The Carolina RailHawks conclude a whirlwind stretch of three games in three cities in eight days on Saturday, when they will face the Montreal Impact at Stade Saputo at 2:30 p.m.

The first-place RailHawks (4-1-1) are off to their best start in club history, with 13 points through their first six games. They head to Quebec this weekend unbeaten in their last five matches, and they’ll be squaring off with the team against which the undefeated streak began.

The RailHawks overcame a 1-0 deficit on April 16 and defeated the Impact 2-1 at WakeMed Soccer Park to pick up their first win of the season.

The RailHawks are on top of the league largely due to its prolific attack, which has a league-best 13 goals on the year, or 2.17 per game. After scoring six goals in their first four matches, the RailHawks have scored seven in their last two.

Forward Etienne Barbara has scored in six straight games and has seven goals so far this year. Barbara’s strike partner, Pablo Campos, has three goals in five appearances.

The Impact (1-1-2) are currently in seventh place in the NASL table. They’ve scored a modest six goals on the season, but their defense has been the stingiest in the NASL so far, conceding just three goals. On Wednesday, they defeated MLS’ New York Red Bulls 1-0 in a friendly at Stade Saputo. Montreal has played only one league match in the last  three weeks. They took a break from NASL play for the 2011 Nutrilite Canadian Championship, which they bowed out of after losing 2-1 on aggregate to Vancouver.

LAST TIME OUT

The RailHawks scored a season-high four goals and earned their third straight home win on Wednesday with a 4-2 thrashing of Ft. Lauderdale.

After falling down 1-0 through eight minutes, Pablo Campos and Etienne Barbara both scored before the half-hour mark to give the RailHawks a 2-1 halftime lead. Campos scored again in the 60th minute on a corner kick from Floyd Franks for a 3-1 advantage. David Santamaria made the final seconds compelling with a stoppage-time goal for the Strikers, but Allan Russell stamped out the threat when he scored less than a minute later for the RailHawks.

SERIES HISTORY

Saturday’s match will the second meeting of 2011 and the 16th regular-season meeting all-time between the RailHawks and Impact. Carolina is 5-3-7 all-time against Montreal, including a 4-2-2 mark during the last two seasons under Martin Rennie.

In the April 16 match at WakeMed Soccer Park, the RailHawks found themselves trailing 1-0 after just 11 minutes. But Etienne Barbara equalized in the 21st minute and Pablo Campos scored the game winner in the 35th to deliver the RailHawks a win. Carolina outshot Montreal 14-9.

The teams met seven times in 2010, including a preseason friendly and a postseason semifinal series. During the regular season, Carolina held a 2-1-1 advantage and outscored Montreal 6-3. In three trips to Montreal last year, the RailHawks went 1-0-2.

In all of their regular-season meetings, Carolina and Montreal have never played to a scoreless tie. Ten matches have ended with one team shutting out the other.

BARBARA DOES IT AGAIN

Etienne Barbara had a goal and an assist on Wednesday, giving him an NASL-leading seven goals and 16 points before the season even reaches its quarter-point.

Barbara has scored goals in six straight games, double the previous RailHawks record. He also has assists in back-to-back matches, which has only happened one other time in club history. He is one goal shy of the club record for goals in a season, which he set last year in 28 games, and he is two points shy of the club record for points in a season, which he also set last year.

During this run, he has already become the RailHawks all-time leading goal scorer (15) and he is tied for the club’s record for career points (35).

DOWN, NEVER OUT

Of 540 minutes played in the 2011 season, the RailHawks have trailed for a total of 73 minutes, 53 of which were against Puerto Rico in April 9. In the other two matches where they conceded the first goal, the RailHawks trailed for 10 and nine minutes before finding the equalizer.

The RailHawks have conceded the match’s first goal in three game’s this season. They have come back to equalize in all three matches, and they went on to win two of them.

PLAYER NOTES

• Forward Pablo Campos scored two goals on Wednesday, becoming the 15th player in club history to score twice in one game.
• Forward Etienne Barbara had one goal and one assist on Wednesday, to extend his goal scoring streak to six games.
• Midfielder Floyd Franks had two assists Wednesday, becoming the fifth player in club history to set up two goals in a game.
• Forward Allan Russell scored his first goal of the season in stoppage time on Wednesday.
• Midfielder Chris Nurse made his third straight appearance as a substitute Wednesday, coming on in the 63rd minute.
• Midfielder Jonny Steele returned to the starting 11 on Wednesday for the first time since April 9. He played the full 90 minutes.

2011 STAT LEADERS

Appearances: Floyd Franks, Kupono Low, Devon McKenney, Etienne Barbara, John Krause, Nick Zimmerman, Brad Knighton (6)
Starts: Floyd Franks, Kupono Low, Devon McKenney, John Krause, Nick Zimmerman, Brad Knighton (6)
Minutes: Floyd Franks, Kupono Low, Devon McKenney, John Krause, Brad Knighton (540)
Goals: Etienne Barbara (7)
Assists:Floyd Franks, Etienne Barbara (2)
Shots: Etienne Barbara (19)
Yellow cards: Floyd Franks, Kupono Low, John Krause (2)
Red cards: Pablo Campos, Jonny Steele (1)
Saves: Brad Knighton (26)

NASL TABLE

NASL SCHEDULE – WEEK 6

Wednesday, May 11

Carolina 4, Ft. Lauderdale 2
WakeMed Soccer Park, Cary, N.C.

Edmonton 1, Tampa Bay 1
Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg, Fla.

Saturday, May 14

Carolina vs Montreal, 2:30 p.m.
Stade Saputo, Montreal, Quebec

FC Tampa Bay vs Ft. Lauderdale, 7:30 p.m.
Lockhart Stadium, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

Atlanta vs Minnesota, 8:30 p.m.
National Sports Center, Blaine, Minn.

NASL RESULTS – WEEK 5

Saturday, May 7

Carolina 3 Tampa Bay 1
Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg, Fla.

Edmonton 2, Atlanta 0
Atlanta Silverbacks Stadium, Atlanta, Ga.

Ft. Lauderdale 1, Minnesota, 1
National Sports Center, Blaine, Minn.

NEXT UP

After playing three games in three cities in eight days, the RailHawks will have a full week to recuperate before their next match. They close out the month of May with a pair of games at WakeMed Soccer Park, first meeting Puerto Rico on May 21 and then Atlanta on May 28. Both games will begin at 7 p.m.

2011 NASL STATISTICS