#8 Railsplitters Shutout Division III Maryville College

HARROGATE, TN – On Tuesday afternoon, the newly eighth-ranked Railsplitter men’s soccer team extended its win streak to eight games by defeating east Tennessee opponent Maryville College 3-0 on the Les Gibbs Field.

The Railsplitter were ranked #5 in the preseason National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll but fell out of the top-25 after losses to Lewis University and Barry University.  Since that time, the Railsplitters have reeled off eight consecutive victories including a road-win over then #10 nationally ranked Carson-Newman which has propelled them into the NSCAA top-25 released late yesterday and positioned them as the #1 ranked team in the Appalachian Region poll.

Tuesday’s match with the Scots of Maryville College saw the Railsplitters take control early when senior defenseman Marcelo Galafassi (Jundiai, Brazil) scored in the fifth minute on a ricochet off of a defender following a corner kick.  The score put the Railsplitters up 1-0 and took the offensive attack out of the Scots.

After playing the remainder of the half with the Railsplitters leading 1-0, LMU defender Felipe Nogueira (Uberaba, Brazil) scored on another ricochet off of the Maryville College keeper in the fifty-second minute to put LMU on top 2-0.  If the Scots had any life left after Nogueira’s goal, LMU senior midfielder Nelson Pizzaro (Pembroke Pines, FL) squeezed out what was left only minutes later in the fifty-seventh minute when he scored off of teammate Marcelo Galafassi’s corner kick to gibe the Railsplitters their final 3-0 margin.

With the Lincoln Memorial men now nationally ranked at #8, 10-2 on the season, 3-0 in the South Atlantic Conference and the #1 ranked team in the Appalachian Region, more then likely the bounty just went up on the Railsplitter’s heads.  This weekend Lincoln Memorial travels to Hickory, North Carolina for a rematch last season’s Appalachian Region Championship game with Lenoir-Rhyne College.  The Bears are also nationally ranked this week coming in at #18 in the latest NSCAA poll and will no doubt be looking to score a little pay back for the Railsplitters ending their 2006 season.  Saturday’s match gets underway at 1:00 p.m. in Hickory.