Wednesday, October 27, 2004

No. 21 PIONEERS, No. 23 LMU BATTLE TO 3-3 TIE
"TC's Paul Hopkins Sets SAC Career Goal Scoring Mark With Hat Trick"

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- In a matchup of two top-25 teams, nothing was decided as No. 21 Tusculum College and No. 23 Lincoln Memorial University finished with a 3-3 tie Wednesday night in men's soccer action from the TC Upper Field. The match was called after 71 minutes due to fog. (Box Score)

Tusculum senior Paul Hopkins (Portsmouth, England) tallied three goals, setting the South Atlantic Conference career goal scoring mark. Hopkins' first of the match was the 74^th of his career, breaking the record of Mars Hill College's Andy Thompson (1996-99). Hopkins now holds the conference record for goals and points.

Five of the six goals were scored in the first half. LMU opened the scoring in the 10^th minute on a goal by senior Diogo Silvy (Santa Catarina, Brazil). Silvy intercepted a pass back to the TC goalkeeper in the air and headed it into the open net.

Hopkins knotted the score at 1-1 just over four minutes later thanks to a Railsplitter turnover. Hopkins picked off a pass in the box and put the ball past the keeper.

Senior Iain Crawford (Glasgow, Scotland) gave LMU the lead again at the 19:11 mark on a breakaway, but Hopkins answered again three minutes later, converting a direct kick from just outside the 18-yard box.

Hopkins' third at the 34:07 mark stood up for 30 minutes, but Crawford tallied his second of the match when he put home a rebound off a missed shot by Silvy with just over 25 minutes left in the match.

J.P. Swaminathan (Brampton, Ontario, Canada) made three stops in net for the Pioneers while his counterpart Justin Wilde (Willoughby Hills, Ohio) had one save.

Next on the Tusculum (11-2-2) schedule is a home match with Tennessee Temple University Saturday morning at 11 a.m. Lincoln Memorial (12-1-1) will also be in action Saturday, traveling to Catawba College for a 7:30 p.m. match.