HARROGATE, Tenn. -- With the final seconds of the Railsplitters' season unfolding right before their eyes, Nick Spielman (Melbourne, Fla.) knocked in the game-tying goal with 1.1 seconds remaining in regulation to send three-seeded Lincoln Memorial (10-3-2) and sixth-seeded Tusculum (9-6-2) into overtime in the quarterfinals of the South Atlantic Conference Championship. After the two 10-minute overtime periods passed without consequence, the Railsplitters then advanced past the Pioneers and into the semifinals of the SAC Championship with a 5-3 penalty kick shootout victory.
 
The first half was contested almost entirely between the 18-yard lines, as the two teams combined for just six shots without a shot on goal through the first 45 minutes of action. The Railsplitters controlled the pace early with four shots and two corner kicks before the 15th minute arrived, but the Pioneers pinned Lincoln Memorial on the defensive end for the remainder of the half and held the home team without a shot over the final 30 minutes of the period.
 
Leonardo da Silva (Itajuba, Brazil) nearly put the Railsplitters on top in the opening minutes of the second half, but his header that was the result of a free kick from the far sideline hit the crossbar in the 50th minute.
 
10 minutes later, the Pioneers cashed in on a defensive lapse by the Railsplitters. Tyler Linkous played a long free kick from a couple of steps inside of midfield into the box, and LMU keeper Pedro Ozi (Sao Paulo, Brazil) came off his line to catch the kick, but the ball slipped out of his grasp and landed directly at the foot of Dominic McLaren, who planted the ball through the open net to put Tusculum in front 1-0.
 
The Railsplitters then pushed forward desperately looking for the equalizer, but the Pioneers kept Lincoln Memorial at bay until a miraculous, last-ditch effort extended the match.
 
What proved to be one of the most dramatic plays in the history of the LMU men's soccer program began in seemingly hopeless fashion, with the Pioneers taking a free kick from their own zone with 26 seconds left in regulation. The kick bounced around at the top of the opposite box until it was safely secured by Bryson Lehn (Hendersonville, Tenn.). After crossing midfield, Lehn dished it down the left sideline for Danilo da Silva (Campinas, Brazil), who quickly chipped it to Pedro Villa (New Braunfels, Texas).
 
Seconds were quickly slipping away when Villa drove into the box and ripped a shot on goal that was initially turned away by Tusculum's Jorge Alvarez. But Alvarez was unable to control the shot, which was fortuitously deflected right in front of the net to Spielman. With just 1.1 seconds left on the clock, Spielman capped off an absolutely breathtaking series of events with a right-footed strike that tied the match at 1-1, which was met with a euphoric eruption from the more than 300 spectators in attendance.
 
The two overtime periods provided significantly less drama, though, as the two teams went scoreless over that 20-minute stretch. Lincoln Memorial and Tusculum had two shots apiece in the first OT while the Railsplitters accounted for all six shots in the second OT. Lincoln Memorial had the only shot on goal in either of the two overtime periods.
 
That sent the match into a decisive penalty kick shootout, and almost every fan in attendance filed down along the fence bordering the field for a closer look.
 
The Railsplitters led off the shootout, and Henrique Rezek (Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil) put Lincoln Memorial on the board. Linkous answered right back to make it 1-1. Philip Wong (Hong Kong, China) then converted the second attempt for the Railsplitters, which was followed up with a good try from Guillermo Lazcano. Danilo da Silva made it 3-2, and that's where the score held after Ozi stonewalled McLaren's look. Spielman converted the Railsplitters' fourth attempt and Nathaniel Scere finished off the Pioneers' next look to make it 4-3. Victor Peres (Brasilia, Brazil) then clinched the unblemished shootout for the Railsplitters, making a slow and deliberate approach before beating Alvarez on the right side.
 
The Railsplitters outshot the Pioneers 27-17 while Tusculum created a 7-5 edge in corner kicks. Lincoln Memorial landed eight shots on goal to only three for Tusculum.
 
Da Silva paced all players with eight shots and three shots on goal while George Burne (Carlisle, England) had five shots with a pair of shots on goal. Rezek chipped in four shots but none landed on target. Ozi made two saves and conceded one goal to move to 10-3-2 on the season.
 
Six different players contributed two shots apiece for the Pioneers. Alvarez was mostly stellar in net for Tusculum, making seven saves and completely blanking the Railsplitters until the final seconds.
 
The Railsplitters now advance to the semifinals of the South Atlantic Conference Championship to face second-seeded Wingate on Friday at 1:30 p.m. at Manchester Meadows in Rock Hill, S.C.
 
Quick Hits
The Railsplitters advanced in their SAC Championship quarterfinal match via a penalty kick shootout for the second time in three seasons. Lincoln Memorial used a PK shootout to get past Coker in the 2013 league tournament...Wingate scored two second-half goals to beat the Railsplitters 2-1 in the regular season meeting back on October 4...The Bulldogs had a relatively easy time with their quarterfinal round match, cruising past the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears 2-0 on Tuesday afternoon