USL-1 North Carolina FC

RailHawks Look to Snap Three Game Skid at Austin

Published on June 18, 2009 under USL First Division (USL-1)
North Carolina FC News Release


RAILHAWKS HOPE TO SNAP 3-GAME SKID AT AUSTIN

The Carolina RailHawks close out their five-games-in-11-days stretch on Friday against the Austin Aztex at Nelson Field at 8:30 p.m.

The RailHawks (7-3-2) remain in second place in the USL-1 table with 23 points, one behind front runner Charleston.

"Overall, we've been doing well in the league. As disappointed as we are about going out of the Open Cup, we have to move on as quickly as we can," said Carolina coach Martin Rennie, referring to the RailHawks' penalty kick loss on Tuesday in the second round of the U.S. Open Cup. "We're going to really evaluate everything we've done in the last game and we're going to look to improve on that. That's going to be important just to see us perform a lot better than we did."

The RailHawks return to Austin for the second time in just more than three weeks. On May 24, they stole three points on their first trip to Nelson Field when Carolina was awarded a penalty kick after a ball played through the box clipped an Austin player's hand. Daniel Paladini stepped to the spot and scored the game's only goal in the 83rd minute.

During this flurry of the games, Carolina is 1-2-1. The RailHawks are also in the midst of a three-match winless streak, their second of the season. But the last time they went three matches without a win, they responded with a 2-0 win on the road and proceeded to win five straight.

The RailHawks could move to the top of the table this weekend. They trail first-place Charleston by one point. Three points in Austin, coupled with at least a Puerto Rico win and tie in two matches against the Battery in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, this weekend, would put the RailHawks in first place.

But if the RailHawks are going to get a win this weekend, they'll have to shore up their defense. After posting four straight shutouts and holding their opponents' scoreless for a club record 416 minutes over the span of six games, the RailHawks have allowed six goals in their last three matches. They allowed five goals over their first 10 games of the season.

SCOUTING AUSTIN

Austin (2-5-4) enters the weekend with 10 points from 11 games and in eighth place in the USL-1.

After defeating Puerto Rico 3-1 on May 29, the Aztex have gone 0-3-1 since and have been outscored 9-2. During that same period, Austin also won its first two games in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The Aztex beat the PDL's Mississippi Brilla and El Paso Patriots by 2-0 scorelines.

The Aztex have allowed the second most goals in the league (18) and have only one shutout, tied for the fewest in the USL-1, and their defense took a hit last week. Goalkeeper Miguel Gallardo suffered a leg injury during the Aztex 2-0 loss to Miami on Sunday and is out indefinitely.

The Aztex also lost A.J. Godbolt and Yordany Alvarez during pre-game warm-ups on Tuesday. Alvarez leads the Aztex in points (three goals, two assists).

Eddie Johnson and Gareth Evans, both of whom were unavailable for the first match, are back with the Aztex. Johnson has two goals and two assists on the year. Austin has also added Ciarean O'Brian to the roster since the first meeting with Carolina. O'Brian, on loan from Colorado for the rest of the season, has appeared in three matches and played 150 minutes so far this season.

LAST TIME OUT

Playing for the fourth time in eight days, the RailHawks were eliminated from the U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday after losing to the USL-2's Wilmington Hammerheads 4-3 in a penalty kick shootout. The match was tied 3-3 after 120 minutes.

Wilmington scored the game's first goal in the 21st minute on a header by Chris Bagley. Carolina responded with Hamed Diallo's equalizer in the 34th minute. The teams played even through the remainder of regulation before trading goals in each 15-minute extra session. Wilmington's Tim Karalexis headed in a corner kick in the 92nd minute, but Brian Plotkin equalized for Carolina in the 98th when he headed in a throw-in from Mark Schulte.

Gavin Glinton appeared to score the game winner in the 118th minute, heading in a throw-in from Schulte, but Wilmington's Kenny Bundy equalized in stoppage time to send the game to penalty kicks. Wilmington made all four of its tries and Hammerheads goalkeeper Darryl Sattler saved two Carolina attempts to deny the RailHawks a third straight trip to the Open Cup's third round.

PLAYER NOTES

*Forward Hamed Diallo scored his second goal in as many starts in Tuesday's loss to Wilmington.

*Goalkeeper Caleb Patterson had his personal shutout streak snapped at 337 minutes on Tuesday. Prior to the Hammerheads' goal in the 21st minute, Patterson hadn't allowed a goal since the 54th minute of the RailHawks' 2-1 loss to Charleston on May 9.

*Forward Gavin Glinton scored his third goal of the season in Tuesday's loss to Wilmington. Glinton has scored all three of his goals as a substitute, and he has scored three goals on just five shots.

*Defender and captain Mark Schulte has played every minute of the season so far (1,290), but that streak will come to end this weekend. He did not make the trip to Austin due to a leg injury.

STAT LEADERS

Goals: Gavin Glinton, Daniel Paladini (3)

Assists: Daniel Paladini (3)

Minutes: Mark Schulte (1,290)

Shots: Daniel Paladini (29)

Fouls: Daniel Paladini (19)

USL-1 STANDINGS

Charleston Battery 6-0-6, 24 points

Carolina RailHawks 7-3-2, 23 points

Portland Timbers 5-1-5, 20 points

Puerto Rico Islanders 5-3-4, 19 points

Rochester Rhinos 4-5-2, 14 points

Vancouver Whitecaps 4-4-2, 14 points

Montreal Impact 3-4-2, 11 points

Austin Aztex 2-5-4, 10 points

Miami FC Blues 3-5-1, 10 points

Cleveland City Stars 2-7-2, 8 points

Minnesota Thunder 1-5-4, 7 points

USL-1 SCHEDULE

Thursday, June 18

Miami at Cleveland, 7 p.m.

Charleston at Puerto Rico, 8 p.m.

Friday, June 19

Carolina at Austin, 8:30 p.m.

Minnesota at Portland, 11 p.m.

Saturday, June 20

Vancouver at Montreal, 1:30 p.m.

Miami at Cleveland, 7 p.m.

Charleston at Puerto Rico, 8 p.m.

Sunday, June 21

Rochester at Austin, 7 p.m.

NEXT UP

The RailHawks will have a much deserved break after this weekend's trip to Austin. After playing five games in 11 days, they will have an eight-day break before their next match. On June 27 at WakeMed Soccer Park, the RailHawks will host the Puerto Rico Islanders, the 2008 USL-1 Commissioners Cup winner and a CONCACAF Champions League semifinalist.

Check out the North Carolina FC Statistics

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USL First Division Stories from June 18, 2009


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