GREENEVILLE, Tenn. -- Coming off of a tough loss to a nationally-ranked opponent, the Lady Railsplitters (3-6, 0-4 SAC) will have their hands full once again on Wednesday afternoon, when they face the Tusculum Pioneers (7-3, 2-2 SAC) in South Atlantic Conference action at 4 p.m. in Greeneville, Tenn.
 
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Last Time Out
 
The 14th-ranked Queens Royals opened on a 16-0 run and carried that lead into the second half before eventually pulling off a 23-4 win over the Lady Railsplitters last Saturday in Charlotte, N.C. Lincoln Memorial was unable to record a single shot in the first half, while Queens piled up 24 over that same span. Bre'Asia James (Vero Beach, Fla.) finally put the Lady Railsplitters on the board at the 27:38 mark of the second half, as she finished with a team-high two goals and three shots. Amara Moss (Woodbridge, Va.) and Jeni Schorling (Westerville, Ohio) added the other two LMU goals.
 
Winning Draw Controls
 
Despite the lopsided loss to the Royals, the Lady Railsplitters held their own in the draw, falling just short in that battle 16-12. Lincoln Memorial continues to be one of the most productive teams in the South Atlantic Conference in that department, ranking second in the league with 14.22 draw controls per game. That figure is ranked 14th nationally. James leads the SAC and ranks 14th nationally in draw controls per game as an individual with 4.67.
 
Free Position Woes
 
The Lady Railsplitters are a middle-of-the-pack offensive team, averaging 9.89 goals per match. But Lincoln Memorial could push itself into the upper echelon in that department with some improvement on free-position attempts. The Railsplitters are ranked second-to-last in the SAC and 89th in the country in free position percentage, converting just 28.9 percent of those attempts. Lincoln Memorial did, however, go 3 for 3 on free-position shots against Queens.
 
Last Meeting with Tusculum
 
In a battle of first-year programs, last season's LMU-Tusculum match went decisively in favor of the Pioneers, who opened on a 6-0 run en route to a 16-2 win in Harrogate. James accounted for the only two LMU goals, while 11 different players scored for Tusculum. Cheyenne Bray led that group with four goals for the Pioneers.
 
Tusculum on Slight Skid
 
The Pioneers opened the 2016 season by winning seven of their first eight matches, including dominant victories over Newberry (18-3) and Brevard (20-9) in SAC play. But Tusculum enters Wednesday's match looking to stop a two-game losing streak, as they suffered a 16-14 loss at Lenoir-Rhyne two weeks ago before enduring a 15-7 beatdown at the hands of Catawba last Saturday.
 
Elite Offense
 
Tusculum is one of the premier offensive teams in the country, leading the SAC and ranking third in the country in scoring with 16.8 goals per game. That is due in large part to tremendous numbers in the key possession statistics, as the Pioneers lead the SAC in ground balls per game (27.2) and draw controls per game (15.6). The Pioneers also assist more than any other team in the conference, ranking sixth nationally in assists per game with 8.5.
 
Vulnerable on Defense
 
While the Pioneers are a terrific offense team, they have shown some holes on the defensive end, allowing 10.9 goals per match. Tusculum is ranked eighth in the SAC and 86th in the country in save percentage with a mere 37.7 percent mark.
 
Players to Watch
 
Senior Kelsey Crow has been one of the most dominant offensive players in the league this season, as she has piled up 29 goals and six assists. Sophomore Madison Malone has also played at an elite level, compiling 10 goals and a SAC-leading 24 assists. Three other Tusculum players have already racked at least 30 points this season: Hayley Bartlett (16 goals, 15 assists), Cheyenne Bray (23 goals, 8 assists) and Savannah Elliott (27 goals, 4 assists). Sophomore goalkeeper Brooke Wagner has started all 10 games in net for the Pioneers, allowing 10.52 goals per game with a 39.3 save percentage.