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NASL North Carolina FC

RailHawks Re-Sign Club Stalwart Kupono Low

January 22, 2015 - North American Soccer League (NASL)
North Carolina FC News Release


Cary, NC (January 22, 2015) - The Carolina RailHawks announced the resigning of defender Kupono Low ahead of the 2015 NASL Season.

"Kupono has been here since the start", said RailHawks Head Coach Colin Clarke. "He is that one player that everybody in this area knows. I'm glad he is back for another year. He is good from a standpoint of helping with the young kids and that is important to us, he also brings that continuity with someone who has been here for a long time. The players we have signed this year have a little more leadership and experience, we want to win a championship and Kupono is a big part of that".

Affectionately known by the fans as "Mr. RailHawk", Low rejoins the team having previously spent eight seasons as an integral player within the defense. Low currently holds the all-time record of most appearances with the club at 220.

Hailing from Honolulu, Hawaii, Low played college soccer at California State University, Fresno from 1999 to 2002. During this time, Low also played for the Central Coast Roadrunners in the USL Premier Development League. Low then played for the California Gold in the third division USL Pro Select League in 2003, the Syracuse Salty Dogs of the USL A-League in 2004 and before signing with Irish side Sligo Rovers Football Club, whom he helped win promotion to the Premier Division. Upon his return to the United States, "Mr. RailHawk" played two seasons with USL First Division team Virginia Beach Mariners but after the team folded in 2007, Low signed with the newly-founded RailHawks.

Low did not only start the first match in the club's history but also went to score the franchise's first goal on April 21, 2007 against the Minnesota Thunder and became RailHawks seasons' Most Valuable Player. Over the last eight years Low has been a mainstay in the RailHawks starting eleven. In 2011, he was named to the North American Soccer League's Best XI and was named Defensive player of the year in 2012. He was also member of the 2011 and 2013 NASL Regular Season Championships. Despite a knee injury in 2010 that caused him to miss the first 22 matches of the season, Low has played at least 25 matches in each season with the RailHawks. In the last two seasons with the team (2013 and 2014), Low has seen action in 62 matches and clocked in over 5,052 minutes. Low is the last remaining player on the RailHawks roster from the inaugural 2007 squad.

The RailHawks roster is now comprised of 13 players: one goalkeeper (Hunter Gilstrap), four defenders (Conor Tobin, Daniel Scott, Austen King, and Kupono Low), five midfielders (Nazmi Albadawi, Tiyi Shipalane and Leo Osaki, Neil Hlavaty and Mark Anderson) and three forwards (Nacho Novo, Daniel Jackson and Simone Bracalello).

Low and the RailHawks will open the 2015 Season at home against Ottawa Fury FC on Saturday, April 4 th at 1:00pm. RailHawks 2015 Ticket Packages are currently on sale and can be purchased by calling the Johnson Maserati Box Office at (919) 459-8144 or e-mailing Tickets@CarolinaRailHawks.com. For more information on Season Tickets and Flex Plans visit www.CarolinaRailHawks.com. Keep up with all RailHawks news by following them on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

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