CARY, N.C. -- The RailHawks close out a busy week on Saturday against Ft. Lauderdale at WakeMed Soccer Park in what will be their third match in eight days. Kick off is at 7 p.m.

The RailHawks snapped a two-match  losing skid on Wednesday with a 1-1 draw against Minnesota, but they’re seeking their first win since July 30 come Saturday evening. The RailHawks are undefeated at home over their last 10 matches (9-1-0), and they’ve been superb at WakeMed Soccer Park all season. In addition to their sterling record, the RailHawks have outscored their opponents 25-8 and posted five shutouts in 11 home dates this season.

With one point from their last three matches, the RailHawks (14-3-4) have seen their double-digit lead at the top of the NASL table trimmed to seven points. They’re leading the table with 45 points, while Puerto Rico is lurking in second place with 38. Ft. Lauderdale (6-10-5) is in sixth place, two points ahead of Edmonton and one point behind Minnesota.

The RailHawks remain at the top of the table as the season hits its 20th week, and they remain the NASL’s best offensive and defensive team. They’ve scored a league-leading 41 goals and their goal differential sits at plus-22. They’ve scored multiple goals in 11 of 20 games this season, including three or more on six occasions, and they’ve been shut out just twice.

Forward Etienne Barbara continues to lead the league in goals (16) and assists (eight), while strike partner Pablo Campos has gone for nine goals. Nick Zimmerman has added five goals, while Jonny Steele and Floyd Franks have contributed six and four assists, respectively.

The RailHawks’ 19 allowed are fewest in the league, as is their 0.905 goals against average. They are the only team in the NASL with a GAA under 1.00, and only three times this season have RailHawks allowed more than one goal. Brad Knighton has played all 1,760 minutes of the season in goal, and he leads the league in goals against average, is tied for the league lead in shutouts (six) and is second in saves (84).

The Strikers come to Cary riding a four-match unbeaten streak (3-1-0), during which they’ve outscored their opponents 6-3. They feature a mutli-faceted attack, which has scored 30 goals this season, fourth most in the NASL. Sixteen different players have accounted for those 30 goals. Brian Shriver and Martin Nunez have accounted for four goals apiece, and Abe Thompson has three goals and two assists.

The Strikers are still without the services of leading scorer Eduardo Coudet (six goals, four assists), who is serving a six-match suspension stemming from an incident against Puerto Rico on July 20.

LAST TIME OUT

The RailHawks halted their two-match losing skid on Wednesday but saw their winless run stretch to three matches following a 1-1 draw against Minnesota at WakeMed Soccer Park. The RailHawks outshot Minnesota 13-9 and took a 1-0 lead in the 48th minute. Pablo Campos was on the receiving end of a pass from Jonny Steele, and he coolly deposited a shot into the Minnesota goal. But seven minutes later, the Stars Lucas Rodriguez found the equalizer, and neither team was able to produce another goal before full time. 

SERIES HISTORY

Saturday’s match will be the third of four meetings between the RailHawks and Strikers this season. The RailHawks won the first match 4-2 on May 11 at WakeMed Soccer Park. Ft. Lauderdale won their last meeting 2-1 on Aug. 6 in Ft. Lauderdale. They will finish out the season series on Sept. 7 in Ft. Lauderdale.

In their last match, the Strikers took a 1-0 lead on Walter Restrepo’s 30-yard blast. After Ft. Lauderdale’s Abe Thompson was shown his second yellow card of the night and sent off in the 66th minute, the RailHawks capitalized on the man advantage in the 72nd minute. Following a scrum in front of the goal on a corner kick, defender John Krause redirected the ball into the net for his first goal as a RailHawk. But, moments from the final whistle, Martin Nunez capitalized on a misclear by the RailHawks defense and volleyed in from 20 yards the game-winning goal. The RailHawks were outshot 14-6 and put only two shots on target.

In their first match, the RailHawks trailed 1-0 after Patrick Otte’s eight-minute goal. But the RailHawks responded quickly, with Pablo Campos netting the first of his two goals in the 17th minute. Etienne Barbara converted a 27th-minute penalty kick for a 2-1 lead, then Campos got his second of the night on the hour mark. David Santamaria drew one back for the Strikers in stoppage time, but the RailHawks’ answered right back with Allan Russell netting one just before full time. Floyd Franks nabbed two assists on the night.

All-time against Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, the RailHawks are 7-1-4. The RailHawks were undefeated in seven straight before suffering a loss in their last match. Since Martin Rennie took over the RailHawks, Carolina has outscored Miami/Ft. Lauderdale 23-6 in seven matches.

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 16 goals, eight assists and 40 points, and he rates ninth in the league in minutes played (1,731).

Forward Pablo Campos is tied for second in the league with nine goals, and Nick Zimmerman is tied for sixth with five goals. 

Midfielder Jonny Steele is second in the league with seven asissts assists, and midfielder Floyd Franks is tied for fourth with four assists, and midfielder Chris Nurse is tied for fifth with three assists.

Goalkeeper Brad Knighton leads the league in goals against average (0.905), is tied for the league lead in shutouts (6) and is second in the league in saves (84).

Defender and captain Kupono Low ranks sixth in the league in minutes played (1,760)

MISC. NOTES

• Pablo Campos scored his ninth goal of the season on Wednesday against Minnesota, his first goal since bagging two against Edmonton on July 23.
• Jonny Steele earned his seventh of assist of the season on Wednesday, his first since June 25.
• Tony McManus started his second straight match since joining the RailHawks last week on Wednesday and played the full 90 minutes.
• Wednesday’s draw snapped the RailHawks’ club-record nine matching winning streak at WakeMed Soccer Park. However, the RailHawks remain undefeated at home (9-1-0) since dropping the season opener on April 9.
• The RailHawks remain undefeated in games in which they score the first goal this season (10-0-3).
• The RailHawks are two wins shy of matching the club record for most wins in a season (16), which was set in 2009
• The RailHawks are three goals shy of matching the club record for most goals in a season (44), which has been reset in each of Martin Rennie’s seasons on the RailHawks’ bench.

2011 STAT LEADERS

Appearances: Etienne Barbara, Brad Knighton (21)

Starts: Brad Knighton (21)

Minutes (All Players): Brad Knighton (1,850)

Minutes (Field Players): Kupono Low (1,760)

Goals: Etienne Barbara (16)

Assists: Etienne Barbara (8)

Shots: Etienne Barbara (62)

Yellow cards: Kupono Low (6)

Red cards: Pablo Campos, Jonny Steele, Chris Nurse, John Krause (1)

Saves: Brad Knighton (84)

NASL TABLE

NASL SCHEDULE – WEEK 20

Wednesday, Aug. 17

Minnesota 1, Carolina 1
WakeMed Soccer Park, Cary, N.C.

Saturday, Aug. 20

Minnesota vs Montreal, 2:30 p.m.
Stade Saputo, Montreal, Que.

Ft. Lauderdale vs Carolina, 7 p.m.
WakeMed Soccer Park, Cary, N.C.

Puerto Rico vs Tampa Bay, 7 p.m.
Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg, Fla.

Sunday Aug. 21

Atlanta vs Edmonton, 9:30 p.m.
Foote Field, Edmonton, Alb. 

NASL RESULTS – WEEK 19

Wednesday, Aug. 10

Tampa Bay 3, Montreal 3
Stade Saputo, Montreal, Que.

Puerto Rico 2, Atlanta 0
Estadio Juan Ramon Loubriel, Bayamon, PR

Ft. Lauderdale 1, Minnesota 0
National Sports Center, Blaine, Minn. 

Saturday, Aug. 13

Tampa Bay 2, Minnesota 0
Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg, Fla.

Puerto Rico 2, Carolina 0
Estadio Juan Ramon Loubriel, Bayamon, PR

Sunday, Aug. 14

Ft. Lauderdale 1, Edmonton 1
Foote Field, Edmonton, Alb.

Montreal 4, Atlanta 0
Stade Saputo, Montreal, Que.

NEXT UP

After playing three games in eight days, the RailHawks will have an  week-long break before returning to play. They’ll next face Atlanta on Saturday, Aug. 27, at Silverbacks Stadium.

2011 NASL STATISTICS