Railsplitters Open 2008 Schedule With 2-0 Shutout Of Delta State
August 28, 2008
BARBOURVILLE, KY - The Lincoln Memorial University men's soccer team had to wait nearly nine months to avenge their 1-0 loss to Franklin Pierce in the 2007 NCAA Division II National Championship, but on Thursday afternoon, the Railsplitters shutout former Gulf South Conference sister Delta State University 2-0 in Barbourville, Kentucky.
Thursday's match was originally supposed to have been played as a home match in Harrogate however, due to incomplete construction of LMU's new soccer stadium, the match was moved to nearby Barbourville, Kentucky and the Union College campus.
Throughout the first 45 minutes of play, the Railsplitters and the Statesmen battled in a defensive struggle, as both goalkeepers were tested several times. In the second half however, it didn't take LMU long to establish the tempo of the match and put DSU on its heels defensively. In fact, only 3:07 into the second half at the 48:07 mark, LMU freshman Willian Moura (Newtown, CT) hit the back left corner of the net with help from teammate Aaron McKenna (Birmingham, England) to put the Railsplitters on top 1-0. A little more than 11 minutes later, Moura scored again, this time unassisted which sent a message to the Statesmen that the day would belong to the Railsplitters.
Defensively, LMU goalkeeper Michael Watkins (Statesville, NC) recorded three saves on the afternoon, while Delta State's Trey Jones finished with 11 stops for the Statesmen.
Although the LMU men move to 1-0 on the season, the Railsplitters still aren't up to speed roster wise. Last year's leading scorer and Daktronics First Team All-American and National Player of the Year, Leandro Pereira (Brasilia, Brazil) is still undergoing rehabilitaion for an injury sustained in the 2007 NCAA Division II Semifinal match against the University of Montevallo. Indications from inside the program are that Pereira is only a short time from rejoining his teammates for seasonal match action. The Railsplitters travel to Wilson, North Carolina on Saturday to take on Barton College. Kick-off is set for 3:00 p.m.
