The third-ranked Tusculum College men's soccer team fell to 2007 NCAA II national runner-up and defending co-South Atlantic Conference champions Lincoln Memorial University 6-1 on Wednesday evening in the SAC opener.

With the loss, the Pioneers are now 5-1 overall and 0-1 in the conference, while LMU improves to 5-1-1 and 1-0 in league play.

Lincoln Memorial took an early 2-0 advantage in the first nine minutes of the match, tallying the contest's first goal in the sixth minute on Renato Segalla's second goal of the season. Brito Martins doubled the advantage midway through the ninth minute, heading in a cross from Segalla for his fourth goal of the season.

The Railsplitters held the 2-0 lead into the early minutes of the second half, when Pioneer forward Bruno Conceicão found the back of the net for the eighth time this season in the 50th minute, delivering a brilliant strike from 30 yards that hit off the bar and the keeper to cut the led to 2-1.

Segalla responded four minutes later with his second of the match before completing the hat-trick in the 62nd minute to put LMU up 4-1. Greg Lewandowski and Jimmy Vandenhurk added late scores to seal the Railsplitters' victory at 6-1.

South Atlantic Conference Player of the Week Lance Moore played the full 90 minutes, making two saves for the black and orange.

The Pioneers return to the pitch on Saturday when they travel to Americus, Ga. to square off against Georgia Southwestern State.