HARROGATE, TENN. – Playing their third top 25 team in less than two weeks, the Lincoln Memorial men's soccer team again gave their ranked opponent a tough game. However, the Railsplitters were unable to pull it out and fell to 7^th ranked Coker 1-0.
 
Goalkeeper Robin Hermann was again phenomenal in net for the Railsplitters. The junior set a career-high with 12 saves, as he allowed a lone goal, withstanding 28 total shots, and helped stop 13 of the 14 shots on goal. The German native saved five shots in the first half, and seven more in the second.

The Railsplitter offense had some good opportunities in the first half, but we unable to capitalize on their attacks, and both teams went into the half scoreless. 

"We felt like in the first half we could've been up by two or three goals with the clear 1v1 chances we created in transition," head coach Robert Spain remarked. "Unfortunately, we went into halftime 0-0 and knew that a top 10 team in the country would continue to battle, and Coker deserves credit for doing just that."
 
The most impressive stretch for the Splitter goalie was when he saved three Cobra shots in a matter of 45 seconds, to keep the game scoreless in the 47^th minute. He again stonewalled the Coker offense in the 71^st minute, as he saved two shots in less than 10 seconds.
 
The Hermann led defense has played terrific over the last three games, allowing only one goal and posting two clean sheets as Hermann has posted 27 saves in that time span.
 
The Cobra offense eventually found the back of the net in the 81^st minute off a free-kick attempt following an LMU penalty in the box.
 
The Railsplitter offense was held in check for most of the game, getting off 11 total shots, only two of which were on goal. Kriton Kiousis and Shanden Vergara were the two LMU attackers to put a shot on goal. Arkin Ulusoy and Peter Majer both had great chances as well, but put their shots just wide and hit off the crossbar before going out of bounds.

Majer's shot bounced off the bottom of the crossbar and went straight down and looked like it may have crossed the line into the goal, but the refs waved it off and ruled it a no goal, ending the Railsplitter chance.

"I'm confident Peter's shot went in, but unfortunately those little things just didn't go our way today, so yet again we come out of an extremely close game on the wrong side of the scoreline," stated Spain. "I'm not sure there is a more battle-tested team in the country than our group and I know that once we turn the corner we'll be a team no one wants to face."
 
Up Next
The Railsplitters head on the road to Newberry next Saturday. They will return home on Tuesday, October 5^th to take on Lee..
 
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 Railsplitter soccer.