HICKORY, N.C. -- The Railsplitters (6-4, 2-4 SAC) will attempt to solidify their chances for earning a spot in the South Atlantic Conference Championship field and end Lenoir-Rhyne's seven-match winning streak on Saturday afternoon, when they face the league-leading Bears (8-4, 6-0 SAC) at 3 p.m. in Hickory, North Carolina.
 
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Last Time Out
 
Lincoln Memorial raced out to a 2-0 lead and held a 4-3 advantage at the half, but Mars Hill scored a man-up goal with 24 seconds left in regulation to complete the 7-6 come-from-behind victory last Saturday in Harrogate, Tennessee, ending the Railsplitters' three-match winning streak in the process. The Railsplitters more than doubled the Lions' shot output, posting 49 shots with 24 shots on goal as compared to 21 shots and 11 shots on goal for Mars Hill. But Mars Hill keeper Ryan Kearney made 18 saves, including nine in the fourth quarter, to earn AstroTurf SAC Defensive Player of the Week laurels. Kyle Arcuri (Patchogue, N.Y.) scored two goals to lead the Railsplitters.
 
The Playoff Picture
 
After Saturday's loss to Mars Hill, Lincoln Memorial dropped to 2-4 in SAC play and into a tie for seventh in the league standings. If the season ended today, the Railsplitters would be left out of the SAC Championship field, as only the top six teams in the final standings advance to tournament play. But Lincoln Memorial can still work its way back into the fold, as Coker is in fourth place at 3-3, Tusculum, who the Railsplitters beat, is in fifth place at 3-4, and Mars Hill is in sixth place at 3-5. With a win on Saturday, the Railsplitters would leapfrog Mars Hill back into the top six.
 
Offensive Bounce Back
 
Despite matching a season-high mark with 49 shot attempts, the Railsplitters turned in their second-lowest goal output of the 2016 season against Mars Hill, snapping a streak of four straight matches with at least 10 goals. Lincoln Memorial is ranked third in the South Atlantic Conference in scoring with 11.4 goals per match, but is averaging nearly three goals less per match in SAC play with 8.67, which is ranked seventh in the league.
 
Hottest Team in the SAC
 
Since suffering a 14-6 setback to Lake Erie on March 2, Lenoir-Rhyne has not lost a single match, ripping off seven consecutive wins while amassing a perfect 6-0 mark in SAC play. The Bears have a had a few close calls over that stretch, though, pulling out one-goal wins over Lynn (10-9), Tusculum (8-7) and Queens (12-11). In last Saturday's win over Queens, Lenoir-Rhyne entered the fourth quarter with a commanding 10-6 lead, but the Royals ended the period on a 3-0 run to send the match to overtime. After the first OT passed in scoreless fashion, Mike Hanlon scored in double OT to clinch the 12-11 victory.
 
Offensive Firepower
 
The Bears are one of the most explosive offensive teams in the South Atlantic Conference, averaging a ridiculous 15.5 goals and 45.8 shots per game against SAC opponents. Nearly 60 percent of Lenoir-Rhyne's shot attempts land on goal, while the Bears are ranked second in the SAC in shooting percentage by scoring on 33.8 percent of their shots. Unsurprisingly, L-R has been stellar in the key possession metrics, winning 108 of its 163 face-offs in SAC play while going 100 for 117 on clears.
 
Imposing Defense
 
The Bears' defense has been nearly impenetrable in SAC play, as Lenoir-Rhyne is allowing just 8.2 goals per match against league foes. Queens and Brevard are the only two SAC teams to score double-digit goals against the Bears, while Wingate - the league's fourth-highest scoring unit - accounted for just six goals in their match against Lenoir-Rhyne on March 16.
 
Players to Watch
 
The Bears are led by reigning AstroTurf SAC Player of the Week Mike Hanlon, who has racked up 31 goals and 15 assists this season to go along with 24 groundball recoveries. Ben Corrigan and Will Remsen have backed Hanlon with 27 points apiece. Corrigan has produced 20 goals and seven assists, while Remsen has racked up 22 goals and five assists. Joe Buduo (18 goals, 7 assists), Carson Sterling (15 goals, 10 assists) and Taylor Thilo (11 goals, 9 assists) have also produced at least 20 points for the Bears this season. Sophomore Ryan Crompton has started all 12 matches in goal for Lenoir-Rhyne, accounting for a 10.57 goals against average with a 55.6 save percentage.