The NASL-leading Carolina RailHawks (11-1-1) return to WakeMed Soccer Park on Sunday to face rival Montreal at 7 p.m. The RailHawks head into the weekend leading the league by 11 points over second-place Edmonton, and they have won nine straight matches and are undefeated over their last 12 (11-1-0).

The RailHawks??? run of form is in part due to their prolific scoring. Their 31 goals lead the league, and they???re the only team in the NASL to score better than 2.0 per game (2.39). They have scored at least two goals in 10 of 13 games this season, and they have yet to be shut out in 2011. Their five-goal explosion last weekend at Atlanta was the highest-scoring road match in club history.

Forward Etienne Barbara has led the way with 14 goals and seven assists. He has scored a goal or assist in all but one game this season. Pablo Campos has contributed five goals and one assist, and forwards Allan Russell and Nick Zimmerman have combined for seven goals. Midfielders Floyd Franks and Jonny Steele have four assists apiece.

The RailHawks are also getting it done defensively. Their 11 goals allowed are fewest in the league, and they are the only NASL club with a goals against average under 1.00 (0.85). During the last seven games, the RailHawks have conceded four goals and posted three shutouts. They have allowed two goals in a game just twice all season.

Montreal (2-4-7) enters the weekend in seventh place in the NASL table, with 10 points. The Impact have found goals difficult to come by. They have been shut out in three straight games, and their 11 goals scored this season are second fewest in the league. However, the Impact are prone to score in bunches. They own the league???s most lopsided win this year, a 5-0 victory over Edmonton on May 1. Montreal and Carolina are the only two teams to have scored five goals in a single game this season. Earlier this week, head coach Marc Dos Santos resigned his position, and technical director Nick De Santis assumed the coaching responsibilities. In their first match after the coaching change, they played defending league champion Puerto Rico to a 0-0 draw on Wednesday.

LAST TIME OUT

The RailHawks remained undefeated on the road this season (5-1-0) last Saturday after defeating Atlanta 5-1 at Silverbacks Stadium for their ninth straight win.

After falling behind 1-0 in the 10th minute, the RailHawks scored three goals before halftime then tacked on two more in the second half. Etienne Barbara equalized in the 21st minute, and Nick Zimmerman scored the go-ahead goal in the 29th. Chris Nurse tacked on another in the 36th minute. Zimmerman netted his second of the night in the 65th minute, and Brad Rusin scored the evening???s final goal in the 88th. Matt Watson, Jonny Steele, Floyd Franks, Allan Russell and Nurse all had assists, too.

It was the RailHawks??? fourth come-from-behind win of the season and second in as many games. They outshot the Silverbacks 20-10.

SERIES HISTORY

Sunday???s match will be the 20th regular-season meeting between the RailHawks and Impact. Carolina is 6-7-3 all time against Montreal, including a 5-2-2 mark during the last two and a half seasons under Martin Rennie.

Sunday???s match is the third of four meetings between the two teams this season. The season series will conclude on Sept. 11 in Montreal. The RailHawks have won the first two regular-season matches, 2-1 at WakeMed Soccer Park on April 21 and 2-1 at Stade Saputo on May 14.

On April 21, the RailHawks trailed 1-0 after 11 minutes, but Etienne Barbara netted the equalizer 11 minutes later, and Pablo Campos scored the game winner seven minutes after that. The RailHawks held a 14-9 advantage in shots, and the match between the two contentious rivals featured just 16 fouls.

Three weeks later in Montreal, the RailHawks scored the first goal quickly ??? in the eighth minute ??? and then netted an insurance goal in the 51st minute. Etienne Barbara provided both goals. The latter proved vital, as Montreal???s Idriss Ech Chergui scored one for the Impact in the 84th.

In all of their regular-season meetings, Carolina and Montreal have never played to a scoreless tie. Eleven of their 19 matches have been decided by one goal.

ZIMMERMAN PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Forward Nick Zimmerman was named the NASL Offensive Player of the Week for Week 12 after scoring two goals in the RailHawks??? 5-1 win at Atlanta last weekend.

He is the fourth different RailHawk to be named Player of the Week this season. Etienne Barbara has earned the honor four times, while Brad Rusin has been Defensive Player of the Week twice and goalkeeper Brad Knighton once.

Zimmerman is the third different RailHawk to score two goals in a game this season, and Saturday marked the fifth time its happened in 2011. Barbara has done so three times and Pablo Campos once.

DOWN, NEVER OUT

Falling behind 1-0 at Atlanta in the 10th minute last weekend marked just the fifth?? time this season the RailHawks trailed an opponent at any point in a game this season.

Not only did the RailHawks come back to tie the game 11 minutes after falling down 1-0, they went on to win the match convincingly and pick up their fourth come-from-behind victory of the season.

Through 13 games this season, the RailHawks have been down a goal five times. They have come back to tie the game on all five occasions, and they have gone on to win the last four. Of 1,170 minutes played this season, the RailHawks have trailed for 103 minutes, and they have led their opponents for 508.

RECORDS FALLING

Seemingly every week the RailHawks play, they shred another line item in the club???s record books.

This past weekend was no different.

Following Saturday???s 5-1 win at Atlanta, the RailHawks extended their club-record winning streak to nine matches and their club-record unbeaten streak to 12 matches. The win was also their fifth straight on the road ??? another club record.

And the five goals they scored were the most ever for the team in an away match. The previous high was four, which the RailHawks scored at Crystal Palace Baltimore last Sept. 25

The RailHawks scored three of their five goals in a 15-minute span in the first half Saturday. The last time they scored three in a half was also in that match at CP-Baltimore, though the RailHawks bagged three goals in five minutes there.

NASL LEADERS

Not only are the RailHawks at the top of the NASL table, several players are among the league leaders in a handful of statistical categories.

Forward Etienne Barbara leads the league with 14 goals, seven assists and 35 points.

Forward Pablo Campos is tied with three other players for fourth in the league with five goals. Forward Allan Russell is tied for fifth in the league with three goals.

Midfielders Floyd Franks and Jonny Steele are tied for second in the league with four assists.

Goalkeeper Brad Knighton is tied for the league lead in shutouts (four), is second in both saves (51) and goals against average (0.846).

PLAYER NOTES

• Midfielders Jonny Steele and Floyd Franks both picked up their fourth assists of the season Saturday, and they???re now tied for second in the league in that category.
• Defender Devon McKenney returned to the starting 11 last Saturday after missing the RailHawks??? previous four matches due to an ankle injury. He played the full 90 minutes.
• Defender Brad Rusin scored his first-ever regular-season goal for the RailHawks on Saturday night when he headed in Allan Russell???s corner kick in the 88th minute. It was Russell???s first assist of the season.
• Midfielder Nick Thompson made his professional debut Saturday in Atlanta when he entered the match as an 84th-minute substitute.
• Defender Kupono Low missed his first match of the season last weekend against Atlanta. He was suspended due to yellow card accumulation.
• Defender John Krause drew his fifth yellow card of the season and will be unavailable for selection for Sunday???s match against Montreal.??

2011 STAT LEADERS

Appearances: Floyd Franks, Etienne Barbara, John Krause, Nick Zimmerman, Brad Knighton (13)

Starts: Floyd Franks, John Krause, Nick Zimmerman, Brad Knighton (13)

Minutes:Floyd Franks, John Krause, Brad Knighton (1,170)

Goals: Etienne Barbara (14)

Assists:Etienne Barbara (7)

Shots: Etienne Barbara (43)

Yellow cards:Kupono Low (5)

Red cards:Pablo Campos, Jonny Steele (1)

Saves: Brad Knighton (54)

NASL TABLE

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NASL SCHEDULE ??? WEEK 12

Wednesday, June 29

Puerto Rico 0, Montreal 0
Stade Saputo, Montreal, Que.

Tampa Bay 1, Ft. Lauderdale 1
Lockhart Stadium, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

Sunday, July 3

Montreal vs Carolina, 7 p.m.
WakeMed Soccer Park, Cary, NC

Monday, July 4

Puerto Rico vs Atlanta, 5 p.m.
Atlanta Silverbacks Stadium, Atlanta, Ga.

Ft. Lauderdale vs FC Tampa Bay, 6 p.m.
Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg, Fla.

Edmonton vs Minnesota, 7:30 p.m.
National Sports Center, Blain, Minn.

NASL RESULTS ??? WEEK 11

Saturday, June 25

Carolina 5, Atlanta 1
Atlanta Silverbacks Stadium, Atlanta, Ga.

Puerto Rico 1, Ft. Lauderdale 1
Lockhart Stadium, Ft. Lauderdale Fla.

Sunday, June 26

Edmonton 1, Montreal 0
Foote Field, Edmonton, Alb.

NEXT UP

The RailHawks return to WakeMed Soccer Park to meet the Montreal Impact on July 3 at 7 p.m. and will be the first for three home matches for the RailHawks in July. They???ll also host Edmonton on July 23 and Atlanta on July 30.

2011 NASL STATISTICS

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