CARY, N.C. ??? The NASL-leading Carolina RailHawks look to add to their double-digit lead over the rest of the table Saturday at WakeMed Soccer Park, where they will meet the Atlanta Silverbacks at 7 p.m.

The RailHawks (13-2-2) enter the weekend 12 points clear of second-place Puerto Rico in the NASL table. They're looking to build on last weekend's 4-1 win over Edmonton as they head into a grueling stretch as the calendar turns to August. After this weekend's match, the RailHawks will play three games in three cities in 11 days beginning Aug. 6.

After last weekend's four-goal explosion the sixth time this season the RailHawks have scored three goals or more in one game the RailHawks padded their league-leading goal total to 38, and their goal differential sits at a preposterous plus-24. They've scored multiple goals in 11 of 17 games this season, and they've been shut out just once.

Forward Etienne Barbara rediscovered his scoring touch last weekend, picking up a goal and an assist to up his season totals to 15 and eight, respectively. Pablo Campos also found the net again last weekend twice actually after brief slumber, and he's now tied for second in the league with eight goals. Nick Zimmerman has added five goals, while midfielder Jonny Steele has six assists and Floyd Franks four.

Despite game-to-game changes across the backline throughout the month of July, the RailHawks have remained steady defensively. Their 14 goals allowed are fewest in the league, as is their 0.82 goals against average, the only one in the NASL sub-1.00. Only twice this season have the RailHawks allowed more than one goal. Brad Knighton has played all 1,530 minutes of the season in goal, and he leads the league in goals against average, and is second in shutouts (five) and saves (74).

Though Atlanta is tied for last place in the NASL, the Silverbacks (3-3-11) have improved dramatically since the RailHawks visited Silverbacks Stadium and won 5-1 on June 25. Atlanta is 2-1-1 since, and their only defeat was to Puerto Rico in the game's dying moments on July 4. They have scored 10 goals during their last four games and have not been shut out in eight matches. Matt Horth leads the team with six goals, which also has him tied for third in the NASL, and Ciaran O'Brien has four goals and three assists.

LAST TIME OUT

The RailHawks snapped their two-match winless streak with an emphatic 4-1 win over Edmonton last Saturday at WakeMed Soccer Park.

Pablo Campos scored two goals and Etienne Barbara had a goal and an assist to lead the RailHawks to their 13th win of the season.

The match was even for most of the first half, until Campos broke the deadlock in the 37th minute. It remained a taught affair until past the hour mark, when the ragged humidity seemed to slow the Canadian visitors. The RailHawks scored three goals in 19 minutes, from the 67th through the 86th, to pull away and win their eighth straight home match and finish the season undefeated against Edmonton (3-1-0).

SERIES HISTORY

Saturday's match will be the third of four in 2011 against Atlanta and the 10th all-time meeting between the two clubs. They will finish the regular-season series on Aug. 27 in Atlanta. The RailHawks have won both meetings this season, by a combined score of 7-1.

In their last meeting, on June 25 in Atlanta, the Silverbacks took a 1-0 lead after 10 minutes thanks to Matt Horth's early finish. But the RailHawks responded by scoring five unanswered goals, including three in the first half. Nick Zimmerman finished the night with two goals, while Etienne Barbara, Chris Nurse and Brad Rusin also scored for the RailHawks.

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, Barbara flung 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 3-4-2 against Atlanta.

CAMPOS PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Pablo Campos was named the NASL's Offensive Player of the Week earlier this week after his two-goal performance against Edmonton last weekend led the RailHawks to a 4-1 win.

Campos scored goals in the 37th and 67th minutes, and played the ball into the area that was deflected and scored an Edmonton own goal in the 81st minute.

It was Campos??? second multi-goal game this season, and the sixth submitted by a RailHawk in 2011. Etienne Barbara has done it a league-leading three times and Nick Zimmerman once.

Campos became the fifth RailHawk this season to have been chosen as a Player of the Week. Barbara has been the OPOW four times and Zimmerman has been selected once. Goalkeeper Brad Knighton has been chosen as the Defensive Player of the Week twice, and former captain Brad Rusin was selected three times before his transfer to Denmark earlier this month.

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 15 goals, eight assists and 37 points.

Forward Pablo Campos is tied for second in the league with eight goals, and Nick Zimmerman is tied for fourth with five goals.

Midfielder Jonny Steele is second in the league with six assists. Midfielder Floyd Franks is tied for fourth with four assists, and midfielder Chris Nurse is tied for fifth with three assists.

Goalkeeper Brad Knighton leads the league in goals against average (0.824) and is second in the league in shutouts (five) and saves (74).

PLAYER NOTES

• Pablo Campos scored two goals in last weekend???s 4-1 win over Edmonton, his second-multi goal performance of the season.
• Etienne Barbara ended his three-game scoreless streak with an 86th-minute goal against Edmonton last weekend. He also picked up his eighth assist of the season.
• Cory Miller recorded the first point of his professional career last weekend when he assisted on Campos??? 37th-minute goal.
• Brian Farber earned his first assist of the season last weekend, setting up Barbara's goal. Farber has points in back-to-back matches, having also scored a goal in Edmonton on July 13.
• Nick Thompson earned his second appearance of the season Saturday, coming on as an 87th-minute substitute for Chris Nurse.
• Floyd Franks will be unavailable for selection this weekend after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season against Edmonton. It will be the first time he's missed a minute of play this season.
• Matt Watson is closing in on his 100th appearance for the RailHawks. Last weekend's match was his 97th time wearing the RailHawks' crest since he joined the club in 2008.

2011 STAT LEADERS

Appearances: Floyd Franks, Etienne Barbara, Brad Knighton (17)

Starts: Floyd Franks, Brad Knighton (17)

Minutes:Floyd Franks, Brad Knighton (1,530)

Goals: Etienne Barbara (15)

Assists:Etienne Barbara (8)

Shots: Etienne Barbara (50)

Yellow cards:Kupono Low, John Krause (6)

Red cards:Pablo Campos, Jonny Steele, Chris Nurse, John Krause (1)

Saves: Brad Knighton (74)

NASL TABLE

NASL SCHEDULE / WEEK 17

Wednesday, July 27

Tampa Bay 3, Edmonton 1
Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg, Fla.

Saturday, July 30

Atlanta vs Carolina, 7 p.m.
WakeMed Soccer Park, Cary, N.C.

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

Sunday, July 31

Puerto Rico vs Montreal
Stade Saputo, Montreal, Que., 2:30 p.m.

NASL RESULTS / WEEK 16

Wednesday, July 20

Puerto Rico 3, Ft. Lauderdale 1
Estadio Juan Ramon Loubriel, Bayamon, PR

Friday, July 22

Minnesota 1, Montreal 0
National Sports Center, Blaine, Minn.

Saturday, July 23

Carolina 4, Edmonton 1
WakeMed Soccer Park, Cary N.C.

Atlanta 2, Tampa Bay 1
Atlanta Silverbacks Stadium, Atlanta, Ga.

NEXT UP

The RailHawks return to the road for their next two matches, and they'll visit stadiums for the first time in 2011 for both. They'll travel to Ft. Lauderdale to meet the Strikers on Aug. 6, then it's on to Bayamon, Puerto Rico, to face the Islanders on Aug. 13. The RailHawks return to WakeMed Soccer Park on Aug. 17, when they will face Minnesota at 7 p.m.

2011 NASL STATISTICS

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