HARROGATE, Tenn. – The Railsplitters (4-2, 1-1 SAC) look to avoid their second straight loss and knock Tusculum from the ranks of the unbeaten on Wednesday afternoon, when they entertain the Pioneers (5-0, 2-0 SAC) for a 3:30 p.m. South Atlantic Conference match at the LMU Soccer Complex.  
 
Schedule/Game Day Links
 
Wednesday, September 21 vs. Tusculum (3:30pm) Live Stats / Video
 
Notes on the Railsplitters:
Preview with Coach D'Anna on the Papa John's Splitter Sound Bites podcast
 
-The Queens Royals scored less than a minute and a half into overtime to snap the Railsplitters' four-match winning streak with a sudden 2-1 victory in Charlotte, N.C. on Saturday evening. The two teams were all knotted at 1-1 after 45 minutes of action, but Henrique Rezek (Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil) drew his second yellow card of the match in the 62nd minute, forcing Lincoln Memorial to play a man down for the remainder of regulation and overtime. It took nearly 30 minutes, but Queens capitalized on that man-up opportunity in the 92nd minute on a header from Edmundo Robinson to give the Railsplitters their first loss since the season-opener.
-Due to his red card on Saturday, Rezek will be forced to sit out Wednesday's contest against the Pioneers. His absence could play a key role in the outcome, as Rezek, a preseason All-SAC first team selection, has accounted for a goal and an assist while serving as one of the team's primary possessors in the midfield in six starts this season.
-Junior forward Danilo da Silva (Campinas, Brazil) pushed his point streak to five games on Saturday by assisting on Andres Pratto's (Buenos Aires, Argentina) 45th-minute goal. Da Silva has accounted for a team-leading 11 points (4 goals, 3 assists) this season, which is tied with two other players for the SAC lead. He is already closing in on last season's point total, as da Silva wrapped up the 2015 campaign with five goals and three assists for 13 points.
-The Railsplitters have the pieces to be an elite offensive unit, but that hasn't come to fruition in the early portion of the season. Lincoln Memorial is ranked seventh in the SAC in scoring with 1.83 goals per game, sixth in shots per game with 15.17 and fifth in shots on goal per game with 6.67. Those numbers might be a tad bit higher if not for Saturday, when the Railsplitters had to play a man down for most of the second half and accounted for just four shots over the final 45 minutes.
-The Railsplitters will look to avoid dropping two straight matches for just the second time since the start of the 2015 campaign, while they will also by vying to improve to 3-0 at home. Lincoln Memorial has outscored its two previous opponents at the LMU Soccer Complex by a combined 5-1 margin, beating Southern Wesleyan 3-1 and Brevard 2-0.
 
Notes on Tusculum:
 
-The Pioneers moved to 5-0 overall and 2-0 in SAC play with a 2-1 win at Lenoir-Rhyne on Saturday. Tusculum and L-R traded goals in the first half, but the Pioneers scored the game-winner in the 62nd minute to pace the victory. Lincoln Memorial and Tusculum share one common opponent in Queens. The Railsplitters lost 2-1 in overtime to the Royals, while the Pioneers pulled off a 1-0 double-overtime win back on September 14. Tusculum and Wingate are the last unbeaten teams in the SAC.
-A powerful offense has been the catalyst for Tusculum's hot start, as the Pioneers are ranked third in the SAC and 23rd in the nation with 2.60 goals per match. Additionally, Tusculum is third in the league and 21st in the country in points per game with 7.20. They have paired that with a formidable defense that is allowing 1.16 goals per game.
-Andre De Giorgi and Andreas Kvam are the undisputed leaders of the Tusculum attack, as that duo has combined for eight of the team's 13 goals. De Giorgi leads the way with nine points on four goals and an assist. Freshman Isai Hernandez is one of four other players with at least a goal for the Pioneers, as he has hoisted up 15 shots and six shots on goal.
-Tusculum goalkeeper Jorge Alvarez is one of the best players at his position in the SAC. The reigning SAC Player of the Week has allowed just six goals over five starts and 465 minutes of action, good for a 1.16 goals against average. Alverez made a season-high eight saves in the win at Queens, posting his first shutout of the season. He then allowed just a single goal with two saves in the win at Lenoir-Rhyne.
-Despite their record, the Pioneers are a relatively young bunch. The roster features eight seniors, as well as 15 freshmen and four sophomores. Tusculum is 2-0 on the road this season with a 2-1 win at Lees-McRae and a 4-2 victory at Lee.
 
Series History:
 
-Lincoln Memorial and Tusculum have played to a draw in each of the last three meetings, including the quarterfinals of the 2015 SAC Championship, which was arguably one of the most thrilling matches in program history. The Railsplitters trailed 1-0 in the waning seconds of that contest, but Nick Spielman scored with less than a second left on the clock to force overtime. The Railsplitters then advanced past the Pioneers via a penalty-kick shootout. All told, Lincoln Memorial is 12-10-5 against Tusculum with a 6-5-2 mark at home in the series.
-In the last regular-season match at home in 2014, the Railsplitters and Pioneers finished in a 1-1 stalemate after 110 minutes of action. Lincoln Memorial was leading that match late, but Tusculum scored in the 87th minute to force overtime.