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North Carolina FC

Revolution trips RailHawks, 2-1

March 20, 2010 - North American Soccer League (NASL)
North Carolina FC News Release


CARY, N.C. - For the second straight year, Mark Schulte scored the Carolina RailHawks' only goal against the New England Revolution.

This time, however, it wasn't enough.

Two minutes after Schulte's 85th-minute equalizer, New England forward Zack Schilawski answered with a goal of his own, ultimately dealing the RailHawks a 2-1 defeat at WakeMed Soccer Park in Saturday's preseason friendly.

Though the loss wasn't the desired result, Carolina coach Martin Rennie expects it will pay off when the team returns to training next week.

"Sometimes I think in the preseason it's actually better to lose," Rennie said. "It sounds silly. A lot of times you learn more when you lose and you can point things out more easily when you lose because people are a bit more open to receive the feedback. I think when you don't play that well, which we didn't, and you lose that gives you a chance to really build on something and to really show people this isn't quite good enough and this is where you need to improve. From that perspective, coaching-wise, I'm really positive. I feel like we're on track."

While Rennie and several players agreed the team showed glimpses of strong play, they were unable to sustain that level over a prolonged period.

Perhaps then, it should be considered a strong sign that the RailHawks were able to overcome that and draw the match even in the closing moments.

Schulte appeared to have salvaged at least a tie for the RailHawks as full time approached. Josh Gardner started the sequence by serving a perfect ball into the box from 40 yards away. Schulte separated himself from his defender and hit a searing header toward the upper corner of the goal. New England goalkeeper Preston Burpo (seven saves) tipped the ball over the frame for a Carolina corner.

On the ensuing kick, after a brief scrum for the ball, Schulte found an opening and hammered it in.

"The ball bounced to Amir [Lowery] and he did really well just to give me half a yard to shoot," Schulte said. "I just closed my eyes and hit it hard."

But Schilawski, who grew up in the shadow of WakeMed Soccer Park, added to the litany of memories he's created at his hometown facility. New England's Mike Mansally ripped a shot from the top of the area in the 87th minute. Carolina goalkeeper Nic Platter made the initial save, but the rebound went right to Schilawski, and he easily tapped in the chance. A little more than two years ago on the same field, Schilawski scored the game winner that delivered Wake Forest the 2007 NCAA championship.

Mansally also factored in the Revolution's first goal. Pat Phelan headed in a 41st-minute Mansally corner kick that gave the Revolution a 1-0 lead.

The RailHawks didn't have a ton of chances, finding the well organized New England defense a tough unit to solve. The Revolution outshot Carolina 18-11, but the RailHawks had two other strong scoring chances that just missed the mark.

In the 30th minute, Andriy Budnyy ran down a ball as it drifted toward the endline, beating the onrushing Burpo to the spot. With the goal open, Budnyy tried to bend a shot in from an impossible angle, but the ball wound up sailing over the frame.

In the 77th minute - with no shots on the ledger in the second half - Matt Watson led a promising counterattack into the Revolution end. He laid a soft ball off to Caleb Norkus, whose footing failed him as he prepared to fling a shot on a goal.

"We were OK," said midfielder Amir Lowery. "Things weren't clicking like they would be midseason. At the same time, it's our first preseason game against a professional team. It took us a while to settle in. Some passages of play were good, but overall we've got a lot to improve on and work on."

And that was the general sentiment of the night.

"I felt like it was fairly typical for preseason," Rennie said. "We're about three weeks away from the start of the season and I think it kind of showed tonight. But credit to New England. New England are obviously a very good team."

The RailHawks will continue working toward becoming a similarly good team with games on back-to-back nights next weekend. First, they will meet the North Carolina men's soccer team on Friday in Southern Pines. They will return to the Triangle the following evening and square off against the Montreal Impact at WakeMed Soccer Park.

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