USL-1 North Carolina FC

RailHawks Open 2009 Season Saturday Against Minnesota

Published on April 10, 2009 under USL First Division (USL-1)
North Carolina FC News Release


The Carolina RailHawks are set to open their third USL First Division season on Saturday, April 11 when they play host to the Minnesota Thunder at WakeMed Soccer Park at 7 p.m.

The RailHawks enter 2009 with an overhauled coaching staff and roster. After two successful seasons with the Cleveland City Stars, Martin Rennie will lead the RailHawks in 2009. He was twice named the USL-2 coach of the year in Cleveland and compiled a record of 23-5-16 in USL-2 play (including postseason). Last season, Rennie guided the Stars to the USL-2 championship. Brian Irvine and Richard Huxford join Rennie on the bench as his assistant coaches.

"This is the first season that I've coached in USL-1, and I've watched a lot over the last couple of years while I've been in USL-2. I think the standard of play is really good in the league and it's getting better all the time. I'm really excited to test myself against those coaches and players," Rennie said. "I'm real happy with how our team's coming together. We've had a good preseason and I just can't wait to get started. The whole concept is to get better every week until the end of the season, so it will be interesting to see where we are when we start and where we finish up."

Rennie has assembled a roster that features great balance and experience, brining in extensive overseas experience (Paul Ritchie, English and Scottish Premier leagues), USL veterans (Aaron King, Charleston Battery; Josh Gardner, Seattle) and former MLS reserve players (Brian Plotkin, Columbus; Daniel Paladini, Chivas USA; Amir Lowery, San Jose; and John Cunliffe, San Jose).

Only five players remain from last year's squad: midfielders Kupono Low, Caleb Norkus and Matt Watson, forward Hamed Diallo and goalkeeper Brian Levey. Diallo, a midseason acquisition in 2008, tallied 17 points (seven goals, three assists) in 16 games with the RailHawks.

There are nearly 20 new players on the roster, and while some might be unfamiliar to Carolina fans, five of them played for Rennie in Cleveland: forward Sallieu Bundu (eight goals, one assist in '08), defenders Jeremy Tolleson and Mark Schulte (two-time reigning USL-2 Defender of the Year) and goalkeepers Caleb Patterson-Sewell and Eric Reed (led USL-2 with a .583 goals against average in 2008).

Rennie looks to lead the RailHawks back to the USL-1 postseason after the team finished 9-11-10 in 2008 and just missed the playoffs.

Just as the RailHawks are looking forward to the season opener, so too are the Thunder.

"We are looking forward to opening our 2009 season against Carolina," said Minnesota coach Don Gramenz. "All the hard work and dedication from the players and staff the last four weeks will come to fruition with great anticipation. I can tell our men are excited and ready to do battle."

Gates open at 5 p.m. There will be an Easter Egg Hunt on the main field for children ages 3-5. The first 1,000 fans through the gates will receive a Carolina RailHawks keychain. There will be Monkey Joe's Inflatables for children on the East Concourse.

Plus, pipers from the N.C. State University Pipes and Drums will perform during pregame festivities, and the N.C. A&T University Drumline will perform at halftime.

INJURY REPORT

Three players are unavailable for Saturday's match due to injury: midfielder Kupono Low (muscle strain), defender Jeremy Tolleson (foot) and midfielder Nate Norman (hamstring)

SCOUTING MINNESOTA

(Courtesy of InsideMinnesotaSoccer.com)

Don Gramenz, a former Thunder player, will coach the team after replacing Amos Magee in the middle of the 2008 season. Gramenz took over the team when it was 4-8-5, riding a 10-match winless streak and sitting four points out of the playoffs. Under Gramenz, the Thunder went 6-3-4 the rest of the season and qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2004.

Most of last year's team was under contract for another season, but that didn't stop the Thunder from acquiring several former MLS players. The additions of D.C. United's Quavas Kirk and Rod Dyachenko at midfield are sure to strengthen the squad. Nic Platter, one of the better keepers in the league, will again be between the sticks after coming very close to being signed by D.C. United. Free kick specialist Ricardo Sanchez will be back at midfield after scoring 10 goals and improving his overall play under Gramenz. Melvin Tarley, a consistent scorer in the league, had 10 goals last season. Captain and holding midfielder Jeremiah Bass and defender Jon Greenfield are also back.

SERIES HISTORY

Saturday marks the sixth meeting between the RailHawks and Thunder, and the series has been a virtual deadlock. The all-time record stands at 1-1-3 for both teams. Here's a recap.

April 21, 2007: T, 1-1

In the RailHawks' first ever match, Kupono Low scored eight minutes in to give Carolina an early 1-0 advantage, but Ansu Toure drew a penalty kick in the 70th minute and converted from the spot, and the match ended a 1-1 draw.

Sept. 6, 2007: L, 5-0

In the second to last match of the season, the RailHawks could have clinched a playoff berth with a win. But with heavy legs after losing 2-1 in overtime in the U.S. Open Cup semifinals the day before, the RailHawks suffered their worst defeat in franchise history. Leo Gibson scored four goals and Brian Farber added one more. But the loss did not scuttle the RailHawks' playoff chances. Two days later, in the season finale at the California Victory, Carolina got into the postseason with a 2-0 win.

May 18, 2008: T, 0-0

The RailHawks outshot Minnesota 13-9, but the goalkeepers stole the show. Carolina's Chris McClellan had six saves, while Minnesota counterpart Nicolas Platter made eight. The match also featured 39 fouls, though zero cards.

July 11, 2008: T, 2-2

This match featured three goals in the first 31 minutes, but like their first meeting, the Thunder found a way to equalize late.

Minnesota's Dale Weller found the back of the net in the seventh minute, but Martin Nunez converted a 26th minute penalty, and Santiago Fusilier scored five minutes later to give Carolina a 2-1 lead. But Minnesota's Melvin Tarley equalized in the 80th minute.

Aug. 22, 2008: W, 2-1

The RailHawks earned their first ever win over the Thunder at the National Sports Center in Blaine, Minn., in the team's fifth meeting all-time. Caleb Norkus scored in the 10th minute and Santiago Fusilier staked the RailHawks to a 2-0 lead with a goal in the 34th.

RAILHAWKS IN OPENERS

The RailHawks are 0-0-2 in season openers and 1-0-1 in home openers.

In 2007, Carolina played its first ever game at WakeMed Soccer Park and tied Minnesota 1-1.

In 2008, after opening the season with a 1-1 draw at Atlanta, the RailHawks won the following week in Cary 1-0 over Charleston.

RENNIE IN OPENERS

In his two seasons in Cleveland, Martine Rennie went 2-0-0 in season and home openers.

In 2008, Rennie's Stars beat Pittsburgh 2-1 in their season and home opener.

In 2007, Cleveland beat Cincinnati 2-1 in the season opener, then beat New Hampshire 3-2 in the home opener. Brian Levey, currently one of the RailHawks' goalkeepers, was in the net for the Phantoms that day in Cleveland.

REVENGE IN THE WORKS?

Minnesota knocked the RailHawks out of the playoff race on the final day of the season last year.

The RailHawks needed to defeat Portland at home, and they needed Montreal to defeat the Thunder in Minnesota. Carolina did its part, earning a 1-0 win on Martin Nunez's 90th-minute goal. However, Minnesota whipped Montreal 3-1, and the Thunder grabbed the seventh and final playoff berth in the USL-1 playoffs.

SCHULTE FACES OLD CLUB

After helping Cleveland City win the USL-2 championship and being named the USL-2 Defender of the Year in 2008, Carolina defender Mark Schulte joined the Minnesota Thunder for the final month of the USL-1 season on loan.

Schulte made his debut with the Thunder on Aug. 29, six days after winning the USL-2 title with Cleveland and five days after the RailHawks defeated Minnesota 2-1.

Schulte started the Thunder's final six regular-season games and logged 518 minutes and one assist. Minnesota went 3-0-3 in those six matches. He also played all 180 minutes of the Thunder's two-leg quarterfinal against Vancouver, which Minnesota lost 5-4 on aggregate.

Schulte previously played for the Thunder in 2000-03.

NO WATSON

Matt Watson, Carolina's 2008 team MVP, will not be with the RailHawks this weekend. He is still playing with the Baltimore Blast of the Major Indoor Soccer League.

While the RailHawks face the Thunder on Saturday, Watson will be playing for the Blast in the MISL championship game in Baltimore. He will join Carolina next week.

WEATHER REPORT

All three meetings between Carolina and Minnesota last season were played in suspect weather. The May 18 match featured rain, the July 11 match featured severe weather, and the Aug. 22 match was played under cloud cover and gusty winds.

That should not be a problem Saturday. According to weather.com, the forecast for Saturday is 71 degrees, partly cloudy with 13 m.p.h. winds. There's only a 22 percent chance of rain.

BIRTHDAY BOY

Saturday is Carolina goalkeeper Brian Levey's birthday. He turns 25.

NEW LOOK USL-1

The USL First Division will have a slightly different look in 2009 versus 2008.

The Atlanta Silverbacks will sit out the 2009 season, and the Seattle Sounders have left the league for Major League Soccer.

In their place, the Cleveland City Stars have moved up from USL-2 to USL-1, and the expansion Austin Aztex will make their debut.

With 11 clubs in USL-1, each team will play each other three times in a 30-match regular season. The top seven teams will advance to the playoffs. The first place team will win the Commissioner's Cup and receive a bye to the quarterfinals.

The quarterfinal round will pit the two through seven seeds in a two-leg aggregate goal series. The three winners will move on to the semifinals, with the lowest remaining seed face the regular-season champion.

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