with a two-point lead on LMU and a two-point deficit to first-place Lenoir-Rhyne. An LMU win would award the Lady Railsplitters the runner-up spot, while a Wingate win and a Lenoir-Rhyne loss would result in a regular-season title for the 'Dogs.
Wingate has posted a 7-0-1 record in their last eight South Atlantic Conference match-ups, scoring three goals or more in five of those eight competitions. The Bulldogs offense is a force to be reckoned with as they have netted a league-leading 41 goals this season, averaging a whopping 2.9 goals per game. Wingate has surrendered a miniscule 0.68 goals per game as opponents have totaled a mere 10 goals against the stingy Bulldog defense.
Wingate arguably features the two most dangerous strikers in the league in Brooke Howell and Jade Montgomery, as that pair has posted 13 goals apiece. Montgomery, the back-to-back South Atlantic Conference Player of the Year and two-time All-America selection, has accumulated five assists while Howell has deposited three assists. In addition to Howell and Montgomery, freshman Samantha Leonard has compiled six goals to go along with two assists, while Naomi Matley ranks fourth in the league with four assists.
Senior Ashlyn Hardie is expected to make her 15th start in-between the frames for the Bulldogs. The netminder ranks third in the conference in goals allowed (8) and goals against average (0.59) in just over 1,200 minutes of action.
The Lady Railsplitters counter Saturday with a trio of goals scorers in sophomore
Michelle Hunter (Tecumseh, Ontario) and seniors
Fernanda Miaci and
Nicole McKinney (Ooltewah, Tenn.). Miaci enters the regular season finale with eight goals and three assists while Hunter has accounted for six goals and two assists. McKinney has found the net four times and contributed an assist in 14 appearances on the pitch.
Lincoln Memorial aims to avenge a stunning 2-1 loss to the Bulldogs in the title match of the 2013 South Atlantic Conference Championship, which ended the Lady Railsplitters' season. Wingate has defeated LMU eight straight times dating back to the 2008 season, amassing a 9-3 advantage in the all-time series.
The Lady Railsplitters and Bulldogs are scheduled to get underway at 1 p.m. from the WU Soccer Complex. Live stats and video will be available for that match.
Live Stats
Video
