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NASL North Carolina FC

Capital Area RailHawks Academy U-18 Player Matthew Gianfortone Signs Amateur Contract

May 1, 2015 - North American Soccer League (NASL)
North Carolina FC News Release


Cary, NC (May 1, 2015) - The Carolina RailHawks strengthened their roster on Friday by signing Capital Area RailHawks Academy midfielder Matthew Gianfortone to an amateur contract. Gianfortone will be available for selection for the remainder of the 2015 Spring Season.

Local player development and rewarding talented home-grown players has been a common theme for the RailHawks. Gianfortone follows in the footsteps of Conor Donovan who last year as a U-18 C.A. RailHawks Academy player scored a goal in the RailHawks 2-1 win over Puebla FC of the Mexican Liga MX.

"Matthew is a young and vibrant player. We have a lot of confidence in him," said RailHawks Head Coach Colin Clarke. "We are delighted to promote players from within the organization because it encourages young talent to always do their best and aim for challenging goals."

The youngster is a product of the Capital Area RailHawks U-18 Academy Team and plays in central midfield. He previously captained the CASL Elite region 3 team in 2012 and was Varsity Cap 8 All-Conference in that same year. Prior to this, Gianfortone played for the CASL Chelsea U-14 Academy team in 2011 and won the 2011 Jefferson Cup.

The Capital Area RailHawks Academy is a collaboration between the Capital Area Soccer League and the RailHawks for U.S. Soccer Development Academy teams in the U-13/14, U-15/16 and U-17/18 age groups and is designed to attract the highest caliber players and coaches possible, regardless of their previous club affiliations.

Gianfortone is the fourth U-17/18 Academy player to join the first team, after Dre Fortune, Evan Krause and Conor Donovan. They have been identified as players deserving of the opportunity to train and play with the RailHawks professional squad and be exposed to a professional training and playing environment.

Academy players are eligible to train and play with professional soccer players prior to their enrollment in college and keep their NCAA eligibility. Gianfortone has committed to join UNCW Men's Soccer program next fall.

"This is a reward for Matthew, he has been part of the program for a number of years and has worked extremely hard," said Capital Area RailHawks Academy Director and U-18's Head Coach John Bradford. "Matthew is an example of the continuity the program has had and the faith the coaching staff and front office have in it, as well as the quality of players we are producing."

The RailHawks roster is now comprised of 23 players: two goalkeepers (Hunter Gilstrap and Brian Sylvestre), six defenders (Connor Tobin, Daniel Scott, Kupono Low, Mamadou Danso, Wes Knight and Blake Wagner), ten midfielders (Nazmi Albadawi, Tiyi Shipalane, Leo Osaki, Neil Hlavaty, Mark Anderson, Austin Da Luz, Chris Nurse, Jack Coleman, Jamie Dell and Matthew Gianfortone) and five forwards (Nacho Novo, Simone Bracalello, Wells Thompson, Mamadee Nyepon, and Bradlee Baladez).

The Carolina RailHawks will continue the 2015 Spring Season with the addition of Gianfortone and will play their next home match against Tampa Bay Rowdies FC on Saturday, May 2nd at 7:30pm. The full RailHawks home schedule can be viewed here.

To purchase Individual Game Tickets or Ticket Packages, visit CarolinaRailHawks.com or call the Johnson Maserati Box Office at 919-459-8144.

For more information on Season Tickets, visit CarolinaRailHawks.com/STH. Flex plans are available for as low as $55. Keep up with all RailHawks news by following them on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

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