GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – No. 13 Lincoln Memorial (3-0) opens South Atlantic Conference play under the lights at Tusculum (0-2-1) in a rematch of last year's conference tournament championship on Wednesday. The Pioneers ended Lincoln Memorial's 2016 season in a 2-1 double-overtime thriller. The Railsplitters look to open a season 4-0 for the third time in four years.
 
The Basics 

Wednesday, September 13 at Pioneer Field – 7:30 p.m.
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Quick Hits 

- Danilo da Silva, who was selected as the AstroTurf SAC Player of the Week on Monday, scored in the 98th minute to lift the then No. 24 Railsplitters to a 2-1 overtime triumph over 11th-ranked Young Harris Saturday at the LMU Soccer Complex. Felipe de Sousa also scored for Lincoln Memorial.
 
- Da Silva and de Sousa are the first Railsplitters to score in three consecutive games to open a season since Leonardo da Silva did so to open the 2014 season. No Railsplitter has scored in four straight to begin a season since Leandro Pereira opened the 2006 season with a goal in five straight.
 
- In beating No. 11 Young Harris Saturday, Lincoln Memorial defeated its highest ranked opponent since taking down No. 3 Tusculum in 2008.
 
- Lincoln Memorial has scored eight goals in three games to open the 2017 season. That is the team's highest total through three games since also finding the back of the net eight times in 2011 and 2012.
 
- Da Silva and de Sousa have accounted for six of Lincoln Memorial's eight goals with three apiece. Seven different Railsplitters have assisted on a goal, though no player has more than one.
 
- The Railsplitters have outshot their three opponents 47-30. Of those 47 shots, 30 have landed on goal. Though only five of Lincoln Memorial's 14 shots Saturday were on target, the team's current .638 shots on goal percentage would blow away the program record of .520 set back in 2000.
 
- The four players to have scored a goal for Lincoln Memorial—da Silva, de Sousa, Victor Peres and Diego Velazquez—have attempted 28 of the team's 47 shots. Of those, 23 have landed on goal for a .821 shots on goal percentage.
 
- Lincoln Memorial is 3-0 for the third time in the past four seasons. The 2015 squad opened with five straight wins while the 2014 team started 4-0.
 
- The Railsplitters are 3-0-1 in their past four SAC openers since falling to Mars Hill in 2012. That stands as the program's only loss in SAC openers since joining the conference for the 2006 season. Lincoln Memorial is 8-1-2 overall.

Know the Opponent 

- Tusculum most recently fell 1-0 Sunday at home to Lander. The Bearcats scored in the 52nd minute and withstood five Tusculum shot attempts—all on goal—to preserve the shutout.
 
- The Pioneers have lost 1-0 in each of their first two home matches. Tusculum was last shut out twice at home in 2014. Tusculum is 0-2 at home for the first time since 2013.
 
- Tusculum is winless through its first three matches for the first time since beginning the 2011 season 0-6-1.
 
- The Pioneers have only found the back of the net once in three games. Tusculum's previous lowest goal total through three games since 1990, two, was achieved in 2007 and 2011.
 
- Ivan Andaback has scored Tusculum's lone goal—a 22nd-minute strike at Young Harris.
 
- Tusculum has outshot opponents 36-34 and owns a solid .556 shots on goal percentage. However, with only one goal in those 36 shots, the Pioneers own a SAC-worst .028 shooting percentage.
 
- This will mark the first time since 2012 Tusculum has not opened SAC play against Queens. The Pioneers have won their past three conference openers over the Royals.

Head-to-Head

- Lincoln Memorial lost both of last year's matchups to Tusculum. The Pioneers downed LMU 2-0 in Harrogate in the teams' regular-season matchup and 2-1 in the SAC tournament championship.
 
- The Railsplitters are winless in the teams' past five meetings (0-2-3) and have not defeated Tusculum since 2013.
 
- The all-time series is tied 12-12-5. Lincoln Memorial holds a 7-4-3 edge, including 6-2-2 in the regular season, since joining the SAC.
 
- Five of the last eight matchups have advanced to overtime.