HARROGATE, Tenn. -- The Railsplitters (6-2-1, 3-2-1 SAC) begin a fortuitous stretch on Saturday afternoon when they entertain the Newberry Wolves (1-9, 0-6 SAC) for a 3:30 p.m. South Atlantic Conference men's soccer match at the LMU Soccer Complex.
 
Fortune has not been in Lincoln Memorial's favor of late, as the Railsplitters suffered their second straight 2-1 loss on Wednesday, this time at the hands of arch-rival Carson-Newman. Like last weekend's gut-wrenching loss to Wingate, Lincoln Memorial was its own worst enemy against the Eagles.
 
Carson-Newman took an early lead after converting a penalty kick in the 21st minute setup by an ill-advised slide tackle in the box. The Railsplitters evened the match in the 33rd minute though, as Yinka Lawal (Bromley, England) connected with Leonardo da Silva (Itajuba, Brazil), who finished off his fifth goal of the season. As the end of the first half approached, the Railsplitters relaxed, content to see the match all square at the half, and the Eagles took advantage, sending a long ball through two layers of the LMU defense that opened up a breakaway run for Tom Read, who put the game winner away in the 44th minute.
 
The Railsplitters placed four shots on goal in the second half and had another shot sail right over the crossbar but couldn't break through for the equalizer. It was Lincoln Memorial's second straight loss after going seven straight contests without a loss.
 
Losses come in various degrees and none are quite as painful and severe as the ones that slip away, but the Railsplitters should choose to look ahead instead of behind. The most difficult section of the schedule is now a thing of the past, as five of LMU's first six SAC matches were played against teams in the top seven of the league standings. Even when factoring in the upcoming match against Anderson, who is currently tied for second place in the SAC, the Railsplitters' final five league contests are against teams with a combined 14-31-3 record. 
 
That alone should help the Railsplitters avoid of repeat of last season, when they dropped six of their last 11 matches after starting the year 4-0-1.
 
Lincoln Memorial enters Saturday in a three-way tie for fourth in the SAC standings with 10 points. Carson-Newman and Anderson are two points ahead in a tie for second, while Wingate is alone in first with 18 points.
 
Fans can follow the match via live stats and video. Those links can be accessed at www.LMURailsplitters.com. The match is set for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff at the LMU Soccer Complex. Admission is completely free of charge.
 
Know the Opponent
 
Newberry - 3:30 p.m. Live Stats | Video
 
The 2015 season has not been kind to Newberry, who enters Saturday's contest mired in a seven-match losing streak and sitting alone in last place in the South Atlantic Conference standings at 0-6.
 
To make matters worse, the Wolves will be playing on just one day of rest after suffering a heartbreaking loss to Anderson on Thursday. Newberry appeared to be closing in on their first SAC victory of the season after taking a 2-0 lead in that contest on a 53rd-minute goal, but the Trojans scored three times in a 23-minute window to capture a stunning 3-2 victory.
 
In 10 matches this season, Newberry has been outscored 27-6 and outshot 175-87. According to the most recent NCAA statistical update, which does not factor in the Wolves' loss to Anderson, where they scored multiple goals for only the second time this season, Newberry has the nation's third-worst scoring offense with an average of 0.6 goals per game. They have been shut out in a staggering 60 percent of their matches.
 
Defensively, the Wolves haven't been much better either, sitting near the bottom of the SAC and national rankings in goals against average with 2.70. 
 
Sophomore forward Davis Bryan leads the Wolves with two goals and an assist on 15 shots and seven shots on goal. Junior midfielder Lucas Ferreira has a goal, two assists, 13 shots and four shots on goal. Three other players have scored a goal for Newberry, while senior Mario Stojkoski has yet to break through for a goal despite mustering the team's third-most shots with 10.
 
Freshman goalkeeper Brad Dixon has played the bulk of the minutes for Newberry, compiling a 2.33 goals against average, 42 saves and a .667 save percentage in 810 minutes. His 33 saves in SAC play lead the league.
 
The Railsplitters have thoroughly dominated the series against Newberry, winning nine of the 11 all-time meetings. Lincoln Memorial has not lost to the Wolves since 2001 with a 5-0 advantage in Harrogate. In the nine matches since 2006, the Railsplitters have outscored the Wolves by a combined total of 26-5. The two teams played to a 2-2 draw in last season's meeting in Newberry thanks to a 76th-minute, game-tying score from George Burne (Carlisle, England). That was an immensely physical match, too, as the two teams elicited eight yellow cards and 51 fouls.