HARROGATE, Tenn. — Playmakers make plays.
 
On Saturday afternoon, that player was sporting a Lincoln Memorial University jersey.
 
It was freshman Danilo Seglio who took a free kick in the 53rd minute, just outside the box, and squeezed it into the left corner for a quick second-half score and the first goal at the LMU Soccer Complex.
 
The score proved to be all the Railsplitters needed, holding Salem University off for their season and home-opening, 1-0, victory.
 
 "I don't know if it was lucky, but it was a goal," Seglio said, smiling. "That matters."
 
The free kick indeed mattered, but it didn't come from the player Helio D'Anna intended for it to.

The LMU coach signaled for graduate player Edwin Vaas to let it fly; however, the duo of Vaas and Seglio saw something else once they lined up behind the ball, with a Tiger wall defending 10 yards out.
 
"Let me tell you, I was calling for Edwin," D'Anna said, laughing, "but sometimes the guys on the field have to feel the moment. Danilo felt that was his."
 
Seglio didn't let his LMU debut moment slip away, slicing the to-be game-winning goal inside the left post.
 
"Edwin is an excellent free kick taker, as well," D'Anna said. "Danilo went low. I would have never done that, so you know what, I would not have scored a goal. So there you go. That's why players have some autonomy."
 
Seglio wasn't the only Railsplitter making head-turning plays as keeper Caleb Cothrin made a game-tying save in the 74th minute.
 
The Tigers (0-2) placed a corner kick perfect inside the box, allowing Niklas Roessler to get a head on it. At first glimpse, it appeared the header made it in through all the traffic, but Cothrin, a senior, shut it down by corralling the loose ball for this fourth and most important save.
 
"Our keeper, as always, came up big," D'Anna said. "Great keepers they don't make incredible saves; they just make easy saves, but that one time, they save us and that's what (Cothrin) did today."
 
After a scoreless first half, LMU (1-0) changed up its formation, losing some possession of the ball, but putting more pressure on Salem.
 
The switch-up benefited the Railsplitters in all areas as they scored and wore down the Tigers. LMU had multiple shot opportunities, putting 17 shots at the net compared to the Tigers' 11 while six were on goal to Salem's four.  

LMU will look for win No. 2 at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday when Lee University arrives for a mid-week matchup.
 
"We know that every game is going to be like a war," Seglio said. "They are going to keep pressing us hard. We just have to keep the ball on the ground and make what we know. We had a lot of opportunities, and we are going to work hard this week to improve more and score more."