WINGATE, N.C. – The Lady Railsplitters (5-5, 0-4 SAC) tallied their first South Atlantic Conference goal of the season in a 3-1 loss to the league-leading Wingate Bulldogs (6-1, 5-0 SAC) on Saturday at the Wingate Soccer Complex. Wingate used a goal and an assist from Taylor Leyble to win its sixth consecutive game and defeat Lincoln Memorial for the 12th straight time.
 
Junior midfielder Isa Jara broke a three-game SAC scoring drought for the Lady Railsplitters when she headed home her first goal of the season off of a free kick from Jacqueline Christoph in the 66th minute, but that wasn't enough for Lincoln Memorial to earn its elusive first SAC victory.
 
The Lady Railsplitters landed four shots on goal in the first 17 minutes of Saturday's match, but it would be Wingate that struck first on Leyble's game-winning goal in the 21st minute. Leyble also played a role on Wingate's second goal, finding Morgan Zanardi with a cross in the 31st minute to help send the Bulldogs into the break with a 2-0 lead.
 
Jara's goal cut the deficit in half midway through the second, but Taylor Krakower gave the Bulldogs some breathing room in the 83rd minute with her second goal of the season.
 
After Lincoln Memorial's early flurry, the team managed just two shots over the final 73 minutes, while Wingate finished with 13 shot attempts and five shots on goal. The Bulldogs outshot the Lady Railsplitters 9-2 in the second half.
 
Melissa Carpenter led Lincoln Memorial with three shots and three shots on goal, while no other player had more than one shot attempt for the visitors.
 
Junior goalkeeper Brooke Taylor made a pair of saves while allowing two goals, while her counterpart, Alexis Jones, made five saves, though her streak of four consecutive shutouts came to an end in the match.
 
Quick Hits
 
- Jara's 66th-minute goal was the first goal conceded by Wingate since a double-overtime win against Lander on September 9, ending a span of four straight clean sheets for the Bulldogs.

- Lincoln Memorial tallied its first goal against Wingate since a 2-1 loss in the title match of the 2013 South Atlantic Conference Championship, snapping a streak of three consecutive shutouts at the hands of the Bulldogs.

- The Lady Railsplitters accounted for the only corner kick of the match, but committed nine fouls compared to six for the Bulldogs.

Up Next

The Lady Railsplitters will face another tough test on Wednesday, October 4 when they pay the No. 9 nationally-ranked Carson-Newman Eagles a visit for a 5 p.m. South Atlantic Conference showdown in Jefferson City, Tenn.