USL-1 North Carolina FC

RailHawks, Rhinos end in scoreless stalemate

August 23, 2009 - USL First Division (USL-1)
North Carolina FC News Release


ROCHESTER, N.Y. - The Carolina RailHawks extended their unbeaten streak to seven games on Saturday with a 0-0 tie against the Rochester Rhinos at Marina Auto Stadium.

The point earned Saturday allows the RailHawks (13-5-6) to pull back into a second-place tie with Charleston (45 points) with a game in hand.

"I think it was an even game," said Carolina coach Martin Rennie. "Rochester pressed pretty well, closed down spaces well and it took us a while to get used to that. As the game went on, we played well and created some chances. That's our 15th clean sheet and we're unbeaten for a while in the league. It's a good measure of how far we've come. When you think about it, we're rebuilding and we're up there in second place with a game in hand. Overall, we should be feeling good."

Carolina goalkeeper Caleb Patterson made three saves to record his ninth shutout of the season and the RailHawks' league-leading 15th. Patterson has clean sheets in his last four starts.

While the RailHawks had already won the season series with the Rhinos, Saturday's draw allowed them to go undefeated against Rochester in 2009 (2-0-1). Carolina didn't win any of the teams' first six meetings.

With the unbeaten streak now at seven games (4-0-3), it matches the club record established at the start of the 2008 season, when Carolina also went 4-0-3.

The RailHawks, weary from playing their third game in a third city in eight days, generated little on the attack and took a season-low four shots.

"We never looked likely to lose," Rennie said. "We hoped to create a bit more and we looked dangerous at times. It was an attacking lineup. We just didn't manage to get the ball under control in the final third."

In the 29th minute, Gregory Richardson's screamer went wide of the goal.

In the 66th minute, Jeremy Tolleson played a long ball down the middle of the field and hit Richardson at the top of the penalty area. Richardson's first touch was just a bit off, allowing Rochester goalkeeper Tim Melia to race off his line and deflect the ball away.

In stoppage time, John Cunliffe had a chance to net the game winner when he was played into the box. But Rochester's defense recovered just in time to deflect his shot before it reached the goal.

"Even up to the last minute, we looked like we could score," Rennie said. "We didn't quite make it tonight, but overall, I'm pleased with how we're doing."

Carolina will look to extend his unbeaten streak at WakeMed Soccer Park on Wednesday, when they will face Miami at 7 p.m. Richardson scored at hat trick in the teams' first meeting of the season on July 26 and the RailHawks rolled to a 4-0 victory.

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USL First Division Stories from August 23, 2009


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