HARROGATE, Tenn. – The Lincoln Memorial University women's soccer team cruised in the opening match of South Atlantic Conference play Wednesday afternoon at the LMU Soccer Complex, as a trio of Lady Railsplitters found the back of the net for a resounding 3-0 victory over in-state foes, Tusculum.
 
Reigning SAC Player of the Week Rachel Taylor was all over the offensive end yet again for LMU, scoring the opening goal of the afternoon against the Pioneers, and assisting the third and final finish that clinched the first conference victory of the year. Captain Mariana Diaz was on the scoresheet as well Wednesday, scoring her first since October 5, 2019. Senior Jessica Cravero found the back of the net for the fourth time in four total matchups to begin the season.
 
Head Coach Matt Carr extended his regular season unbeaten streak in 2021 with LMU to a total of ten matches, and the Lady Railsplitters also continued their unbeaten streak against Tusculum, dating back to the fall of 2019.
 
"As a collective group, we were happy with the performance and the end result. We wanted to set the tone for league play with a strong performance and a win at home. We did just that," Carr said. "Now we look to Saturday to build upon today's performance, as we match up against a strong Coker side."
 
A tight contest early on, the Pioneers recorded all three of their total shots on target in Wednesday's first half, as freshman keeper Bente Latenstein did well to earn a second-consecutive clean sheet in only her second collegiate appearance.
 
The Lady Railsplitters' efforts began to add up on the tired legs of the Pioneers near the end of the first half, when freshman Ryan Branson provided her second assist of the young season to none other than senior Rachel Taylor, who tucked a precise finish into the far-right corner for the game's opening goal.
 
LMU never looked back against Tusculum, as the unbeaten side continued their relentless pressure out of the gates to begin the second half. The referee pointed to the spot in the 56th minute, where captain Mariana Diaz stepped to the spot and picked her corner to double LMU's advantage. Diaz's second half goal was her first for LMU in nearly two years, dating back to October 2019 against Lenoir-Rhyne.
 
The Lady Railsplitters wrapped up Wednesday's opening SAC contest in the final 15 minutes, as the dynamic-duo of Taylor and Cravero once again linked up for the match's third and final finish. Taylor swung in an excellently-timed free kick from the left-hand side of the field into the six-yard-box, picking out Cravero who dinked it past the Pioneers keeper to put the cherry on top.
 
Bente Latenstein, transfer Megan Snider, Sydney Wolfenbarger, Mariana Diaz and Graciela Palencia all held strong in the defensive half Wednesday afternoon, sealing a third clean sheet of the season with just four matches played overall.
 
Up Next
 
The Lady Railsplitters remain in Harrogate on Saturday Sept. 18, continuing SAC conference action against Coker University. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. EST.

How to Follow
 
Stay tuned to LMURailsplitters.com, as well as LMU's social media platforms - @LMURailsplitter on Twitter, @LMURailsplitters on Facebook and @lmurailsplitters on Instagram, for complete coverage of Lady Railsplitter soccer across the 2021 season.