Railsplitters Fall To 2-2 With Loss To Barry

HARROGATE, TN – Sometimes a year can make a huge difference even when you have the majority of your team back from the previous season.  That is what the Lincoln Memorial University men’s soccer has found out only four matches in to the 2007 campaign.

After opening the year with an impressive 8-1 win over visiting University of Charleston August 24, the #5 nationally ranked Railsplitters gave up a 3-2 loss to Lewis University only two days later at home on the Les Gibbs Field.  Aside from the fact that no other team had been able to accomplish that since October of 2004, the loss put the Railsplitters at the .500 mark for the first time since Helio D’Anna took over the Railsplitter program more than four years ago.

Last Friday the Railsplitters moved above the .500 mark again when they defeated visiting Salem International University to capture their second Appalachian Region win of the year.  While the victory was a welcome addition to the Railsplitter’s record, the task of facing Barry University loomed in the shadows of a long trip to Miami Shores, Florida.  On Sunday afternoon, the trip got even longer when the Buccaneers blanked the Railsplitters 3-0, sending the LMU men back to Harrogate with their record again at .500 (2-2).

Taking nothing away from Lewis or Barry Universities, the difference in this year’s team would be the loss of starters Diogo Silvy, Jon Williams and Adriano de Moraes who were lost to graduation.  Add to that, the fact that probable starting defender Jordan Green (Pensacola, FL) is still out of the lineup due to academics, and LMU has only seven of its eleven starters back from last year’s squad.

Still, the Railsplitters are 2-2 overall, but they do have a 2-0 Appalachian Region mark with 13 matches remaining on the regular season schedule of which, seven are region games.  The bottom line, if the Railsplitters take care of their business in region, the losses they have suffered at the hands of Lewis and Barry won’t mean a great deal in terms of anything other than rankings. 

Last season the Railsplitters knew before the season even began they would have no shot at a conference title and that the only way they would get into post-season play would be if they were one of the NCAA’s top-4 teams in the Appalachian Region at the end of the regular season.  That very scenario could be what motivated the Railsplitters to take care of business last year and may come into play again this season. 

Next Saturday, Lincoln Memorial will take its next step toward capturing its first South Atlantic Conference Championship when the Railsplitters host Newberry College in the conference opener.  The Indians will come to Harrogate with a 3-1 record, a game above LMU’s .500 mark at 2-2.  The match will prove to be critical for both teams to gain an early season advantage in both the SAC and Appalachian Region races.  Match time is 2:00 p.m. on the Les Gibbs Field.