The Carolina RailHawks play on the road for the second straight game this weekend, this time heading to Al Lang Stadium to face FC Tampa Bay on Saturday at 7 p.m.

The RailHawks are unbeaten over their last three matches (2-1-0) and are in second place in the NASL table with seven points, three behind Puerto Rico. Their six goals scored through four games are tied for second most in the league, and the RailHawks have yet to be shut out in their first four matches. Their four goals allowed are tied for the second fewest in the league.

Tampa Bay enters the weekend winless over their last three matches (0-2-1) and in sixth place in the NASL, with five points. Since their season-opening 1-0 win over Montreal, FCTB has lost to Puerto Rico and tied Montreal and Atlanta. While their two goals scored are the fewest in the league, their three goals allowed are tied for the second fewest.

The RailHawks will look to continue their strong start to the season this weekend and ride that wave of momentum into the rest of the month. After this weekend’s trip to Tampa, the RailHawks will play three of their next four matches at WakeMed Soccer Park, where they’ve won two straight this season.

SERIES HISTORY
Saturday’s meeting will be the third all-time between Tampa Bay and the RailHawks. They split their 2010 meetings, with the road team emerging victorious both times by a score of 2-1.

In their first meeting, on May 14 at WakeMed Soccer Park, the RailHawks took a 1-0 lead on a Gregory Richardson goal in the 43rd minute. But Tampa scored twice in the second half to win 2-1. In the process, they became one of only two teams to ever defeat the RailHawks when Carolina scores the first goal.

When they met again on Aug. 25 in Florida, the RailHawks made the first goal stand up. Matt Bobo scored after 23 minutes and Etienne Barbara put the game away with a goal in the 40th.

LAST TIME OUT
In their first road match of the season, the RailHawks earned a 1-1 draw against NSC Minnesota last Saturday night.

Etienne Barbara scored the game’s first goal on a 59th-minute penalty kick, but Minnesota’s Simone Bracalello equalized nine minutes later and the match ended a draw.

It was the first time the RailHawks scored a goal or earned at least a point against Minnesota, which defeated the RailHawks in both 2010 regular-season meetings 1-0.

RAILHAWKS IN FLORIDA
The Sunshine State has been good to the RailHawks. Carolina is undefeated in its last four matches (3-1-0) in Florida and 3-1-1 in club history. In 2010, they defeated Tampa Bay 2-1 and tied Miami 1-1.

Saturday’s visit will be the first of four trips to Florida in 2011.

BARBARA NAMED POM
Carolina RailHawks forward Etienne Barbara was named the NASL Player of the Month for April, the league announced earlier this week.                                                                                                              

Barbara has scored four goals in the RailHawks’ first four games, and he is tied with Puerto Rico’s Jonathan Fana for the NASL lead.

Barbara has scored four goals on 10 shots in 254 minutes played so far this season. He has accounted for all but two of the RailHawks’ six goals this season.

Eighteen media members from NASL markets cast ballots for Player of the Month, with a first-place vote worth two points and a second-place vote worth one. Barbara was listed on 15 ballots, with nine first-place votes, for a total of 23 points. Fana was second with 19 points, Tampa goalkeeper Darryl Sattler third with nine points

PLAYER NOTES

• Forward Etienne Barbara scored for a fourth straight game against Minnesota, and his four goals this season are tied for most in the NASL.
• Midfielder Stephen Glass made his first start of the season Saturday and logged 90 minutes.
• Goalkeeper Brad Knighton had five saves Saturday against Minnesota.
• Midfielder Cory Elenio made his first start of the season Saturday and logged 74 minutes.
• Midfielder Chris Nurse made his season debut Saturday in Minnesota, entering the match as a substitute in the 74th minute.
• Forward Pablo Campos will be unavailable for selection this weekend, as he is out on a red-card suspension.

2011 STAT LEADERS

Appearances: 9 players tied (4)

Starts: 8 players tied (4)

Minutes:5 players tied (360)

Goals: Etienne Barbara (4)

Assists: Matt Watson (1)

Shots: Etienne Barbara (10)

Yellow cards:John Krause (2)

Red cards:Pablo Campos, Jonny Steele (1)

Saves: Brad Knighton (13)

NASL TABLE

NASL SCHEDULE – WEEK 5

Saturday, May 7

Carolina vs Tampa Bay, 7 p.m.

Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg, Fla.

Edmonton vs Atlanta, 7:30 p.m.

Atlanta Silverbacks Stadium, Atlanta, Ga.

Ft. Lauderdale vs Minnesota, 8:30 p.m.

National Sports Center, Blaine, Minn.

Friday, April 29

Ft. Lauderdale vs Puerto Rico, 8:05 p.m.

Estadio Juan Ramón Loubriel

Saturday, April 30

Atlanta vs Tampa Bay, 7 p.m.

Carolina vs Minnesota, 8:30 p.m.

National Sports Center, Blaine, Minn.

Sunday, May 1

Montreal vs Edmonton, 9:30 p.m.

Foote Field, Edmonton, Alberta

NASL RESULTS – WEEK 3

Tuesday, April 26

Puerto Rico 3, Minnesota 1

Estadio Juan Ramón Loubriel

Friday, April 29

Puerto Rico 2, Ft. Lauderdale 2

Estadio Juan Ramón Loubriel

Saturday, April 30

Carolina 1, Minnesota 1

National Sports Center, Blaine, Minn.

Atlanta 1, Tampa Bay 1

Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg, Fla.

Sunday, May 1

Montreal 5, Edmonton 0

Foote Field, Edmonton, Alberta

NEXT UP

The RailHawks return to WakeMed Soccer Park for a mid-week meet-up against Ft. Lauderdale on Wednesday, May 11 at 7 p.m. They’ll hit the road one more time, May 14 in Montreal, before closing out May with home dates on May 21 against Puerto Rico and May 28 against Atlanta.