USL-1 North Carolina FC

RailHawks meet Wilmington in Open Cup Round 2

Published on June 15, 2009 under USL First Division (USL-1)
North Carolina FC News Release


The Carolina RailHawks continue their stretch of five games in 11 days on Tuesday when they will face the Wilmington Hammerheads in the second round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup at WakeMed Soccer Park. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

The RailHawks have compiled a 7-2 all-time record in U.S. Open Cup play. They have outscored their nine opponents 17-8 and have posted five shutouts.

In their 2007 debut, Carolina made a run to the tournament's semifinals before being ousted 2-1 by Major League Soccer's New England Revolution, which went on to win the tournament.

Last season, the RailHawks scored a 1-0 win over the PDL's Brooklyn Knights and a 1-0 win over the USL-2's Real Maryland before losing 4-2 in extra time to Major League Soccer's Kansas City Wizards in the third round.

Carolina began the 2009 Open Cup with a 2-1 win over the USL-2's Richmond Kickers on June 9. Daniel Paladini scored the game's opening goal in the 14th minute. After Richmond converted a penalty kick in the 20th minute, Hamed Diallo, who assisted Paladini's goal, scored the game winner in the 48th.

The RailHawks enter Tuesday's match having been shut out in their last two matches (0-0 versus Portland on Thursday and 2-0 at Minnesota on Sunday), and they have not scored a goal in 222 minutes.

The winner of Tuesday's match will face the Chicago Fire, a four-time Open Cup champion. If the RailHawks win, they will host the Fire at WakeMed Soccer Park on June 30.

Tuesday's match will be played on Field 2 at WakeMed Soccer Park due the resurfacing project in the main stadium. All tickets are $5, and the RailHawks will also offer $1 beer to fans in attendance.

SCOUTING WILMINGTON

This season, Wilmington (4-3-2) is in fifth place in the USL Second Division.

Wilmington is back in the Open Cup after a two-year absence. From 2002-06, the Hammerheads advanced to the third round all four years.

The Hammerheads beat USL-2 rival Charlotte 2-0 at Legion Stadium on June 9 to get to the second round. Jamie Watson scored the game's first goal in the 82nd minute, and Phil Hufstader scored an insurance goal in the 90th minute, five minutes after he entered the game for Watson.

Like the RailHawks, Wilmington enters the match coming off a loss. The Hammerheads suffered a 2-1 loss at Crystal Palace Baltimore on Saturday.

The Hammerheads have scored 16 goals in seven games this season, and 10 players have accounted for them. Forward Jyler Noviello has scored four goals (on six shots), and forward Jamie Watson has scored five goals to go along with two assists.

Goalkeeper Daryl Sattler has a 1.2 goals against average, having allowed 12 goals in 10 matches. He is tied with two others for the USL-2 lead in shutouts (four), in addition to his clean sheet against Charlotte last week.

SERIES HISTORY

The RailHawks and Hammerheads have never played an official match. However, they did play an exhibition earlier this year.

The RailHawks beat the Hammerheads 2-0 on April 14 in Wilmington on second-half goals by Matt Watson and John Cunliffe. Gavin Glinton assisted both goals.

The RailHawks opened the 2009 season three days earlier, and only three players who played the season opener appeared in Wilmington.

Goalkeeper Caleb Patterson needed to make just two saves to keep his clean sheet. In the fifth minute, he turned away a 30-yard brace from Calem Angus, and in the 24th minute, he stopped a point-blank header from Jyler Noviello.

In the 79th minute, after a nice combination of passes, Glinton played a clever back pass to Watson, who rushed on to the ball and smashed it into the goal.

In the 82nd minute, Cunliffe got a goal in his first appearance for the RailHawks. He cracked a left-footed shot from inside of 12 yards that split Wilmington goalkeeper Kyle Polak's legs.

LAST TIME OUT

The RailHawks saw their six-match unbeaten streak (5-0-1) end on Sunday with a 2-0 loss at Minnesota on Sunday. It was the RailHawks' first loss since May 9 and the first time they were shut out since May 2. In USL-1 play, it was the first time the RailHawks had allowed a goal five matches, ending their club record shutout streak at 499 minutes.

FORMER RAILHAWKS

The Hammerheads feature two former RailHawks, Steven Curfman and Ryan Solle. Both played for the RailHawks in 2008.

Curfman appeared in all 33 matches for the RailHawks last year, playing 1,746 minutes and scoring two goals. For Wilmington, Curfman has played 258 minutes over seven matches and scored one goal.

Solle appeared in 22 matches for the RailHawks last year, playing 1,548 minutes with one assist. Since joining Wilmington on June 2, he has appeared in two matches and played 56 minutes.

RAILHAWKS VS. USL-2

Tuesday's match will represent the fourth time the RailHawks have faced a team from the USL Second Division. The RailHawks are 3-0-0 in the previous three matches. They beat Richmond 1-0 in the 2007 Open Cup, Real Maryland 1-0 in the 2008 Open Cup and Richmond 2-1 in the first round of this year's tournament.

Wilmington is 1-3 against USL-1 opponents in the Open Cup. Their only win was over Atlanta (2-1) in the 2006 Open Cup.

RAILHAWKS STAT LEADERS*

Goals: Daniel Paladini - 3

Assists: Daniel Paladini - 3

Minutes: Mark Schulte - 1,170

Shots: Daniel Paladini - 24

Fouls: Daniel Paladini - 17

*includes USL-1 and U.S. Open Cup games

PLAYER NOTES

*Goalkeeper Caleb Patterson has conceded just two goals in six games. He has five shutouts, a .33 goals against average and the RailHawks are 3-1-2 when he is in the net.

*Goalkeeper Eric Reed had a season-high six saves against Minnesota on Sunday. It marked the 12th time in club history that a goalkeeper has stopped at least six shots in a game.

*Midfielder/defender Kupono Low appeared in two matches last week, pushing his club record for games played to 75, 13 more than any other RailHawk. Low is also the club's all-time minutes leader (6,608).

*Defender and captain Mark Schulte remains the only RailHawk to have played every minute of the season (1,170). Defender Devon McKenney is second in minutes played (887 over 10 games).

*Forward Hamed Diallo registered his first goal and first assist of the season in last week's 2-1 win over Richmond. Diallo was the RailHawks leading scorer in 2008 (seven goals, three assists, 17 points) in just 16 games.

NEXT UP

The RailHawks return to the road later this week. They will face the Austin Aztex on Friday at Nelson Field. Carolina won the season's first meeting 1-0 on May 24 in Austin.

Check out the North Carolina FC Statistics

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USL First Division Stories from June 15, 2009


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