HICKORY, N.C. -- Looking to get back in the win column before coming home for seven of their last nine regular season matches, the Lady Railsplitters (2-1-3, 1-0-2 SAC) head to Hickory, N.C. on Saturday for a South Atlantic Conference showdown against the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears (5-2, 2-1 SAC), set for a 4:30 p.m. kickoff.
 
Lincoln Memorial scored multiple goals in a match for the first time since the season opener on Wednesday night but had to settle for a 3-3 tie at Tusculum. It was the Lady Railsplitters' second consecutive draw and third through the season's first six matches. The Lady Railsplitters led three different times in Wednesday's contest but Tusculum had a quick answer for all three of LMU's goals.
 
Senior Kadie Soall (Tecumseh, Ontario, Canada) exploded for a pair of goals to lead the Lady Railsplitters' offensive attack, matching her goal output from all of the 2014 season. She tallied the opening marker in the 15th minute before the Pioneers answered in the 18th minute. Olivia Thompson (Melbourne, Fla.) scored her second goal of the season in the 34th minute, but Tusculum responded on a PK two minutes later. Soall notched a PK goal in the 54th minute before the Pioneers produced yet another equalizer in the 64th minute.
 
Despite relinquishing three goals, Kathryn Lundy (Pinckney, Mich.) was stellar in net for the Lady Railsplitters. She faced steady pressure all night, staring down 25 shot attempts and 12 shots on goal. The Pinckney, Mich. native finished with a career-high nine saves, including game-saving stops in the 91st, 101st and 110th minutes. Lundy, who is ranked third in the SAC with a .829 save percentage, has combined for 16 saves in her past two matches.
 
According to the statistical database of the last 23 women's soccer seasons, there have only been two instances in which the Lady Railsplitters recorded back-to-back draws, and that was in 2009 and 1997. Lincoln Memorial has never tied in three consecutive matches. The Lady Railsplitters already have as many draws (3) as any other team over that 23-season span, matching the 2014 and 2009 squads for the program record.
 
The Lady Railsplitters and Bears are slated for a 4:30 p.m. kickoff in Hickory. Live stats will be available at www.LMURailsplitters.com while live updates can be followed at the official LMU athletics Twitter page (@LMURailsplitter).
 
Know the Opponent
 
Lenoir-Rhyne - 4:30 p.m. Live Stats
 
Winners of five consecutive South Atlantic Conference regular season titles, the Bears suffered a couple of early-season losses, falling to No. 12 Barry 3-0 and Carson-Newman 3-2 in double overtime, to drop out of the NSCAA national rankings. Lenoir-Rhyne is still listed in the receiving votes section of the coaches poll with a 5-2 overall record.
 
The Bears have absolutely dominated in their five wins this season, posting astounding per-match averages of 5.0 goals for, 0.20 goals against and 22.2 shots.
 
Lenoir-Rhyne has been carried by a high-octane offense that ranks second in the SAC with 27 goals and 73 shots on goal. A ridiculous 53.7 percent of the Bears' shot attempts have landed on goal while 19.9 percent have been converted into goals, leading the SAC in shot percentage. Not to be outdone, the Bears' defense is allowing just 0.98 goals per match even when factoring in the three goals they allowed in both of their losses.
 
The Bears' explosive offense is loaded with veteran options. Seniors Garcelle Alequine and Leah Mullins lead Lenoir-Rhyne with 16 points apiece. Alequine, a two-time NSCAA All-American, has seven goals, two assists, 27 shots and 13 shots on goal, while Mullins has accounted for eight goals and 15 shots on goal. Seniors Emmi Dunn (5 goals) and Kendall Smith (4 goals, 1 assist, 29 shots, 17 shots on goal) are also among the team leaders in points.
 
Junior keeper Andrea Leano has played 552 out of a possible 642 minutes for the Bears this season, posting a 1.14 goals against average with 20 saves and a .741 save percentage over that span.
 
The Lady Railsplitters have won their last two matches against Lenoir-Rhyne, who had won six straight in the series prior to that. Soall scored in the 34th minute of last season's meeting in Harrogate to lift Lincoln Memorial to a 1-0 victory. Before that, LMU handed the then No. 16 nationally-ranked Bears a 2-0 loss in the semifinals of the 2013 SAC Championship. The Lady Railsplitters have not won in Hickory since 2007, dropping four consecutive road matches since that win.