WINGATE, N.C. – Lincoln Memorial (10-4-3) returns to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2007 as the No. 6 seed in the Southeast Regional. The Railsplitters will face third-seeded and No. 23-ranked Lander (12-3-2). The Bearcats swept the Peach Belt Conference regular season and tournament championships and return to the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive year.
 
The winner will advance to face No. 2-seeded Wingate, who earned a first-round bye. That match will take place Sunday at 1 p.m. The first and second-round matches will take place at Wingate University's Pride Park. In the other half of the bracket, fourth-seeded Young Harris will play fifth-seeded Lenoir-Rhyne for the right to take on top-seeded Limestone. The two teams remaining from the Southeast Region at the end of the weekend will advance to next weekend's region title match, which will be hosted by the top remaining seed in the South Region, along with the NCAA Elite Eight contest. The Final Four is slated for Nov. 30 in Kansas City, Mo., with the national championship game being held Dec. 2.
 
The Basics 

Friday, November 10 at Pride Park– 7 p.m.
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Quick Hits 

- LMU returns to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in program history and first time since 2007, when the Railsplitters made a run all the way to the NCAA Division II National Championship game before falling 1-0 to Franklin Pierce. The year before that Lincoln Memorial lost in the national quarterfinals to Fort Lewis. LMU is 6-2-1 overall in NCAA Tournament play.
 
- The Railsplitters were dispatched by Wingate 3-0 in the semifinals of the SAC tournament. The teams remained scoreless well into the second half until the Bulldogs broke through on a penalty kick in the 73^rd minute. Wingate added two late insurance goals.
 
- Lincoln Memorial went 2-2 against NCAA Tournament teams with wins over Young Harris and Lenoir-Rhyne. Wingate dealt the Railsplitters both losses.
 
- Danilo da Silva became the first Railsplitter since Mario Pinto in 2012 to claim the SAC regular-season scoring title with 29 points and added a goal in the team's SAC tournament quarterfinal win over Mars Hill. Da Silva has registered at least one point every match the Railsplitters have scored and 11 of 17 overall. He has turned in five multi-point efforts and scored six game-winning goals.
 
- Five Railsplitters were selected to All-SAC men's soccer squads. Da Silva was named to the All-SAC first team. In addition, Henrique Rezek, Christoph Willemsen, Victor Peres and Ronaldo de Jesus were named to the All-SAC second team.
 
- The duo of Caleb Cothrin and Caio Bergamo in goal combined for six shutouts, a 1.05 goals against average and .789 save percentage. The Railsplitter defense has been solid in front of them all season led by All-SAC selections Willemsen and de Jesus. LMU only allowed more than one goal five times in 17 matches and just once in the team's final 11 games.
 
- Lincoln Memorial has picked up 41 yellow cards, which is tied for eighth nationally. The Railsplitters were carded five times in their semifinal loss to Wingate. Three players—Felipe Machado, Felipe de Sousa and Willemsen—have been cautioned five times. Diego Velazquez and Rezek have been assessed four cards apiece. Six other Railsplitters have picked up at least two yellows.

Know the Opponent
 
- This is Lander's third straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament and 12^th overall. The Bearcats are 5-8-4 all-time in the NCAA tournament and are seeking their first win since 2013. Lander's stretch of three consecutive NCAA Tournament berths is the second-longest in program history behind a five-year run from 2005 to 2009.
 
- Lander swept the Peach Belt Conference regular season and tournament championships for the third time in program history. The Bearcats went 6-0-1 against conference opponents during the regular season. The team beat Clayton State in the tournament semifinal and outlasted North Georgia 9-8 in penalty kicks after playing to a 1-1 draw through regulation and two overtime periods to capture the program's first tournament championship since 2009 and fifth overall.
 
- All three Bearcat losses have come to South Atlantic Conference opponents. Lenoir-Rhyne, a fellow NCAA Tournament team, won 3-0 on September 3. Anderson topped the Bearcats 3-2 on September 13. Queens also beat Lander 3-2 in overtime on October 25. The Bearcats also beat three SAC teams: Tusculum 1-0 on September 10, Catawba 6-3 on September 30 and Carson-Newman 2-1 on October 21. A match at Mars Hill on October 10 was also canceled.
 
- Lander and LMU played nine common opponents during the regular season: Lenoir-Rhyne, Erskine, Tusculum, Anderson, Catawba, North Georgia, Young Harris, Carson-Newman and Queens. The Bearcats went 5-3-1 against those teams, while the Railsplitters went 6-1-2.
 
- Lander's high-powered offense averaged the seventh-most goals per game nationally at 2.81 per game. The Bearcats also attempted the 23^rd-most shots per game at 16.31.
 
- Sam Lofts led a Balanced scoring attack with eight goals and 21 points. Jordan Skelton recorded seven goals and 17 points, while Robbie Young pitched in five goals and 13 points. Oliver Brock was one of 15 players nationally to record ten assists. Nine Bearcats have scored at least three goals, while six have at least three assists.
 
Head-to-Head
 
- Friday's match is the first meeting between Lincoln Memorial and Lander.