HARROGATE, Tenn. -- The Lady Railsplitters (3-5-3) close out their nonconference schedule in preparation for the home stretch of the regular season on Monday afternoon when they host the Converse Valkyries (5-6) for an NCAA Division II women's soccer match at the LMU Soccer Complex, with kickoff set for 2 p.m.
 
Lincoln Memorial is returning to the pitch just a day after dropping its third consecutive match in a 2-1 loss to Newberry. The Wolves took the lead in the 30th minute when Valeria Newcomb blasted a shot from a step inside of midfield that took a big hop over LMU's Kathryn Lundy (Pinckney, Mich.) into the net. Newberry added to its cushion in the 59th minute as Elizabeth Gutierrez scooped up a deflection in the box and planted the ball in the lower right-hand corner. The Lady Railsplitters pushed forward as regulation approached but could only muster one goal, as Olivia Thompson (Melbourne, Fla.) roped in a direct free kick from the left sideline for her team-high fifth goal of the season.
 
The Lady Railsplitters are looking for their first win against an NCAA Division II opponent since beating Brevard 1-0 in the South Atlantic Conference opener on September 16. Since that time, they have tied Queens and Tusculum, and lost to Lenoir-Rhyne, Wingate, Carson-Newman and Newberry. In the midst of that stretch, the Lady Railsplitters set the single-game program record for goals in an 18-0 win over Hiwassee, an NAIA program. Lincoln Memorial is hoping to avoid losing four straight matches for the first time since 2010 and only the second time since 2003.
 
Excluding the Hiwassee game, the Lady Railsplitters are 1-1-1 in nonconference action this season. They defeated West Alabama 4-3 in double overtime in the season opener, played Montevallo to a 0-0 draw and dropped a 3-0 decision at Lee. Monday marks the Lady Railsplitters' first home, nonconference match against an NCAA opponent since they beat Trevecca Nazarene 2-0 in 2013. Marissa Kiernan (Port St. Lucie, Fla.) tallied the first goal of her career in that contest.
 
First touch is set for 2 p.m. at the LMU Soccer Complex. Live stats and video links will be available at www.LMURailsplitters.com.
 
Know the Opponent
 
Converse - 2 p.m. Live Stats | Video
 
-The Valkyries enter play on Monday tied for eighth place in the Conference Carolinas standings with a 2-4 league mark and a 5-6 overall record. Converse ended the month of September with four straight wins over Barton (1-0), Pfeiffer (1-0), Chowan (6-0) and Columbia, S.C. (3-2, OT), but has started the month of October with a 5-1 loss to Belmont Abbey and most recently a 1-0 loss at North Greenville.
 
-Converse won the Conference Carolinas regular season title in 2014 by putting together a 15-3-1 overall record and outscoring their opponents by a combined 41-15 total.
 
-Offensively, the Valkyries are averaging nearly two goals per game with a 1.8 scoring average, the sixth-best mark in the Conference Carolinas. Converse has accounted for just 13.5 shots per match but 56.1 percent of those attempts have landed on frame, good for the third-best shots on goal percentage in their league.
 
-Defense has been the major issue for Converse, who is carrying a 1.99 goals against average into Monday's contest. The Valkyries have relinquished two or more goals in seven of their 11 matches this season, including four goals to Concord and five goals to Belmont Abbey. Converse's 22 goals allowed are the fifth-most in Conference Carolinas.
 
-Senior midfielder Darby Boyd has carried the torch for the Valkyries, racking up four goals and three assists on 30 shots and 16 shots on goal. Both Nicole Doolittle and Natalie Johnson have tallied three goals apiece, while Mariah Elliott and Alex Marquez are tied with Boyd for the team lead in assists with three. Georgia Jones has two goals on 16 shots and eight shots on frame.
 
-The Valkyries have played one South Atlantic Conference opponent this season, defeating Mars Hill 5-2 back on September 9. Mars Hill is in last place in the SAC standings with a 1-6 league record and a 2-10 overall mark.
 
-Freshman Josee Waitrovich has consumed the bulk of Converse's goalkeeper minutes, accumulating a 1.53 goals against average, 43 saves and a .768 save percentage in 10 appearances. She has two shutouts on her season stat ledger.
 
-Sunday marks the first meeting between Lincoln Memorial and Converse in the Helio D'Anna era. The two teams last met in 2000, when the Lady Railsplitters captured a 2-0 win in Harrogate. The only other head-to-head match happened the season before, as LMU opened the series with a 4-0 win in Spartanburg, S.C.