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USL-1 North Carolina FC

RailHawks, Rhinos to rumble in Rochester

August 21, 2009 - USL First Division (USL-1)
North Carolina FC News Release


The Carolina RailHawks continue their push toward the top of the USL First Division table on Saturday when they face Rochester at 7:35 p.m. at Marina Auto Stadium.

The RailHawks (13-5-5) enter the weekend in third place with 44 points, one back of Charleston and five behind league leader Portland. Portland leads the league with 48. Carolina is on a six-match unbeaten streak (4-0-2) where they've outscored their opponents 11-1. A win or tie Saturday would match the longest unbeaten streak in club history, which was set over the first seven games of the 2008 season (4-0-3).

"There's no denying it's going to a big game in Rochester," said Carolina coach Martin Rennie. "It always is. It's always one of the harder places to go. They've been on a long run of home games, and this is the last one. We've just got to go up there and focus on putting in another good performance for the whole game like we did last time."

Saturday's match will close out a seven-game homestand for the Rhinos, who are 2-3-1 at Marina Auto Stadium during that stretch. They've allowed seven goals in the last two matches, including a 90th-minute equalizer on Wednesday that led to a 3-3 tie with Minnesota. With their struggles at home, the Rhinos will surely be looking to build some momentum as they hit the road for four straight games.

The RailHawks are looking to establish a new shutout streak in Rochester after seeing their club record halted at 566 minutes in Tuesday's 1-1 draw with Vancouver at WakeMed Soccer Park. And Rochester is as good a team as any to get that new streak going. In two matches against the Rhinos this year, Carolina has yet to concede a goal.

The RailHawks will also look to reverse a trend that continued with Tuesday's tie against the Whitecaps. In their four matches following a tie this season, Carolina has gone 0-3-1.

SCOUTING ROCHESTER

The Rhinos are 9-8-6 this season and sit in fifth place in the USL-1 with 33 points, four clear of Montreal. The Rhinos are the only team in the league with a winning record and a negative goal differential (minus-4).

They are 3-4-5 at home this season with as many goals scored as allowed (15).

Rochester should have back forward Johnny Menyongar, who is tied for the league lead in goals (nine). He was red carded in the Rhinos' 4-1 loss to Portland on Saturday and sat out their 3-3 tie against Minnesota on Wednesday.

Forward Warren Ukah has three goals and two assists in 10 games since joining the Rhinos in late June.

Defender John Ball has six assists, and midfielder Tiger Fitzpatrick has two goals and five assists.

Goalkeeper Scott Vallow has regained his form after missing a big chunk of the summer with a hamstring injury. Dating back to the RailHawks' first visit to Rochester, Vallow has started three of the Rhinos' last four matches. Tim Melia got the nod on Wednesday against Minnesota and made eight saves.

SERIES HISTORY

The RailHawks enter Saturday's match with a 2-2-4 all-time record against the Rhinos. After failing to win any of the first six meetings, Carolina has won the last two.

On April 22, Sallieu Bundu scored the game-winning goal in the 56th minute at WakeMed Soccer Park.

On Aug. 5, Kupono Low scored the game-winning goal in the 90th minute at Marina Auto Stadium. Goalkeeper Caleb Patterson turned in a masterful seven-save performance, an effort that earned him Goalkeeper of the Week honors. Before the away win, Carolina was 0-2-1 and had been outscored 7-4 in its three previous visits to Rochester.

LAST TIME OUT

After a scoreless tie in Vancouver on Saturday, the RailHawks and Whitecaps played to a 1-1 draw at WakeMed Sooccer Park on Tuesday. The RailHawks outshot Vancouver 15-9, but found themselves trailing 1-0 just past the hour mark. Vancouver's Marcus Haber lobbed the opening salvo in the 66th minute, but the RailHawks pressed for the equalizer and got it from Andriy Budnyy in the 87th minute. Budnyy's goal allowed the RailHawks to earn a point from the match, just the fourth time in club history that the RailHawks have managed a tie after conceding the first goal of the game. They are 0-27-4 in such contests. Tuesday's draw was the first time all season that the RailHawks played to a tie in consecutive games.

SUPER SUBS

John Cunliffe and Andriy Budnyy entered Tuesday's match together as 78th minute substitutes looking to make an impact on the match in the 12 minutes of time they had on the field. All they needed was nine. Cunliffe assisted on Budnyy's 87th minute equalizer that gave the RailHawks a 1-1 tie.

PLAYER NOTES

*Forward Andriy Budnyy scored his third goal of the season against Vancouver, and he's scored two goals and had one assist in the RailHawks' last five matches.

*After making his first start since July 24 at Vancouver last Saturday, midfielder John Cunliffe came on as a substitute Tuesday against the Whitecaps and earned his first assist of the season.

*Goalkeeper Eric Reed recorded a season-high seven saves against Vancouver.

*Defender Devon McKenney made his first start Tuesday since Aug. 1 and logged 86 minutes.

*Defender and captain Mark Schulte had the night off Tuesday against Vancouver, the first USL-1 match he did not play in since June 14. Of the RailHawks' 29 total matches in 2009, Schulte has appeared in 26 and played 2,351 minutes.

STAT LEADERS*

Goals: Sallieu Bundu, Daniel Paladini (5)

Assists: Daniel Paladini (5)

Minutes: Mark Schulte (2,351)

Shots: Daniel Paladini (49)

Fouls: Amir Lowery (40)

*includes USL-1 matches, U.S. Open Cup matches and five friendlies in 2009

CAROLINA VS USL-1*

The following are the RailHawks' team statistics for the year and in parentheses is where they rank in each category compared to the rest of the USL First Division.

Shots: 264 (4th)

Shots allowed: 244 (3rd)

Goals scored: 29 (4th)

Goals allowed: 14 (T-9th)

Saves: 77 (9th)

Shutouts: 14 (1st)

Times shut out: 5 (T-10th)

*based only on USL-1 matches

2008 VS 2009 SEASON COMPARISON

Through 22 games in 2008: 5-9-9, 24 points, 21 GF, 32 GA, 5 SO

Through 22 games in 2009: 13-5-5, 44 points, 29 GF, 14 GA, 14 SO

USL-1 HONORS

Team of the Week

Week 2: Jack Stewart, Josh Gardner

Week 3: John Gilkerson, Brian Plotkin

Week 4: John Gilkerson

Week 6: Devon McKenney, Luke Kreamalmeyer

Week 7: Daniel Paladini, Kupono Low, Andriy Budnyy

Week 8: Kupono Low, Daniel Paladini

Week 11: Matt Watson

Week 14: Caleb Norkus, Sallieu Bundu

Week 15: Gregory Richardson

Week 16: Gregory Richardson

Week 17: Joseph Kabwe, Kupono Low, Gregory Richardson

Week 18: Caleb Patterson

Week 19: Caleb Patterson, Jeremy Tolleson

Player of the Week

Week 1: Mark Schulte Week 16: Gregory Richardson

USL STANDINGS

Portland 13-1-9, 48 points

Charleston 12-4-9, 45 points

Carolina 13-5-5, 44 points

Puerto Rico 11-5-8, 41 points

Rochester 9-8-6, 33 points

Montreal 8-10-5, 29 points

Vancouver 7-9-7, 28 points

Miami 7-10-4, 25 points

Minnesota 4-10-8, 20 points

Austin (-2) 3-12-8, 15 points

Cleveland 2-15-7, 13 points

USL-1 SCHEDULE - WEEK 20

Tuesday, Aug. 18 Vancouver 1, Carolina 1 Montreal 2, Cleveland 1

Wednesday, Aug. 19 Minnesota 3, Rochester 3

Friday, Aug. 20 Vancouver at Charleston, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 22 Minnesota at Cleveland, 7 p.m. Carolina at Rochester, 7:35 p.m. Miami at Portland, 10 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 23 Austin at Montreal, 3:45 p.m. Miami at Vancouver 7 p.m.

NEXT UP

The RailHawks return to WakeMed Soccer Park on Wednesday to face Miami at 7 p.m. Led by Gregory Richardson's hat trick, the RailHawks won the season's first meeting with the Blues 4-0 on July 26 in Cary.

Check out the North Carolina FC Statistics



USL First Division Stories from August 21, 2009


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