USL-1 North Carolina FC

RailHawks return to USL-1 play Saturday at Charleston

Published on July 9, 2009 under USL First Division (USL-1)
North Carolina FC News Release


After a two-week break from the USL First Division, the Carolina RailHawks return to league play on Saturday at Charleston at 7:30 p.m.

The RailHawks (7-4-3, 24 points) sit in fourth place in the USL-1, while Charleston (8-2-6, 30 points) is at the top of the table.

"It's a big game for us, and it's a local rival," said RailHawks coach Martin Rennie. "But also, we let ourselves down when we played them before and we've been doing well since then. We really want to get a good performance and look to get a good result."

In the season's first meeting - on May 9 at WakeMed Soccer Park - two former RailHawks, Dan Antonkiuk and Frankie Sanfilippo, returned to Cary and tormented their former club by scoring both goals in a 2-1 Battery win. The RailHawks were also forced to play with 10 men for the final 72 minutes after Amir Lowery's 18th-minute red card. It was the RailHawks first ever loss to Charleston in seven meetings.

In two previous trips to Charleston, the RailHawks are 2-0 and have outscored the Battery 5-1 at Blackbaud Stadium. However, the Battery are undefeated in league play at home this year (4-0-3) and they have outscored their opponents 8-2, with five shutouts. Overall, Charleston is 6-1-3 at home this year, with the lone defeat being a 4-0 loss to the Houston Dynamo in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open Cup earlier this week.

While the month of June was not kind to the RailHawks (it featured a five-match winless streak and an unexpected early exit from the U.S. Open Cup), they took advantage of a pair of friendlies last week to work out the kinks. They defeated the Panama National Team 1-0 on June 30 and the Wilmington Hammerheads 3-0 on July 3.

"We had a few weeks where we hadn't done as well, but I think we're focused on this next game," Rennie said. "Those two games built confidence and we want to play well this weekend, and if we win, I think we'll be full of confidence at that point."

The Southern Derby Cup, the fan-based cup competition, is also on the line Saturday. The RailHawks won the Cup the last two years. In order to retain it this year, they must defeat the Battery by two goals. If the RailHawks win by one goal, the teams will share the Cup for the year. A Battery win or tie returns the Cup to Charleston for the first time since 2005, when the Battery shared it with the Atlanta Silverbacks. Charleston hasn't owned the Cup outright since 2003.

SCOUTING CHARLESTON

The Battery opened the season with a 12-match unbeaten streak (6-0-6) before suffering two losses in three days in Puerto Rico June 18-20. That has been the only blip on their otherwise sterling season.

Charleston's at the top of the table largely because of its defense. The Battery's 10 shutouts are best in the league, while their plus-nine goal differential and 122 shots allowed are both second best. They allow only 7.63 shots per game (best in the league), and no one has taken more than 12 against them (Puerto Rico) all season.

Goalkeeper Dusty Hudock has conceded only three goals - second fewest in the league - in 14 starts. He's tied for the league lead in wins (eight) and leads the league in shutouts (10) and goals against average (0.215).

Forward Randi Patterson has scored six goals this season (three USL-1, three USOC). Midfielder Tyler Hemming has a goal and three assists. Forward Dan Antoniuk has two goals and an assist, as do forward Darren Spicer and defender Frankie Sanfilippo.

SERIES HISTORY

The RailHawks own a 6-1-0 record in the all-time series against the Battery. The RailHawks won the first six meetings and outscored Charleston 12-2. The Battery ended Carolina's dominance in the series on May 9, when Dan Antoniuk scored in the third minute and Frankie Sanfilippo scored what proved to be the game winner in the 56th. Not only was it the first time the RailHawks lost to Charleston, it was the first time they had ever even trailed the Battery.

CARD ACCUMULATION

Two RailHawks - Daniel Paladini and Amir Lowery - enter the weekend carrying four yellow cards apiece. The next one each gets will carry a one-match suspension. Lowery and Paladini are the only two in immediate danger, but Kupono Low and Devon McKenney, with three apiece, can see danger on the horizon.

LAST TIME OUT

The RailHawks defeated the Wilmington Hammerheads 3-0 at WakeMed Soccer Park on July 3. Kupono Low, Daniel Paladini and Brian Plotkin accounted for the goals, while Caleb Patterson notched his first shutout since June 11.

RAILHAWKS ADD RICHARDSON

The RailHawks signed Guyanese international forward Gregory Richardson earlier this week.

Richardson had been on trial with the RailHawks since last Thursday. He started Friday's friendly against Wilmington, and he was a menace on the left flank the entire 45 minutes he played. After several threatening runs throughout the first half, Richardson's work paid off in the 35th minute when his work out wide led to the game's first goal.

Richardson began his professional career in 2005-06, playing with Beacon and Pele FC in his home country. In 2007, he signed with Joe Public FC of the Trinidad & Tobago Pro League. He led the team to the 2008 First Citizens Cup, scoring four goals in four games, and he was the top goal scorer and MVP of the tournament. He made a name for himself and Joe Public in the 2008-09 CONCACAF Champions League when he scored five goals in four matches - including a hat trick plus an assist in a 4-0 romp over the New England Revolution - to lead Joe Public to the tournament's group stage.

In January, Richardson went on trial with Toronto FC and appeared in three preseason matches for TFC. In February, he was traded to the Colorado Rapids, where he remained until June 26, when he was waived. During his time with Colorado, Richardson appeared in one league match, playing 11 minutes as a substitute in the Rapids' season-opening 2-1 loss to Chivas USA. Richardson also started and played 79 minutes of the Rapids' 1-0 loss to Seattle in a U.S. Open Cup play-in game on May 26. He is the first native of Guyana to play in Major League Soccer.

PLAYER NOTES

*Midfielder Kupono Low scored his first goal since June 10, 2008, on Friday, when his 35th-minute volley opened the scoring in the RailHawks' 3-0 win over Wilmington.

*Midfielder Brian Plotkin scored in back-to-back games last week, becoming the second RailHawk to score in consecutive games this season and the sixth in club history.

*Goalkeepers Eric Reed and Caleb Patterson each notched a shutout last week. Reed had five saves in the RailHawks' 1-0 win over Panama, and Patterson made one stop in Carolina's 3-0 win over Wilmington.

*Forward Sallieu Bundu returned to the lineup last week, playing 45 minutes in each friendly. Bundu's appearance against Panama was his first since playing 89 minutes against Portland on June 11.

STAT LEADERS

Goals: Daniel Paladini, Gavin Glinton (3) Assists: Daniel Palaini (3) Shots: Daniel Paladini (33) Minutes: Mark Schulte (1,380) Fouls: Amir Lowery (24)

2008 VS 2009 COMPARISON

Through 14 games in 2008 4-4-6, 14 GF, 19 GA, 4 SO, 18 points

Through 14 games in 2009 7-4-3, 14 GF, 10 GA, 8 SO, 24 points

USL-1 STANDINGS

Charleston 8-2-6, 30 points

Puerto Rico 8-4-5, 29 points

Portland 7-1-6, 27 points

Carolina 7-4-3, 24 points

Rochester 7-5-2, 23 points

Miami 5-6-2, 17 points

Montreal 5-6-2, 17 points

Austin 3-7-6, 15 points

Vancouver 4-5-3, 15 points

Cleveland 2-10-4, 10 points

Minnesota 1-7-5, 8 points

USL-1 SCHEDULE

Thursday, July 9

Minnesota at Vancouver, 10:30 p.m.

Friday, July 10

Puerto Rico at Rochester, 8 p.m.

Saturday, July 11

Carolina at Charleston, 7:30 p.m.

Montreal at Minnesota, 8:05 p.m.

Portland at Austin, 8:30 p.m.

Sunday, July 12

Puerto Rico at Cleveland, 5 p.m.

Vancouver at Miami, 6 p.m.

NEXT UP

The RailHawks return to WakeMed Soccer Park on July 17, when they will meet the Vancouver Whitecaps at 8 p.m. in a match that will be broadcast on the Fox Soccer Channel.

Check out the North Carolina FC Statistics

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USL First Division Stories from July 9, 2009


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