HARROGATE, Tenn. – The Railsplitters (3-9, 0-7 SAC) close out the South Atlantic Conference schedule and vie for the program's first league and road victory when they travel to Brevard, N.C. on Saturday to tangle with the Brevard Tornados (7-6, 2-4 SAC). First faceoff is set for 1 p.m. at Tate Field.
 
Game day links:
Live Stats
 
Last time out:
The Railsplitters used a 6-0 run that began at the 10:25 mark of the second period and ended with 40 seconds expired in the third period to pace a 13-8 win over the North Greenville Crusaders on Wednesday at the LMU Lacrosse Complex. The final score was not entirely indicative of the dominance put on display by Lincoln Memorial in earning the program's second win in three matches as the Railsplitters won the shot battle 43-16, went 17-for-17 on clears, and forced the Crusaders into 32 turnovers and a 16-for-26 effort on clearances. Adam Golia (Victoria, British Columbia, Canada) and Ronny Paulino (Copiague, N.Y.) paced the Railsplitters with four goals apiece.
 
Seeking SAC win:
While the Railsplitters have completely shattered the expectations of a first-year program, they are still searching for their first win in South Atlantic Conference play. Lincoln Memorial has had a number of close calls in SAC action, going scoreless in the fourth period in a 10-9 loss at Wingate, falling on the wrong end of a double overtime loss to Tusculum and dropping a 9-6 decision to SAC-leading Queens.
 
Neisler's nice roll:
Freshman attacker Dylan Neisler (Detroit, Mich.) extended his point streak to seven games by absolutely terrorizing the Crusader defense on Wednesday, compiling a pair of goals and matching a career-high with three assists. Neisler's 64 shot attempts rank sixth in the South Atlantic Conference, while he also ranks among the top 20 in the SAC in points (28) and goals (21).
 
(Invisible) Man-up offense:
The Railsplitters are scoring just 8.33 goals per game, ranking last in the SAC in that department, and a large chunk of the blame can be attributed to a lack of success on man-up opportunities. Lincoln Memorial has capitalized on seven of its 54 man-up chances, good for the SAC's worst man-up percentage with a 13 percent mark. Neisler has accounted for three of the team's seven man-up markers.
 
Road struggles:
The Railsplitters are 3-4 in home matches this season, but 0-5 in true road tests. Despite playing two fewer matches on the road than at home, Lincoln Memorial has allowed seven more total goals away from the friendly confines of the LMU Lacrosse Complex and given up an average of nearly five goals more per match. (Home: 58 goals allowed - 8.20 per match; Road: 65 goals - 13.00 per match)
 
Brevard at a glance:
The Tornados have improved tremendously after finishing 3-10 in their inaugural season of men's lacrosse in 2014, compiling a 7-6 mark with a 2-4 tally in SAC play in 2015. Brevard has the second-longest current winning streak in the SAC with wins in its past three games, beating CSU-Pueblo 18-11, escaping Tusculum with a 9-8 win and smashing Lees-McRae 19-6.
 
High-speed Tornados:
Brevard boasts one of the SAC's most lethal offensive attacks, leading the league in goals (150), assists (86), shots on goal (300), shots on goal percentage (73.2 percent) and man-down goals (4). Freshman Adam Wiedemann has compiled a ridiculous stat ledger that shows 35 goals, 32 assists, 32 ground balls and 65 shot attempts, while sophomore Matthew Dropuljic has added 24 goals and 11 helpers. Anthony Alfonso is second on the team with 25 goals, while Sam Postma has posted 23 markers and 10 assists.
 
Brittle Brevard defense:
The Tornados are ranked last in the SAC with 158 goals against and a 12.17 goals against average. A substantial area of concern for Brevard is at the faceoff "X", where it is last in the SAC with a 40.1 faceoff percentage. Brevard has allowed 10 or more goals in eight of its 13 matches this season, including a string of three straight matches giving up 20-plus goals in losses to Lenoir-Rhyne, Queens and Mars Hill.
 
Reilly in net:
Andy Reilly is expected to make his 14th start of the season on Saturday - he leads the SAC with 741 minutes played, seven wins and 180 saves. He also ranks fourth in the SAC with a 54.1 save percentage. 
 
Other players to watch:
Sophomore Ryan Taylor leads the Tornados with 70 ground-ball recoveries and 94 faceoff wins. He has also added 10 goals and 12 assists. Jaron Greenidge has registered a team-leading 17 caused turnovers and scooped up 37 ground balls. David Buono has amassed nine goals, nine assists, 39 ground balls and 12 caused turnovers.