Carolina RailHawks FC - last updated on 3 January 2008
(Courtesy of Johnny Beaufays)
Club name: Carolina RailHawks Football Club
Foundation: July 19th 2006
City: Cary, North Carolina
Colours: Orange, white and blue
Website: www.carolinarailhawks.com
Honours:
Carolina RailHawks FC has currently no honours.
A bit of history:
The expansion of the USL to Cary, NC was announced on January 26, 2006 at a press conference at SAS Soccer Park. Managing Partner Chris Economides of Triangle Professional Soccer announced that he and an ownership group consisting of Frank DuRoss, Steve Donner, and Boris Jerkunica had purchased a USL-1 division expansion franchise and intended to begin play in the Spring of 2007. On October 31, 2006, F. Selby Wellman and his son Brian Wellman joined the team's ownership group.
The team's official name was announced on July 19, 2006 at the halftime interval of the 2006 USL All-Star Match. The RailHawk is a fictitious bird of prey that combines the speed and power of the locomotive with the aggressive and fierce nature of a hawk. Cary originally grew out from a depot on the New Bern, NC - Hillsborough, NC rail line and the CSX and Amtrak lines run directly across from the team's grounds. Hawks are indigenous to the area. The name "RailHawks" was chosen as part of a name-the-team contest which was won by W. Jarrett Campbell, a soccer blogger and founder of the Triangle Soccer Fanatics, the team's independent supporters club. Campbell received two lifetime season tickets as his prize.
On October 11, 2006, former Rochester Rhinos defender Scott Schweitzer was named the first head coach of the Carolina RailHawks. Schweitzer played collegiately at North Carolina State University and retired from play prior to the 2006 season.
On December 5, 2006, the RailHawks named the first players to sign with the franchise. Among the signings were two former UNC Tar Heel players, Chris Carrieri and Caleb Norkus, as well as several other players with Major League Soccer, United Soccer Leagues, and foreign playing experience.
On March 6, 2007, the RailHawks formed a parternship with the Next Level Academy (NLA) and the Capital Area Soccer League (CASL) to develop the youth system in the Triangle Area of North Carolina. Youth teams that currently participate under the CASL name in the Super Y-League (boys and girls 13-16) will play under the name CASL RailHawks. Also, the Raleigh Elite, who was operated by the NLA as a member of the USL Premier Development League, will become the U-23 team of the RailHawks program. Their name was changed to the Cary RailHawks U23's. In the future, two Super-20 League teams will be launched (one for men, one for women) in 2008.
The club launched their inaugural season on April 21, 2007 in front of a crowd of 6,327 at SAS Soccer Park in Cary, NC when they drew 1-1 with the Minnesota Thunder in their first official regular season match. Midfielder Kupono Low scored the first goal in franchise history when he blasted 24-yard left-footed shot past Thunder keeper Joe Warren in the 8th minute of the inaugural match. On May 8, 2007, the RailHawks earned their first franchise victory 2-0 against Chivas USA in an exhibition match.
On August 14, 2007, with a 3-0 victory over the Charleston Battery, the Carolina RailHawks secured their first piece of silverware, the 2007 Southern Derby Cup, with one match remaining in the contest. The RailHawks finished their first USL-1 season in 8th place in the league table, securing the league's final playoff spot on the last day of the regular season with a 2-0 victory away over fellow expansion franchise the California Victory. The RailHawks were eliminated from the playoff quarterfinals by the eventual league champion Seattle Sounders.
At the conclusion of the 2007 season, the RailHawks' ownership group announced that they would add a women's W-League team to the franchise and the team, which will feature US Women's National Team player Casey Nogueira among other local Triangle area collegiate players, would begin play in the 2008 season.
Club crests: (roll on the crest to get more informations)
Carolina RailHawks FC -
Founded on July 19th 2006
