Sunday’s 2-0 win over Montreal at WakeMed Soccer Park marked the conclusion of the first half of the RailHawks’ season.

Through 14 matches, the RailHawks have asserted themselves as the team to beat in the NASL.

At 12-1-1, they have claimed a staggering 37 of 42 available points. They have built a 13-point lead in the table. They have won 10 straight and are unbeaten in their last 13. They’ve scored 33 goals, 11 more than anyone else in the league, and they’ve conceded only 11, four fewer than any other team in the league.

Since Martin Rennie took over the team in 2009, each season has gotten progressively better than its predecessor. Have look at the following table:

Defender Devon

Devon McKenney appeared in the RailHawks’ first eight matches and played every minute at right back. After sitting out four games while recovering from an ankle injury, McKenney returned to the starting 11 on June 25 in Atlanta. In the two matches since his returned, he’s found himself in different positions on the backline. In his return to the lineup against Atlanta, McKenney played 90 minutes at left back. On Sunday against Montreal, he played 90 minutes alongside Brad Rusin in the middle..

“He can play anywhere along the backline,” said RailHawks coach Martin Rennie. “He’s just an elite athlete and an excellent defender, and he can fit in wherever we need him, and he always give us a high-level performance." 

Steele Surging

Midfielder Jonny Steele is enjoying a career renaissance in his return to the Carolina RailHawks.

He made his ninth straight start Sunday night and picked up his sixth assist of the season before checking out in the 50th minute with an undisclosed injury.

His masterful long ball over the top of Montreal’s defense led to Nick Zimmerman’s goal in the 34th minute. He would have had two more assists had it not been for some stellar goalkeeping by Montreal’s Evan Bush.

“That was an absolutely incredible ball by Jonny Steele,” Zimmerman said. “He does that in practice all the time.”

 After two outstanding seasons in Puerto Rico in 2008-09, Steele signed with Vancouver for 2010 but was traded to Tampa Bay after playing in 13 matches for the Whitecaps. In 10 appearances for FCTB, Steele scored one goal and led the team with three assists.

In 2007, his first tour with the club, Steele had five assists 26 matches, though four of them were against amateur teams in the U.S. Open Cup. In 2011, he has five assists through 14 matches.

Winning Streak Hits 10

Following Sunday’s win, the consensus among those who spoke with the media was that winning 10 straight matches was something special and rarely seen.

“If you look in any sport, 10 wins in a row is something special,” said forward Nick Zimmerman. “In soccer, it takes a long time to get where we are. It’s been a fantastic run and obviously we’re looking to get No. 11.”

“It’s pretty incredible,” said goalkeeper Brad Knighton. “You dream of seasons like this. There are many professional teams in the world that are going to win 10 games straight like this.”

At 10 consecutive wins, the RailHawks are approaching some rarefied air. Consider:

• Manchester United’s club record winning streak is 14 matches, a record dating back to 1930.
• Barcelona enjoyed a 16-match winning streak in the most recent Spanish La Liga season, breaking a record that stood for 50 years.
• During Arsenal’s 2003-04 Invincibles season, the Gunners never won 10 straight. The longest winning streak of their remarkable, undefeated march through the English Premier League was nine matches.
• DC United, the most decorated team in U.S. pro soccer, won 14 straight to open the 1997 season, but that record was aided by shootout victories.

Misc. Notes

• In addition to 10 straight wins overall, the RailHawks have also won seven straight at WakeMed Soccer Park, one shy of the club record.
• Pablo Campos’ ended his four-game goalless drought on Sunday when he scored the first goal of the game in the 30th minute. Campos has six goals on the year, fourth most in the NASL.
• Nick Zimmerman has scored three goals in the last two games. He picked up his fifth of the season in the 34th minute on Sunday.
• Brad Knighton earned his fifth shutout of the season Sunday night. He now leads the league in that category and goals against average, which he lowered to 0.78, and he’s second in the league with 57 saves.
• Chris Nurse earned his third assist of the season Sunday night, setting up Pablo Campos’ 30th minute goal.
• Midfielder Stephen Glass returned and saw his first action since June 4 on Sunday. He checked into the match in the 77th minute for Nick Zimmerman.
• Forward Brian Farber saw his first action since May 28 on Sunday. He checked in to the match in the 50th minute for Jonny Steele.
• Midfielder Matt Watson’s three-match point streak came to an end on Sunday.
• Forward Etienne Barbara was pointless against Montreal on Sunday, just the second time in 14 matches he did not record a goal or assist.