KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Lincoln Memorial (9-3-3) scored four second-half goals, including a hat trick from Victor Peres, to conclude its regular season Saturday with a 4-1 win over Catawba (2-11-2, 1-7-2 SAC) at the cold and rainy Sansom Soccer Complex. Due to Mars Hill's loss, the Railsplitters claim the No. 4 spot in the South Atlantic Conference standings and will host the Lions Tuesday in a SAC Tournament quarterfinal match.
 
Danilo da Silva also enjoyed a multi-point game with a goal and two assists to clinch the SAC scoring title. He concludes the regular season with 29 points to finish one ahead of Newberry's Till Neumann.
 
Omer Green opened the scoring in the 25^th minute, and the Indians carried that 1-0 lead into halftime.
 
Despite leading the Railsplitters in goals in 2016, Peres had never recorded a multi-goal game until Saturday. He tied the game in the 59^th minute and added the go-ahead score less than ten minutes later on crosses from da Silva and Felipe Machado. The junior from Brasilia, Brazil capped his hat trick in the 84^th minute on another da Silva cross to put LMU up 4-1.
 
Da Silva scored the Railsplitters' third goal in the 76^th minute on a Miguel Reis cross.
 
Lincoln Memorial held a modest 6-4 edge in shots at the end of the first half but dominated possession in the second half to outshoot the Indians 16-4. Twelve of LMU's 22 shots landed on goal compared to three of eight for Catawba.
 
Corner kicks were even at four apiece.
 
Da Silva led all players with a season-high seven shot attempts. Peres attempted a season-high six and landed a career-best five on goal. Jack Ragen and Philipp Hollenhorst led the Indians with two shots apiece.
 
Caleb Cothrin made his return in goal for the Railsplitters after sitting out the previous four matches. He let in the first shot on goal he saw but saved the next two that came his way. His counterpart, Evan Jeckells, made eight saves but also allowed all four second-half scores.
 
Quick Hits
 
- Da Silva became the first LMU player since Mario Pinto in 2012 to lead the conference in points. He accumulated at least one point in every match the Railsplitters scored and recorded five multi-point efforts.
 
- Eight Railsplitters played their final regular-season home match Saturday. The team's senior class is made up of Raphael Baeta, George Cant, Andrea Cattaneo, da Silva, Andres Pratto, Henrique Rezek, Diego Velazquez and Diego Zannoni.
 
- Catawba's season comes to an end with just one SAC win and a last-place finish in the conference.
 
Up Next
 
The Railsplitters host Mars Hill Tuesday at 2 p.m. at the LMU Soccer Complex in a SAC Tournament quarterfinal match.