USL-1 North Carolina FC

Carolina RailHawks - Seattle Sounders Preview

Published on June 13, 2007 under USL First Division (USL-1)
North Carolina FC News Release


The Carolina RailHawks are gearing up for their national television debut. Friday night, June 15, at 8:00 PM the RailHawks will host the Seattle Sounders at SAS Soccer Park in Cary. The event is the USL match of the week featured on Fox Soccer Channel.

The RailHawks enter this match with a record of 3-2-5, having, most recently, tied the Rochester Rhinos in an epic battle last Friday night. Connally Edozien notched a pair of gems for the RailHawks side that earned him USL-1 Player of the Week honors. Edozien also scored a couple of goals in Tuesday night's victory over RWB Adria, a USASA team from Chicago, to breeze through the first round of their inaugural quest for the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. The final of that game was 4-1 and the RailHawks are looking to keep the momentum going into Friday night's match.

"I'm very impressed with the RailHawks organization as a whole," said Seattle Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer. "Usually expansion teams have many difficulties their first year and that is clearly not the case for the RailHawks. They have been playing a tremendous game of soccer and I expect Friday night's match to be a good one."

The Seattle Sounders have already had a chance to see the RailHawks in action having hosted them to a 1-0 victory last May in Seattle. Led by former Tarheel Danny Jackson, the Sounders will be looking to break the RailHawks home undefeated streak and to climb over the Montreal Impact to claim sole ownership of third place in the standings.

"Seattle is a strong and experienced team," said RailHawks head coach Scott Schweitzer. "They know how to win especially on the road. I expect them to make some adjustments from our first encounter but nonetheless it will be a great game."

The theme this week is Soccerpalooza and there will be three local bands performing around SAS Soccer Park before the match and at halftime. Stolen Youth, Saving Athalia and B-Side Pilots are all local youth rock bands ranging from 14 to 21 years of age. In addition the African Children's Choir will be performing during the halftime show on the field. The African Children's Choir is composed of children between seven and twelve years of age who come from five countries in Africa - Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Nigeria and Ghana. Many of them are from very poor backgrounds or are orphans. Most recently they have been featured on American Idol Gives Back and in the movie Blood Diamond.

In a continuous effort to be a presence in the community, the Carolina RailHawks have partnered with the Boys and Girls Club of Raleigh and are collecting art supplies, small card games and soccer supplies for disadvantaged children in the triangle. Fans are invited to drop off their donation at the box office and they will receive a free program.

The first 3,000 fans will receive a team photograph courtesy of East Coast Digital Printing and fans are encouraged to get them signed at the end of the game at Autograph Alley on the north side of the stadium.

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USL First Division Stories from June 13, 2007


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