WINGATE, N.C. – The Railsplitters (5-3, 2-2 SAC) hit the road for a pivotal South Atlantic Conference match on Saturday afternoon, as they travel to Wingate, N.C. to face the No. 10 nationally-ranked and undefeated Wingate Bulldogs (6-0, 4-0 SAC) at 4:30 p.m.  
 
Schedule/Game Day Links
 
Saturday, October 1 at No. 10 Wingate (4:30pm) Live Stats / Video on Watch ESPN
 
Notes on the Railsplitters:
Coach D'Anna on the Papa John's Splitter Sound Bites podcast
 
-Lincoln Memorial snapped a two-match losing streak and pulled back even in SAC play with a 1-0 win over the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears last Saturday at the LMU Soccer Complex. The Railsplitters were outshot 17-12 in the match, but produced a 5-3 edge in shots on goal and tallied the game-winner in the 25th minute, as Danilo da Silva (Campinas, Brazil) found Felipe de Sousa (Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil) for his first goal of the 2016 campaign. It was stellar defensive effort that carried the Railsplitters to victory, though, as Lincoln Memorial blanked the Bears, who lead the SAC in goals scored.
-The Railsplitters have been solid on the defensive end all season, ranking 58th in the nation and third in the SAC in goals against average with a 1.12 mark. That has been due largely to the sturdy and composed play of freshman goalkeeper August Ahlin (Stockholm, Sweden), who is ranked third in the league in goals against average while sporting a .690 save percentage.
-Silva has been an absolute force for the Railsplitters this season, as the junior striker has compiled four goals and four assists on 40 shots and 11 shots on goal. Silva is ranked eighth in the nation in shots per game (5.0) and 12th in shots on goal per game (2.63). In addition to that, he is ranked 28th nationally in total assists and 58th in points.
-The Railsplitters were able to hold off the Bears down the stretch last Saturday, but paid a price in a physical match that featured 32 fouls, as senior George Burne (Carlisle, England) was yellow-carded twice and will be forced to sit out Saturday's meeting against the Bulldogs. Burne is a key player in Lincoln Memorial's offensive attack, as he has a goal, two assists and 10 shots in eight appearances this season.
-Though it's still relatively early, Saturday's outcome could shake up the SAC standings substantially. Tusculum and Wingate are tied atop the standings at 4-0, while Lincoln Memorial is tied with six other teams at 2-2 in league play.
 
Notes on the Bulldogs:
 
-Wingate has been borderline flawless this season, as the Bulldogs enter Saturday's match sporting a perfect 6-0 record. In those six matches, Wingate has only conceded three goals while piling up 16. The Bulldogs were scheduled to host No. 14 Limestone on Wednesday, but that match was cancelled by rain and lightning. Wingate was last seen on the pitch last Saturday, when they crushed Newberry 3-0.
-It's difficult to find a chink in the Bulldogs' armor. On offense, Wingate is ranked 18th nationally with 2.67 goals per game, 15th with 8.17 shots on goal per game, 20th in assists per game with 2.17 and 16th in points per game with 7.50. The Bulldogs are also firing off 15.67 shots per appearance. Defensively, Wingate is ninth in the country in goals against average with a miniscule 0.50 mark and 18th in shutout percentage with a 50 percent mark.
-The Bulldogs are led by the quartet of Elma N'For, Callum Ross, Jon Ander and Aksel Juul. N'For and Ross have racked up four goals and an assist apiece, while Ander, a former All-American striker, has three goals and one assist with a team-leading 23 shots. Juul has accounted for two goals and two assists with a team-high 14 shots on goal.
-Sophomore goalkeeper Pablo Jara is arguably one of the best at his position at the NCAA Division II level, as the Chilean has allowed just three goals and saved 82.4 percent of the shots he's face over 540 minutes of action. He is ranked 26th in the country in save percentage and 12th in goals against average.
-The Bulldogs have not lost at home since November 5, 2013, compiling a 19-0-3 mark on their home pitch since that SAC quarterfinals loss to Anderson. Wingate is 3-0 at home this season: a 2-1 overtime win vs. Lander, a 3-0 win over Mars Hill and a 3-0 win over Mars Hill.
 
Series History:
 
-Wingate owns an 8-2-1 mark all-time against Lincoln Memorial, who has not beaten the Bulldogs since capturing a 2-0 win in Wingate, N.C. in 2011. Since that time, the 'Dogs have compiled a 4-0-1 record in the series. That includes a 2-1 win over the Railsplitters in last year's regular-season meeting, which was held in Barbourville, Ky. due to unplayable conditions at the LMU Soccer Complex.
-The Railsplitters will be looking to exact some revenge against the Bulldogs, who ended Lincoln Memorial's 2015 campaign in the semifinals of the SAC Championship. In that match, LMU and Wingate played to a 0-0 stalemate through 110 minutes of action, but the Bulldogs won the ensuing penalty-kick shootout to advance to the title match.