Sports stats



USL-1 North Carolina FC

RailHawks Announce Team Awards at 2008 Season Finale

September 21, 2008 - USL First Division (USL-1)
North Carolina FC News Release


Cary, NC (Sunday, September 21, 2008) - The Carolina RailHawks ended their season with an electrifying 1-0 victory over the Portland Timbers and the return of the fan based Southern Derby Cup to Cary for the second consecutive season. Pre-game celebrations included the team award for the 2008 season as the RailHawks voted for their team Most Valuable Player, Offensive Player, Defensive Player and WakeMed Unsung Hero.

The first award of the night was the WakeMed Health and Hospitals Unsung Hero Award. The Unsung Hero is the player that brings intangibles to each and every match to help lead the RailHawks to victory, without getting the recognition that he may deserve. The recipient of the WakeMed Unsung Hero Award was Dan Antoniuk.

Antoniuk joined the Carolina RailHawks at the start of the 2008 season. He has tallied 3 goals and 3 assists for nine points during the 2008 campaign, while logging 1,844 minutes up top for the RailHawks. His steady, consistent hard work has made him an essential part of the RailHawks attack. While his reputation for getting shots off and his goal scoring ability made him a target of other team's defenses this year, the attention he received has given opportunities to other players to make plays and score goals, often times starting plays with the ball at his feet.

The next award of the evening was for Offensive Player of the Year. This season the award went to Martin Nuñez and Santiago Fusilier. These two players finished in a dead heat in the voting for this award. Each of these players brought their own flair and style to the Carolina RailHawks. They finished in an almost identical fashion in terms of points, goals and assists. One had five goals and two assists for a total of 12 points and the other had four goals and three assists for 11 points, which before tonight's game put them at number 2 and number 3, respectively, for overall points on the 2008 Carolina RailHawks team. Both Nuñez and Fusilier dominated the flanks, wreaking havoc on opposing teams' defenses.

Next was the award for Defensive Player of the Year. RailHawks captain Frankie Sanfilippo was voted the best defensive player by his peers for the second season in a row. Frankie has been a mainstay in the defense for the Carolina RailHawks for each of the past two years. His insertion into the middle of the defense mid-season has helped to propel the RailHawks into the playoff race, leading up to the match against Portland. His inspiring play and relentless work ethic helped lift the level of play of his teammates and spark fear in opposing teams' attacking players, every time he stepped on the field.

Finally the award for Most Valuable Player of the 2008 season went to Matthew Watson. Watson's addition to the team for the 2008 season has been a vital key to the team's success. A hard working midfielder, his wizardry on the ball has entertained countless RailHawks fans and given fits to opposing teams. Having played injured most of the year, his determination to get on the field has been an admirable quality, while always keeping the best interest of the team in mind. Finally healthy, his play has been an integral part of the RailHawks end of the season. Always cool under pressure, Watson exhibited all of the qualities that his teammates think make him the most valuable to the team.

Although the Carolina RailHawks' season is over, some of the players will continue to stay and work in the community carrying out the RailHawks message of a community oriented organization and giving back to their fans who supported them throughout the 2008 season. Fans are encouraged to stay tuned to the Carolina RailHawks website at www.carolinarailhawks.com for news regarding and other exciting events.

Check out the North Carolina FC Statistics

• Discuss this story on the USL First Division message board...

USL First Division Stories from September 21, 2008


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