The NASL-leading Carolina RailHawks (10-1-1) head to Atlanta on Saturday to face the Silverbacks at 7:30 p.m. at Silverbacks Stadium. It’s the RailHawks’ first trip to Atlanta since May 31, 2008.

The RailHawks head into the weekend leading the NASL by 11 points over second-place Edmonton. They have won eight straight matches and are undefeated over their last 11 (10-1-0).

The RailHawks continue winning largely because they continue scoring goals in bunches. Their 26 goals scored lead the league, and they’re the only team in the NASL to score better than 2.0 per game (2.17). They have scored at least two goals in nine of 12 games this season, and they have yet to be shut out in 2011.

Forward Etienne Barbara has led the way with 13 goals and seven assists, while Pablo Campos has contributed five goals and one assist. Forwards Allan Russell and Nick Zimmerman have added five goals between them.

The RailHawks are also getting it done at the other end of the park. Their 10 goals allowed are fewest in the league, and they are the only NASL club with a goals against average under 1.00 (0.83). During the last six games, the RailHawks have conceded just three goals and posted three shutouts.

Atlanta (1-2-9) enters the weekend at the bottom of the NASL table with five points. The Silverbacks have conceded 22 goals while scoring eight. They have scored five goals in the last three games. They snapped a nine-match winless streak with a 2-1 win over Montreal on June 8, but they have lost their last two, 3-2 at Tampa Bay on June 12 and 3-1 at Puerto Rico on June 19.

LAST TIME OUT

The RailHawks extended their club-record winning streak to eight matches with a 3-1 come-from-behind win over Tampa Bay last Saturday at WakeMed Soccer Park.

After falling behind 1-0 in the 18th minute, Matt Watson equalized with a 25-yard thunderbolt in the 36th minute, the second straight game in which he scored a goal. Etienne Barbara resumed his goal scoring after a one-game layoff by finding the back of the net in the 69th minute, and Barbara helped put the game away in stoppage time when he fed Allan Russell for a tap-in.

The RailHawks outshot Tampa 15-13, including a 7-3 margin in shots on target. The win was the RailHawks’ third of the season against Tampa and extended their unbeaten mark to 11 games.

SERIES HISTORY

Saturday’s match will be the second of four in 2011 against Atlanta and the ninth all-time meeting between the two clubs. They will meet again on July 30 at WakeMed Soccer Park and Aug. 27 in Atlanta.

In the season’s first match, on May 28 at WakeMed Soccer Park, the Silverbacks held the RailHawks scoreless for 80 minutes before Carolina finally broke through. In the 81st minute, Etienne Barbara played the ball into the area, and Pablo Campos, unmarked on the back post, laid out to head it into the goal. Allan Russell tacked on another in stoppage time to give the RailHawks a 2-0 win. RailHawks goalkeeper Brad Knighton had four saves to earn the shutout. Atlanta counterpart Felipe Quintero made six saves in a losing effort for the Silverbacks. The matched featured 27 shots and 30 fouls.

All-time, the RailHawks are 2-4-2 against Atlanta, including a 1-1-2 mark at Silvberbacks Stadium.

DOWN, NEVER OUT

Falling behind 1-0 to Tampa Bay in the 18th minute last weekend marked just the fourth  time this season the RailHawks trailed an opponent at any point in a game this season, and it was first time since Ft. Lauderdale’s Patrick Otte scored in the eighth minute on May 11.

Not only did the RailHawks come back to tie the game just 18 minutes later, they went on to win the match and pick up their third come-from-behind victory of the season. Before 2011, the RailHawks had two come-from-behind wins in the franchise’s four-year history.

Falling behind has been a rare occurrence this season, but when the RailHawks are facing a deficit, it doesn’t last very long. In total, the RailHawks have trailed for 92 minutes all season. After trailing Puerto Rico for 54 minutes in the season opener on April 9, they trailed the other three opponents for a total of 38 minutes.

Conversely, the RailHawks have led for 447 minutes of the 1,080 they’ve played over 12 games this 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 13 goals, seven assists and 33 points.

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

Midfielders Floyd Franks and Jonny Steele are tied with two others for third in the league with three assists.

Goalkeeper Brad Knighton is tied for the league lead in shutouts (four), is second in both saves (51) and goals against average (0.82).

PLAYER NOTES

• Midfielder Matt Watson scored his second goal in as many games in the RailHawks’ 3-1 win over Tampa Bay last weekend.
• Forward Etienne Barbara scored a goal and had two assists in the RailHawks’ win over Tampa Bay. He has a goal or an assist in 11 of 12 matches this season.
• Forward Allan Russell scored his third goal of the season in the RailHawks’ win over Tampa. Russell has scored three goals on five shots in 119 minutes of play for the RailHawks this season.
• Defender Brad Rusin returned to the starting 11 against Tampa Bay after sitting out the RailHawks’ June 10 match at Edmonton.
• Defender Kupono Low will miss his first match of the season Saturday due to yellow card accumulation.

2011 STAT LEADERS

Appearances: Floyd Franks, Kupono Low, Etienne Barbara, John Krause, Nick Zimmerman, Brad Knighton (12)
Starts: Floyd Franks, Kupono Low, John Krause, Nick Zimmerman, Brad Knighton (12)
Minutes: Floyd Franks, Kupono Low, John Krause, Brad Knighton (1,080)
Goals: Etienne Barbara (13)
Assists: Etienne Barbara (7)
Shots: Etienne Barbara (37)
Yellow cards: Kupono Low (5)
Red cards: Pablo Campos, Jonny Steele (1)
Saves: Brad Knighton (51)

NASL TABLE

NASL SCHEDULE – WEEK 12

Saturday, June 25

Carolina vs Atlanta, 7:30 p.m.
Atlanta Silverbacks Stadium, Atlanta, Ga.

Puerto Rico vs Ft. Lauderdale, 7:30 p.m.
Lockhart Stadium, Ft. Lauderdale Fla.

Sunday, June 26

Montreal vs Edmonton
Foote Field, Edmonton, Alb.

NASL RESULTS – WEEK 11

Wednesday, June 15

Edmonton 3, Puerto Rico 0
Foote Field, Edmonton, Alb.

Saturday, June 18

Ft. Lauderdale 0, Montreal 0
Stade Saputo, Montreal, Que.

Carolina 3, Tampa Bay 1
WakeMed Soccer Park, Cary, N.C.

Edmonton 1, Minnesota 1
National Sports Center, Blaine, Minn.

Sunday, June 19

Puerto Rico 3, Atlanta 1
Estadio Juan Roman Loubriel, Bayamon, PR

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