CARY, NC. -- The NASL Regular Season Champion Carolina RailHawks play Minnesota in their final match of the 2011 regular season Saturday at WakeMed Soccer Park 7 p.m..

The first-place RailHawks (17-3-7) have already secured the No. 1 seed in the NASL Playoffs and a bye to the semifinals. Minnesota (8-9-10) comes to the Triangle looking to secure the sixth and final playoff berth. The Stars will qualify with a win over the RailHawks on Saturday.

Having dropped their last three matches, the RailHawks are undoubtedly looking to head into the postseason on a winning note. Not only are the RailHawks facing a team Saturday trying to get into the playoffs, but the Stars are also the only team the RailHawks have not defeated in the NASL this season (0-2-1).

Given the stakes, it’s safe to expect an entertaining match. Factor in their history, and it’s a given. In seven all-time meetings, including the playoffs, four matches have seen a player sent off.  Six of seven matches have ended tied or a one-goal game. The only time either team has scored more than one goal against the other was in last year’s quarterfinal meeting, where the RailHawks scored four goals over the final 30 minutes of the second leg.

Heading into the season’s 25th week, the RailHawks sit at the top of the table on 54 points, two points clear of Puerto Rico, which ended their regular season earlier this week. Carolina is looking to add to its club record totals for wins (17) and goals (49) in a season, and they are one point shy of matching the club record for points in a season (55).

The RailHawks have been virtually unbeatable at WakeMed Soccer Park this year, where they are 11-1-1. Since dropping the season opener, they’re unbeaten over their last12 at home. The only team to pull a point out of WakeMed Soccer Park during that streak is Minnesota. The RailHawks have outscored their opponents 29-8 at home, and they’ve posted seven shutouts, including two straight.

The RailHawks have been in first place since April, and they remained there on the strength of the league’s most prolific attack and its most stingy defense. The RailHawks have scored a league-leading 49 goals, and their goal differential is plus-25.

Defensively, the RailHawks’ 24 goals allowed and 0.889 goals against average are both best in the league. Their GAA is the only one in the NASL under 1.00. 

Forward Etienne Barbara has scored an NASL-best 20 goals this season, and he leads the league in assists (eight) as well. Pablo Campos is tied for second in the NASL with 11 goals. Nick Zimmerman has added five goals, and Matt Watson three. Jonny Steele remains second in the league with seven assists.

Goalkeeper Brad Knighton leads all NASL goalkeepers in minutes played (2,390), and he’s among the league leaders in goals against average, shutouts (eight) and saves (110).

Like the RailHawks, Minnesota has fallen on difficult times as of late. Since Aug. 10, the Stars are 1-2-6. They ended a four-match losing streak and seven-match winless streak with a 2-0 shutout of Atlanta on Sept. 10. The Stars have scored 28 goals this season, second fewest in the league, while the 31 goals they’ve conceded are third fewest.

Forward Simone Bracalello leads the team with six goals and one assist, while Devin Del Do has added five and Neil Hlavaty four. Goalkeeper Joe Warren has made 102 saves this season and posted a goals against average of 1.12.

PLAYOFF PICTURE

With one regular-season match remaining, the NASL Playoff picture is almost in focus.

The top six teams in the table advance to the NASL Playoffs. Heading into the final week of the regular season, here is what the playoff picture looks like:

• Carolina RailHawks: Clinched No. 1 seed, bye to semifinals
• Puerto Rico Islanders: Clinched No. 2 seed, bye to semifinals
• Tampa Bay: Clinches No. 3 seed with win or tie at Ft. Lauderdale. Clinches No. 4 seed with loss to Ft. Lauderdale*
• Ft. Lauderdale: Clinches No. 3 seed with win over Tampa Bay. Clinches No. 4 seed with loss or tie against FCTB.*
• Edmonton: Clinched No. 5 seed, will play at Tampa Bay or Ft. Lauderdale, whichever finishes in fourth place, in quarterfinals
• Minnesota: Clinches No. 6 seed with win over Carolina Saturday. If the Stars tie Carolina, they will clinch the No. 6 seed with a Montreal tie or loss to Atlanta**
• Montreal: Clinches No. 6 seed with Minnesota loss to Carolina AND win or tie against Atlanta

The NASL Playoffs begin with single leg Quarterfinals on Sept. 30. Two-leg semifinals begin Oct. 8, and the two-leg Championship begins Oct. 24.

* If Tampa Bay and Ft. Lauderdale finish tied on points, FCTB wins the tiebreaker by virtue of winning the season series.

** If Minnesota and Montreal finish tied on points, Montreal wins the tiebreaker by virtue of winning the season series.

LAST TIME OUT

The RailHawks fell 1-0 at Puerto Rico last weekend in their final away match of the 2011 regular season.

Puerto Rico’s Petter Villegas capitalized on a RailHawks miscommunication at the back and scored the game’s only goal in the 57th minute 

Puerto Rico goalkeeper Ray Burse denied  Etienne Barbara’s four shots on goal to keep the RailHawks off the board, while Carolina goalkeeper Brad Knighton made four saves in a losing effort.

The RailHawks finished the season 6-6-2 on the road.

SERIES HISTORY

Saturday’s match is the fourth and final regular-season meeting between the RailHawks and Stars. The RailHawks are 0-2-1 in three matches this season against Minnesota.

Their  last match, on Aug. 17 at WakeMed Soccer, ended a 1-1 draw. After a scoreless first half, the teams scored both goals in the first 10 minutes of the second half. In the 48th minute, Jonny Steele played Pablo Campos into space, and Campos tucked the chance into the goal. But seven minutes later, Minnesota scored in similar fashion, with Lucas Rodriguez burying his chance at the far post. The RailHawks outshot the Stars 13-9.

In their  July 9 match in Blaine, Minn., the RailHawks and Stars seemed destined to play a scoreless draw, but Amani Walker tucked the ball in in added time to deal the RailHawks a 1-0 defeat.  The match was tight throughout and featured 29 fouls. Minnesota held a slight edge in shots (14-13) and both teams’ goalkeepers made five saves.

In the season’s first meeting on April 30, the RailHawks and Stars played to a 1-1 draw at the National Sports Center. Etienne Barbara converted a 59th-minute penalty that saw the RailHawks go up 1-0, but Minnesota answered back quickly. In the 66th minute, Simone Bracallelo capitalized in a Carolina giveaway to even that match at goal apiece. The RailHawks were held to five shots, while Knighton had five saves.

In the all-time series, the RailHawks are 0-3-2 against Minnesota (1-4-2, including postseason). The Stars won both matches in 2010 by scores of 1-0, though the RailHawks did prevail 4-0 on aggregate in the playoffs. The Stars are the only team in the NASL that the RailHawks have not defeated in 2011, and they were the only team the RailHawks did not beat during the 2010 regular season

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 20 goals, eight assists, 48 points and 73 shots.

Forward Pablo Campos is tied for second  in the league with 11 goals.

Midfielder Jonny Steele is second in the league with seven assists.

Goalkeeper Brad Knighton is second in the league in goals against average (0.885), and saves (110).

Defender and captain Kupono Low ranks seventh  in the league in minutes played (2,210).

MISC. NOTES

• Brad Knighton set the club record for saves in a season after making four saves last weekend at Puerto Rico. He has 110 saves on the season.
• Tyler Lassiter has played every minute of the last four matches since joining the RailHawks ahead of their Sept. 3 match against Tampa Bay.
• Gareth Evans has played every minute of the last five matches since joining the RailHawks ahead of their Aug. 27 match against Atlanta.
• The RailHawks are 11-1-1 in home matches this season, and they’re unbeaten in 12 straight.
• The RailHawks are undefeated in games in which they score the first goal this season (12-0-3). They are 5-0-6 in matches where they concede the first goal.
• The RailHawks have set new team records for wins in a season (17) and goals in a season (49) this season, and they are one point shy of  tying the club record for points in a season.
• The RailHawks have been shutout in three straight matches and have not scored a goal in 322 minutes, the second-longest scoring drought in club history.

2011 STAT LEADERS

Appearances: Brad Knighton (27)

Starts: Brad Knighton (27)

Minutes (All Players):Brad Knighton (2,390)

Minutes (Field Players):Kupono Low (2,210)

Goals: Etienne Barbara (20)

Assists:Etienne Barbara (8)

Shots: Etienne Barbara (74)

Yellow cards:John Krause (8)

Red cards:5 players tied (1)

Saves: Brad Knighton (110)

NASL TABLE

NASL SCHEDULE – WEEK 25

Wednesday, Sept. 21

Puerto Rico 1, Tampa Bay 0
Estadio Juan Ramon Loubriel, Bayamon, P.R.

Saturday, Sept. 24

Ft. Lauderdale vs Tampa Bay, 7 p.m.
Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg Fla.

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

Montreal vs Atlanta, 7 p.m.
Silverbacks Stadium, Atlanta, Ga. 

NASL RESULTS – WEEK 24

Saturday, Sept. 17

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

Atlanta, 1 Ft. Lauderdale 1
Lockhart Stadium, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. 

Puerto Rico 1, Carolina 0
Estadio Juan Ramon Loubriel, Bayamon, P.R.

Montreal 2, Edmonton 0
Stade Saputo, Montreal, Que.

NEXT UP

The RailHawks will not play again until Oct. 8, when they will play the first leg of their NASL Semifinal. With playoff pairings still pending outcomes from Saturday’s matches, the RailHawks will have to wait to learn their opponent. They will get their winner of the Tampa Bay vs. Minnesota/Montreal quarterfinal winner. The RailHawks will plan their return leg of the Semifinal on Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. at WakeMed Soccer Park.

2011 NASL STATISTICS