Match Presented by BB&T First 2,000 fans receive a Limited Edition Martin Nuñez Trading Card

The Carolina RailHawks face Jonny Steele and the Puerto Rico Islanders on Friday, July 18, at 7:30 p.m. The match is presented by BB & T and the first 2,00 fans will receive a limited edition Martin Nuñez trading card courtesy of the famed banking institution. In addition BB&T will be giving away stress balls to the first 500 fans through the gates. Tickets ($10, $15 and $20) are available at the LGFCU Box Office, by calling 919-859-KICK (5425), at all Ticketmaster outlets or by visiting www.carolinarailhawks.com.

“Puerto Rico is a phenomenal team,” said Railhawks Head Coach Scott Schweitzer. “They have talented and skillful players and we cannot give them any joy early in the game. We will have to be able to attack and defend for 90 minutes.”

The RailHawks return to WakeMed Soccer Park after a two-game road trip that resulted in two draws and two important points in the league standings. RailHawks newcomer Hamed Diallo recorded two assists and fans can expect to see him make his WakeMed Soccer Park debut this Friday night against Puerto Rico. Diallo also earned Team of the Week honors in his first week as a RailHawks together with midfielder Santiago Fusilier for their performances in Minnesota and Vancouver.

“The last five or six games were very good for us,” said Islanders Head Coach Colin Clarke. “We’ve had a lot of changeovers and things are starting to happen. We are looking to finish our road trip on a high note.”

After a slow start, the Islanders have been consistently climbing the tables and now find themselves in second position with 24 points in 15 games. They are on the road for the whole month of July and are coming off three consecutive wins against Montreal, Portland and league-leading Charleston.

The RailHawks will return to action on Sunday, July 20 at 4:00 p.m. as they host Mexican First Division Rayados de Monterrey in an International exhibition presented by Futbol Tecate and sponsored by Cricket, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, NC Rail and Golden Corral. This match will be followed by the final match of the Carolina RailHawks women Inaugural Season at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for these and all Carolina Railhawks events are available at the LGFCU Box Office, by calling 919-859-KICK (5425), at all Ticketmaster outlets or by visiting www.carolinarailhawks.com.

Notes:

Schedule of events:

Doors open 6:00 PM

First 2,000 fans receive a limited edition Martin Nuñez Player Card courtesy of BB&T

First 500 fans also receive a stress ball courtesy of BB&T

Inflatables and Rock Climbing Wall for Kids

Kids Human Tunnel for both games line up 15 minutes before kickoff at the northwest corner of the field

Autograph Session at Autograph Alley on the North end of the field immediately following both matches

Kick Off 7:30 PM

Head to Head:

The Carolina RailHawks are 0-2-1 against the Islanders having lost their last contest in Puerto Rico 3-0 on June 12. The RailHawks will look to get their first win against the Islanders this Friday night.

International Exhibition:

The RailHawks return to the pitch only two days later to host Mexican First Division stalwart Rayados de Monterrey presented by Futbol Tecate and sponsored by Cricket, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, NC Rail and Golden Corral. Tickets for this match are available at the LGFCU Box Office, by calling 919-859-KICK (5425), at all Ticketmaster outlets or by visiting www.carolinarailhawks.com.

Team of The Week:Carolina RailHawks newest signing Hamed Diallo earned team of the week honors in his first week as a RailHawk for his two assists in as many games against Minnesota and Vancouver. Railhawks Midfielder Santiago Fusilier was also named to Week 13 best eleven for his goal against Minnesota last Friday night.