ROCK HILL, S.C. --- For a second straight
season, the Tusculum College men's soccer team will be the No. 6
seed and open South Atlantic Conference Tournament play on Tuesday
afternoon when they travel to Harrogate, Tennessee to take on
third-seeded Lincoln Memorial University. The SAC Tournament
quarterfinal match-up will kick off at 2 p.m. at the LMU Soccer
Complex.
Tusculum (9-6-1) has found the No. 6 seed to its liking in the SAC
postseason as the Pioneers have won two of its five SAC Tournament
titles out of the six-hole. TC knocked off the top-three seeds in
capturing the 1999 SAC Tournament in its first year as a league
member. The Pioneers repeated the feat last season, including a
thrilling double-overtime win against Wingate University in the
championship.
The two East Tennessee rivals played to a 1-1 draw in this year's first meeting at Pioneer Field on Sep. 23 Junior Jonathan Spicher scored in the 78th minute for the equalizer against the Railsplitters.
TC finished the SAC regular-season with a 6-4-1 league record for its 19 points. LMU posted a 7-3-1 league worksheet for its 22 points.
Tusculum is vying for its sixth SAC Tournament championship having won the league postseason title in 1999, 2004, 2008, 2009 and 2014. TC's five SAC Tournament titles are the most in league history.
Tuesday's match-up will mark the third time the Pioneers and Railsplitters (10-3-1) have squared off in the SAC Tournament, but first meeting in the quarterfinal. The two teams met in the 2007 final where LMU posted a 3-1 victory. Tusculum got revenge the following year when the Pioneers blanked the Splitters 2-0 in the semifinal round.
Tusculum has enjoyed success in the SAC Tournament, posting a 17-8-3 record in its 17 years as a league member.
The winner of Tuesday's quarterfinal will advance to Manchester Meadows in Rock Hill, South Carolina for Friday's semifinal against either No. 2 Wingate University or No. 7 Lenoir-Rhyne. That semifinal match will kick off at 1:30 p.m.
The 2015 SAC Tournament championship match is slated for 1 p.m. on Sunday afternoon at Manchester Meadows.
- SAC -
2015 South Atlantic Conference Men's Soccer
Tournament
Tuesday, November 3, 2015 (Campus Sites)
Match 1: No. 8 Brevard at No. 1 Carson-Newman, 7:30 p.m.
Match 2: No. 5 Anderson at No. 4 Queens, 7:30 p.m.
Match 3: No. 7 Lenoir-Rhyne at No. 2 Wingate, 7:30 p.m.
Match 4: No. 6 Tusculum at No. 3 Lincoln Memorial, 2
p.m.
Friday, November 6, 2015
Manchester Meadows, Rock Hill, S.C.
Match 5: Carson-Newman/Brevard winner vs. Queens/Anderson winner,
11 a.m.
Match 6: Wingate/Lenoir-Rhyne winner vs. Lincoln Memorial/Tusculum
winner, 1:30 p.m.
Sunday, November 8, 2015
Manchester Meadows, Rock Hill, S.C.
Match 7: Championship, 1 p.m.