Carolina RailHawks News Release - www.carolinarailhawks.com
Thursday, March 20, 2008
RailHawks prepare for UNC-Greensboro
CARY, NC -- The Carolina RailHawks will face their first test in preparation for the 2008 USL-1 season, just five days into training camp. The Spartans of UNC-Greensboro will visit WakeMed Soccer Park on Friday March 21st at 7:00 PM. The match will take place on Field Two beside WakeMed Stadium and tickets for the event are $5.
The UNC-G Spartans are led by Thomas Campbell, a New Jersey native, who scored 13 goals in the 2007 season helping the team reach the final of the Southern Conference Championship. The Spartans overall record in 2007 was 11-8-2 and won the SoCon regular season making their coach Michael Parker one of the most successful coaches in college soccer history.
“We’re looking to start our preseason on a high note and bring back a positive result,” said RailHawks Head Coach Scott Schweitzer. “We’ll be trying out three different lineups each playing approximately 30 minutes.”
The RailHawks will feature last year’s stars, including Captain Frankie Sanfilippo, Goalkeeper Chris McClellan, Defender David Stokes, Midfielder Joey Worthen and Forward Connally Edozien. In addition fans will have a chance to see some of the RailHawks new players in action Friday night as Forwards Jacob Coggins and Martin Nuñez, Defender Richard Perdomo and Goalkeeper Brian Levey are all expected to play. Coach Schweitzer will also try some of the players who are not under contract but hoping for one of the few roster spots remaining.
Friday, February 8, 2008
CARY, NC -- The Carolina RailHawks released their preseason schedule in preparation of the USL-1 season. Aside from the already announced USL/MLS matchup with the New York Red Bulls on March 28th, Carolina RailHawks Head Coach Scott Schweitzer put together an impressive schedule to prepare for his team’s sophomore season with four matches in March and three in April.
“We expect our preseason to go a lot better than last year,” said RailHawks head Coach Scott Schweitzer. “We will use the first half of each match to try and get our results in and the second half to try out new things and new players.”
With training camp set to begin on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17th, the Carolina RailHawks will have only four days to get reacquainted with each other before their first test on Friday March 21st when the RailHawks meet the Spartans of UNC-Greensboro at 7 PM at WakeMed Soccer Park. On Tuesday, March 25th at 7 PM, the RailHawks will face Campbell University’s Camels just three days before the big match against the New York Red Bulls on Friday, March 28th. NCAA College Cup Champion Wake Forest University will visit WakeMed Soccer Park the following evening on Saturday March 29th at 7 PM and the RailHawks hope to reverse the result from last year’s matchup against the Demon Deacons.
April will see two more college teams and one USL-1 team grace the fields at WakeMed Soccer Park. On Wednesday April 9th at 7PM, the Tarheels of UNC- Chapel Hill return for the second year in a row to face the RailHawks and on Saturday April 12th at noon the RailHawks will host the University of Virginia’s Cavaliers. The final preseason game will be a rematch of the Carolina RailHawks’ inaugural match between the RailHawks and the Minnesota Thunder on Sunday, April 13th at 1 PM.
The Carolina RailHawks will open their campaign for the USL-1 championship on the road the following Friday against the Atlanta Silverbacks. The home opener will be on Saturday April 26th at 7:30 PM when the Carolina RailHawks take on their other Southern Derby rival, the Charleston Battery.
All preseason matches will be on Field 2 at WakeMed Soccer Park except the March 28th game against the New York Red Bulls, which will be on the Stadium Field. Tickets for all collegiate and USL matches on Field 2 will be $5, with the exception of the University of Virginia Match up on April 12th which will be free to all soccer fans. All tickets for the remaining preseason matches will go on sale Saturday, February 9th at 10 AM. Fans will have the opportunity to buy a preseason game pack for the five collegiate and one USL matches for $20.
Starting Monday, the Carolina RailHawks Box Office will be open from 10 AM to 6 PM, Monday through Friday, 10 Am to 2 PM on Saturday and 12 noon to 8 pm on event day Sundays.
The Carolina RailHawks are a United Soccer Leagues team that entered the USL First Division in April 2007. The squad played 14 regular season home games and seven additional home playoff, exhibition and US Open Cup games in its Inaugural Season, with all home games played at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C. Under Rochester Rhinos co-owner and USL Hall of Fame inductee Chris Economides, the RailHawks organization was formed in October 2005 and awarded the USL franchise in January 2006. In September of 2007 the Carolina RailHawks announced the addition of a USL W-League team under the direction of Head Coach Jay Howell.
