HARROGATE, Tenn — The Lincoln Memorial University men's soccer team has let one too many matches slip away late this season.
 
The Railsplitters made sure history didn't repeat itself Wednesday afternoon with in-state, South Atlantic Conference foe Tusculum visiting.
 
After the Pioneers' Ayuk Tambe used a soft-touch goal, assisted by Clement Dagorn to cut into LMU's two-goal advantage in the 66th minute, the Railsplitters buckled down and defended their lead to secure a 2-1 victory at the LMU Soccer Complex.
 
"Twice this year with a lead, three or fours minutes to go, we've let them score again and gave the game away, either by losing or by tying," LMU head coach Helio D'Anna said. "We talked about this, 'Guys, if that happens again today, nobody plays. You go to the corner, hold the ball, kill the clock and celebrate after,' and they did.
 
"The last five minutes no soccer was played. For the person that cannot appreciate that in soccer — how quickly you can lose a game — they probably would not appreciate that part of the game, but it's called game management and we had to do it."
 
It was the Railsplitters' fourth win of their last five matches and their first over Tusculum (6-6-1, 4-3-1 SAC) since 2013. The win also shot LMU (7-3-2, 4-2-1) up the conference standings into second place and pushed the Pioneers into third before the rest of the SAC plays its midweek matches.
 
Julio Neto, a Barton Community College transfer, got LMU on the board in the 39th minute when the junior and Victor Peres played the give-and-go game that led to a beautiful score for Neto's first in a Railsplitter uniform.
 
"The biggest thing is anytime that these guys shorten the passes and try to triangulate — that's what we call it — with quick, little give-and-gos, we are something else," D'Anna said. "Pretty much, nine out of 10 times, we get a good shot off, we score or really keep the ball in the upper third. We are trying to get them more often. It's easy to say, but Julio's goal is one of the nicest goals we've ever scored."
 
The Railsplitters took the 1-0 lead into halftime behind a 5-to-1 shot advantage. The Pioneers out-shot LMU 7-to-3 in the second half, and after having no corner kicks in the first 45 minutes, Tusculum managed to get two compared to the Railsplitters' six total.
 
Though LMU was out-shot in the second half, Peres made one of the Railsplitters' three count. The senior goal leader added to his total for yet anther match as he took a header from Edwin Vaas and placed it into the left corner at the 60th minute. That score puts him up to a conference-tying best ninth goal in 10 matches played this season.
 
"He has a gift and his gift is to score goals, but he has a lot of talent," said D'Anna of Peres. "I hope this kid gets a run in the NCAA; I hope we make it because this kid deserves to be an All-American."
 
Through LMU was out-shot in the second half, the Railsplitters held the advantage, including with three— two being in the last 11 minutes— huge saves from goalkeeper Caleb Cothrin.
 
Following Tambe's goal to come within a score, the senior swatted away two head-turning saves to secure a massive victory for the Railsplitters.
 
"I was talking to their coach [Allen Vital]," D'Anna said. "You can make or break your season in one or two games. Us not winning at Lenoir-Rhyne [Saturday] almost broke our backs. If we would have lost this game, it would have really put us in a tough spot."