Sports stats



NASL North Carolina FC

Match Preview: Carolina RailHawks Host Tampa Bay Rowdies

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


CARY, NC (April 30, 2015) - The Carolina RailHawks (1W-2D-1L, 5 pts.) will face off with the Tampa Bay Rowdies (2W-1D-1L, 7pts.) at WakeMed Soccer Park on Saturday, May 2nd at 7:30 pm ET. The match will be broadcasted live on ESPN3 and via radio on 99.9HD-3 The Ticket.

"We are looking forward to this match. Tampa Bay is a team that has seen a lot of changes in the offseason and that calls for an interesting match," said RailHawks Head Coach Colin Clarke. "As we get deeper into the season, every game becomes more important. We did not do well at our last home game and it's important we bounce back from that and get three points at home."

The RailHawks are coming off of a hard fought 1-1 draw last week at Indy Eleven. The home team got on the board first after an early own goal that pinballed off of defender Daniel Scott. Indy continued the pressure throughout the first half and limited the RailHawks' chances.

The RailHawks turned up the intensity in the latter part of the game. Finally, after a number of scoring opportunities, Blake Wagner equalized the game in the 85th minute and the RailHawks earned a point on the road.

The Rowdies enter Saturday's game after a 3-2 victory over Jacksonville Armada FC. Tampa Bay currently sits in second place in the NASL Spring Season standings, four spots ahead of the RailHawks. A win could potentially propel Colin Clarke's squad to a second place tie.

RailHawks Notes:

Jamie Dell Signs for the RailHawks / Capital Area RailHawks Academy U-18 Player Matthew Gianfortone Signs Amateur Contract

The Carolina RailHawks have signed Jamie Dell for the remainder of the 2015 NASL season. Dell attended high school in Chapel Hill, NC and graduated from the University of North Carolina in Wilmington last year. The RailHawks also promoted Matthew Gianfortone to the first team from the Capital Area RailHawks Academy and will be available for selection for the remainder of the 2015 Spring Season.

Who to Watch

Blake Wagner earned NASL Team of the Week Honors for the second time this season. Wagner scored his second goal of the 2015 Season for the RailHawks and equalized the game against Indy Eleven in the 85th minute last Saturday. Wagner also scored against Atlanta Silverbacks in week three.

Check out the North Carolina FC Statistics

• Discuss this story on the North American Soccer League message board...

North American Soccer League Stories from May 1, 2015


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central