ROCK HILL, S.C. – The second-seeded Lincoln Memorial women's soccer team will look to secure a spot in the South Atlantic Conference Championship title match for the first time since 2013 on Friday afternoon with a semifinal-round showdown against the third-seeded Lenoir-Rhyne Bears at Manchester Meadows. 
 
In their first postseason appearance since 2015, the Lady Railsplitters (12-4) rallied for a 2-1 overtime victory against Queens on Tuesday at the LMU Soccer Complex. Jessica Cravero scored the game-tying goal in the 76th minute before Itzel Ballesteros walked it off with the overtime winner in the 98th minute. That victory gave Lincoln Memorial its first postseason victory in five years and 12-win season since 2007. 
 
Lenoir-Rhyne (11-5-1) earned its way into the SAC semifinals with a 1-0 win over Tusculum on Tuesday. Hannah Van Eerden scored the game-winner in the 76th minute to give the Bears their fourth straight win. 
 
The winner of Friday's match will take on either Carson-Newman or Catawba for the SAC title on Sunday. 
 
The Basics 
 
Friday, November 2 vs. Lenoir-Rhyne (SAC semifinals) – 1:30pm
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Quick Hits 
 
- Cravero was tabbed as the SAC Freshman of the Year, head coach Sean Fraser was named SAC Coach of the Year and six total Lady Railsplitters received All-SAC honors on Thursday. Cravero, Itzel Ballesteros, Mariana Diaz and Alyssa Berry garnered first-team accolades, while Maria Hernandez and Fabienne Loetscher nabbed second-team honors to give LMU its most-ever All-SAC honorees. 
 
- Cravero and Ballesteros are ranked third and fourth in the SAC in total points. Cravero has racked up 15 goals and four assists, while Ballesteros has accumulated a SAC-high nine assists and nine goals. 
 
- The Lady Railsplitters moved to 5-8-1 in SAC tournament play following Tuesday's victory. Lincoln Memorial has made two previous trips to the SAC tournament championship in 2013 and 2007. 
 
- Lincoln Memorial has been far and away the stingiest defensive unit in the SAC, leading the league in goals allowed with 13, goals against average with a 0.81 mark and shutouts with nine. The Lady Railsplitters have conceded multiple goals in only three of their 16 matches this season. 
 
- On top of a lockdown defense, the Lady Railsplitters are ranked third in the SAC in goals with 34 and scoring average with 2.13 per match. LMU also ranks second in the league with 17.2 shot attempts per game. 
 
- The Lady Railsplitters moved up to No. 7 in the most recent NCAA Division II Southeast Region rankings, putting them on the verge of ending an 11-season NCAA tournament drought. 
 
- LMU has won eight of its last nine matches, outscoring its opponents 17-3 over that span cumulatively. The Lady Railsplitters' only loss during that run was a shocking 1-0 overtime setback against Tusculum, who LMU outshot 19-8. 
 
Know the Opponent 
 
- Lenoir-Rhyne is one of the best teams in the SAC on both sides of the ball. Offensively, the Bears are ranked second in both total goals (41) and goals per match (2.41). Defensively, they are second in goals against average at 0.92 and third in total goals allowed with 16. 
 
- The Bears have outscored their opponents 15-1 during their current four-match winning streak. L-R has blanked its last three opponents and not allowed a goal since the 88th minute of its 4-1 win over Catawba on October 17. 
 
- Senior forward Abbie Brown leads the Bears and ranks second in the SAC in points with 38 on 16 goals and six assists. Aqsa Mushtaq and Van Eerden are the only other L-R players with double-digits points with 14 apiece. Mushtaq has five goals and four assists, while Van Eerden has six goals and a pair of assists. 
 
- L-R placed six players on the All-SAC team. Brown, Mushtaq and defender Claire Neibergall were selected to the first team, midfielder Taylor Rios and defender Christina Shimshock were second team picks and midfielder Abigael McGarel was an honorable mention selection. 
 
- Loren Sterling has started all 17 matches in goal for the Bears, compiling a SAC-high 1,548 minutes of action. She is ranked third in the SAC in goals against average (0.93) and save percentage (.812). 
 
Series History
 
- The Lady Railsplitters defeated Lenoir-Rhyne 2-1 back on October 13. Cravero scored in the 22nd minute to give LMU the lead before Neibergall countered in the 32nd minute. However, Caroline Souza scored in the 60th minute to propel the Lady Railsplitters to victory. 
 
- That win snapped LMU's three-match losing streak in the series and moved the Lady Railsplitters to 6-10 all-time against the Bears. 
 
- Friday will be the third SAC tournament meeting between the two teams. LMU defeated L-R in the SAC semifinals in 2013 and lost in the quarterfinal round to the Bears in 2010.