LEBANON, Tenn. - - The No. 13 Cumberland Men's Soccer travels to Columbia, Kentucky to face the No. 3 Lindsey Wilson Blue Raiders for their second match in conference play.

The Phoenix come into the match with an 8-1-2 record on the season and will look to continue their momentum that they have built in their last two wins. Last week was kicked off with a 2-1 win against a tough SCAD-Savannah side and the Phoenix followed that up with a 13-0 rout against UHSP on Senior Day. In conference play, Cumberland lost their opener to No. 4 University of the Cumberlands 5-0. 

Offensively, the Phoenix have been burning through almost every defense they have come against as they are leading the nation in points, goals, and assists. This attack is led by junior forward Philipp Schmidtke, who leads the conference in goals, shots on goal, and points, as well as is third in assists. The German is one of 11 players in the NAIA that has scored 10 or more goals this season and is the only player of those 11 to have more than six assists.

His running mate in the front line is freshman forward Miquel Gelabert, who is tied for second in goals with eight and tied for fourth in assists with seven. In the midfield, sophomore Luis Cerejo has built upon his breakout season. The midfielder is leading the NAIA in assists with 11 and has chipped in six goals as well. Also in midfield, Pau Ortega recorded his first hat trick of his career, and added an assist in last weekend's win over UHSP. Ortega is currently tied for second on the team with eight goals.

Lindsey Wilson comes in off a conference win against Campbellsville and will look to stay unbeaten after their 2-1 road win. The Blue Raiders have been a dominant force defensively, where they are second in the NAIA in goals allowed average (.44) and are tied for third in the nation in goals allowed. Sophomore goalkeeper Francois Djiba has been one of the best shotstoppers in the nation, where he is third in save percentage and is the reigning MSC Defensive Player of the Week.

Offensively, Lindsey Wilson is led by sophomore forward Dominic Ayella. Ayella has had a strong second season, as he is tied for fourth in the conference in goals with six and is the only non-Phoenix to win an MSC Offensive Player of the Week.

Lindsey Wilson has the edge over the Phoenix in the all-time series, as the Lebanon side are 8-12-1 in all matchups against the Blue Raiders. The Phoenix won the last matchup in Columbia 2-0 for the Mid-South Conference Championship in 2023, and the Phoenix have a record of 4-5-1 when they travel to play Lindsey Wilson. 

Kickoff is set for 7:00 PM and you can tune in to watch on the Lindsey Wilson Sports Network.