HARROGATE, Tenn. -- Rounding into arguably their best form of the season, the Railsplitters (8-2-1, 5-2-1 SAC) look to remain in the race for the South Atlantic Conference regular season title on Wednesday when they host the Mars Hill Lions (2-9-1, 1-6-1 SAC) for an NCAA Division II men's soccer match at the LMU Soccer Complex. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
 
Lincoln Memorial's offense has kicked into another, almost transcendent gear over the last two matches. The Railsplitters have scored back-to-back 5-0 victories to throw down their highest two-match offensive output since the 2012 season. Saturday's rout at Coker was a prime example of the Railsplitters' cohesiveness on the attacking end of the field, as LMU scored five beautiful goals over a 23-minute stretch that bridged the first and second half to bury the Cobras in an insurmountable deficit early.
 
The attacking group as a whole has been responsible for the Railsplitters' offensive renaissance, but the recent play of Leonardo da Silva (Itajuba, Brazil) and Henrique Rezek (Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil) cannot go unnoticed. Rezek registered just one point - an assist at Lenoir-Rhyne - through his first nine appearances in the Blue and Gray, but he's recorded eight in his past two matches, scoring two goals and an assist against Newberry while adding a goal and an assist at Coker. He was the first player to record five points in a match for the Railsplitters since 2013, and da Silva accomplished that feat just one match later, scoring two goals and an assist against Coker. Now tied for the SAC lead with eight goals, da Silva has four goals in his last three matches.
 
The Railsplitters have combined for 10 goals in their last two games. Since 2010, their highest three-match output was 13 goals during a stretch in 2012 that featured wins over Anderson (7-1) and Trevecca Nazarene (4-0) and a loss to Wingate (2-3). Lincoln Memorial hasn't recorded three consecutive shutouts since that same season, when they notched 1-0 wins over Newberry, Catawba and Carson-Newman, the last of which secured the Railsplitters a spot in the championship game of the SAC tournament.
 
Lincoln Memorial is currently tied for fourth in the SAC standings with 16 points, two points back of Carson-Newman and Anderson and five points behind first-place Wingate. The Railsplitters still have a date with Anderson looming this weekend which will certainly go a long way in determining the final South Atlantic Conference standings.
 
In conjunction with Wednesday's match, the LMU School of Business will be hosting a cookout at the LMU Soccer Complex from 1-5 p.m. with free food and drinks.
 
Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. in Harrogate. Live stat and video links can be accessed at www.LMURailsplitters.com.
 
Know the Opponent
 
Mars Hill - 3:30 p.m. Live Stats | Video
 
The Lions are in the midst of the SAC's longest current losing streak with five consecutive losses, a stretch that has featured losses to Coker, Lenoir-Rhyne, Queens, Lees-McRae and Tusculum, a group that Lincoln Memorial went 4-0-1 against this season. That skid has dropped Mars Hill to 11th place in the SAC standings with a 1-6-1 league record.
 
The Lions hit the low point of their current lull on Saturday when they conceded five second-half goals in a 5-1 home loss to Tusculum.
 
A variety of issues have plagued Mars Hill this season, but scoring has been at the heart of their struggles. With the lone exception being a three-goal outburst against Carson-Newman on September 23, the Lions have been limited to one goal or less in 11 of their 12 matches. They enter Wednesday's match ranked 10th in the SAC and 177th in the country with a 0.92 goals per game average.
 
Despite outshooting their opposition 179-164 this season, ranking fourth in the SAC with 14.92 shots per game, the Lions have been outscored 24-11 and out-assisted 20-10. They are ranked ninth in the SAC with a 1.93 goals against average, which has ballooned substantially thanks to a miserable 2.59 goals against average in October.
 
Junior Amine Merdjett leads the Lions with four goals on 33 shots and 21 shots on goal, while Stian Sanner has the points lead with two goals and five assists, which ranks fifth in the South Atlantic Conference. Freshman Robert Taylor is the only other Mars Hill player with multiple goals, as he has produced two goals and two assists on a team-high 34 shots. Freshman Oscar Mitchell has a goal and an assist in 12 starts.
 
Connor Talbot has eight starts at goalkeeper for the Lions, while Chris Mitchell has the other four. Talbot has amassed 37 saves, a .725 save percentage and a 1.66 goals against average over 760 minutes, while Mitchell, who has started the last three matches for Mars Hill, has 11 saves, a .524 save percentage and a 2.50 goals against average in 360 minutes.
 
The Lincoln Memorial-Mars Hill series is deadlocked at 10-10-1 all-time, but it has been a one-sided affair of late with the Lions winning seven of the last eight. Mars Hill beat the Railsplitters twice last season, nabbing a 2-1 victory in the regular season meeting on September 24 before ending LMU's season with a 1-0 win in the quarterfinals of the SAC Championship. The Railsplitters are looking for their first win over the Lion since October 27, 2010.