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LMU SOCCER NEWS |
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LINCOLN MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY OFFICE OF SPORTS INFORMATION Sports Release October 13, 2007 Railsplitters In Position To Take SAC Regular Season Crown HARROGATE, TN – In a game that was as intense as any played this season, the Lincoln Memorial University Railsplitters did on Saturday afternoon what no other LMU men’s soccer team has been able to due during the Helio D’Anna era, defeat Catawba College.
Playing in front of alumni, family and friends on senior-day, part of the homecoming festivities at Lincoln Memorial University, the Railsplitters were focused early on the task at hand and let Catawba know it early when LMU punched their first goal of the match into the back of the net only 1:04 into the match. LMU senior Guilherme Alves (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) put the Railsplitters ahead 1-0 when he received a pass in front of the goal from the left side by teammate Leandro Pereira (Brasilia, Brazil) and placed into the back right corner. The goal sent a message that this was to be Lincoln Memorial’s day and nobody was going to come in and take it away on senior day.
As the first half found the midway point, Catawba began to take the offensive attack to the Railsplitters. In the 28th minute, an LMU foul in the in the box gave Catawba an opportunity for a penalty kick and LMU goalkeeper Brent Cole (Knoxville, TN) stopped the shot, but was forced to defend the net again due to a mistake by the Railsplitters of approaching the box area before the PK was taken. CC’s Ryan Villiard converted the second PK and the Catawba Indians had evened the match at 1-1.
With the half winding down, Catawba continued to take the fight to the Railsplitters. In the 42nd minute, an unlucky defensive break created a one on one situation for Ryan Villiard and LMU goalkeeper Brent Cole and again Villiard was able to find the net, this time to give Catawba the 2-1 lead.
After going into the intermission trailing 2-1, under most circumstances, a goal right before the half would have been a big momentum boost for the opponent. Instead, Lincoln Memorial used the senior day festivities, the family and friends on hand for the match and the goal to turn the up the level of their play in the early minutes of the second half. Right from the opening touch, the Railsplitters were unloading with both barrels. It took LMU less than five minutes into the second half to even the match at 2-2 when senior Nelson Pizzaro (Pembroke Pines, FL) scored his 8th goal of the season on a long pass from the left side by teammate Guilherme Alves. The score ignited the crowd and LMU looked to have new life.
As the match wore on and the score still tied at 2-2, LMU’s offensive attack continued to wear down the Catawba defense. Finally, in the 81st minute, the Catawba defense snapped when LMU defender and reigning South Atlantic Conference Player of the Week Felipe Nogueira (Uberaba, Brazil) caught a bicycle pass from Nelson Pizzaro in front of the goal and chipped it past CC goalkeeper Tyler Held to give the Railsplitters the go-ahead 3-2 lead. The goal proved to be fatal to the Catawba Indians and the Railsplitters ended the afternoon with their first victory over Catawba in the Helio D’Anna era.
Now 12-2 on the year and holding a commanding 5-0 record in the South Atlantic Conference, the regular season conference championship in now LMU’s to win or lose. Both Carson-Newman and Tusculum, who are in the #2 and #3 spots in the conference race, have a loss and a tie with several matches to go in their regular season schedules. If LMU defeats either Mars Hill or Wingate in their two remaining conference matches, the LMU men will capture the regular season title.
Last season Lincoln Memorial was in its transition stage in moving from the Gulf South Conference to the South Atlantic Conference and wasn’t eligible for a conference crown. If the Railsplitters are able to win one of the two league games on the 2007 schedule, it will be their first conference regular season title since 2004. Before that can happen, LMU will face off against Appalachian Region opponent Alderson-Broaddus College October 20 in the final regular season home match of the year. -LMU- For additional comments please contact, |