CARY, N.C. – On the heels of back-to-back losses, a 1-1 draw against Minnesota on Wednesday night at WakeMed Soccer Park was not the result the RailHawks were looking for.

But rather than dwell on a missed opportunity, the RailHawks chose to view the result in a broader context.

“We had enough chances to win the game and we didn’t take them. Earlier in the season, we were taking those chances and we were winning games. And also, we were defending a little bit better,” said RailHawks coach Martin Rennie. “But if someone had said to me at the start of the season, with seven games to go, you’ll be seven points clear at the top of the league, with good goals for [league-leading 41] and good goals against [NASL-best 19], I’d be happy with that. For us to win the league title and championship, we have to get much better toward the end of the season. And there’s a lot of room to do that.”

The RailHawks (14-3-4) remain at the top of the league with 45 points, seven clear of second-place Puerto Rico with seven matches remaining. Though a comfortable lead, Carolina wouldn’t have minded seeing it go up to nine, which a win Wednesday would have afforded.

“We’re at home, going for 10 straight wins, and we never got it,” said Jonny Steele, who set up the night’s only goal, earning his seventh assist of the season. “We’re all disappointed. We want to keep getting wins at home and pull away from the pack. It’s another point in the table. But when we’re here, we want to get three points.”

The RailHawks were on their way to three points in the 48th minute, when Steele and Pablo Campos connected for the RailHawks’ only goal of the night. Steele intercepted a wayward Stars pass near midfield and kickstarted a Carolina counterattack. He dropped a pass over the Minnesota defense and onto Campos’ right foot. Campos’ first touch got away from him, but he tracked down the ball and tucked it through Minnesota goalkeeper Joe Warren’s legs for his ninth goal of the season.

But the lead wasn’t for long.

Just seven minutes later, Minnesota’s Simone Bracalello popped a ball over the RailHawks defense and into space for Lucas Rodgriguez. Rodriguez took a few touches, then buried the shot at the far post to even the match at a goal apiece.

“We were deeper than what we should have been,” said Tony McManus, who started the night at right back but finished the match in the midfield when Cory Elenio entered play in the 72nd minute. “We should have been higher. There was a free runner coming across the back. Probably some miscommunication on our part. It’s something we should never give up.”

And given the RailHawks difficulty getting goals against Minnesota, finding another one would be a tall order. In five regular-season matches against the Stars over the last two seasons, the RailHawks have scored two goals. Campos’ on Wednesday was the first to come from the run of play.

With 13 shots, five on frame, by night’s end, the chances were there.

“Minnesota are a hard-working team. They’re really hard to break down,” Steele said. “But the players we’ve got should be breaking them down, and we never did it tonight.”

The RailHawks had a handful of chances early and late that kept the match even.

In the 22nd minute, Barbara rifled a left-footed screamer that was denied by Warren (four saves). In the 31st minute, Nick Zimmerman appeared to have grabbed a goal following a great build-up through Steele and Campos, but his shot went just wide of the post. 

In the 63rd minute, Steele was played in, and while fending off a defender to his right, he tried to chip the ball over Warren with his favored left foot, but Warren smothered the chance. And in the 75th minute, Barbara pulled Warren off his line, but the Stars defense recovered and cleared Barbara’s goal-bound shot off the line.

“It was disappointing not to get a win tonight,” Rennie said. “It was the first game we haven’t won here in a long, long time, so we have to take a lot of positives and move forward.” 

CAROLINA 1, MINNESOTA 1

LINEUPS

MIN: GK Joe Warren, D Justin Davis, D Chris Clements, D Kyle Altman, M Andrei Gotsmanov (Kentara Takada, 77), M Neil Hlavaty, M Scott Lorenz, M Lucas Rodriguez, F Simone Bracalello, F Devin Del Do (Amani Walker, 83)
CAR: GK Brad Knighton, D Kupono Low, D John Krause, D Cory Miller, D Tony McManus, M Matt Watson, M Chris Nurse (Cory Elenio, 72), M Nick Zimmerman (Brian Farber, 78), F Pablo Campos, F Etienne Barbara, F Jonny Steele

SCORING SUMMARY

CAR: Pablo Campos (Jonny Steele, 48)
MIN: Lucas Rodgriguez (Simone Bracalello, 55)

CAUTIONS

MIN: Simone Bracalello, 80
CAR: Cory Miller, 52

SHOTS

MIN: 9
CAR: 13

FOULS

MIN: 5
CAR: 7

Attendance: 3,160