In the coming weeks, I'm going to be meeting with the RailHawks management and putting together the plans for the Triangle Soccer Fanatics / 204 Depot for next season. As many of you know, the 2007 season was pretty much a one-man show with me running all the website, backoffice, and gameday operations. Towards the end of the season, I started to get more and more volunteer help from others (which I really appreciated) and I hope to encourage even more of that in 2008.

I'm looking for feedback on how we can improve the club for next season. Don't feel shy about expressing ideas on what worked and didn't work in 2007. You're not going to hurt my feelings.

Were the membership fees worth it? Did you get good value for your money based on the benefits? What other benefits would you like to to see? Do you think we should focus on the W-League team too or just stick to the men's team? Who should we try to recruit more of (high schoolers, college age, thirtysomethings, latinos, etc.)? What would motivate you to become more involved in the leadership of the organization (free membership, other perks, etc.)? Should we do more roadtrips or non-matchday related activities?

Any and all feedback / discussion is welcome.

Jarrett Campbell
Founder, Triangle Soccer Fanatics

The CASL RailHawks, the youth Super-Y league teams affiliated with the Carolina RailHawks through the team's "It's Good for the Game" partnership with the Capital Area Soccer League and Next Level Academy, have been ranked in the Top 10 nationally among Super Y programs based on the initial rankings released by United Soccer Leagues.

The CASL RailHawks Boys are ranked 5th while the Girls slot in at 8th on the list. The release of the list precedes the upcoming SYL North American Finals, where 21 of the clubs in the rankings will be competing for the 10 championships up for grabs November 16-20.

The Super Y-League launched a new club ranking system in 2005 with the top clubs ranked from 1-22 and separated into the First and Second 11. With the extensive growth of the second-year USL Super-20 League, the 2007 rankings also include a club’s performance in the new league. This system publicizes the top 22 clubs in both the boys and girls categories as well as overall. The rankings are based primarily upon the on-field results - winning percentage accounting for 70 percent of the score. Minimum standards and operations complete the other 30 percent.

Twenty-one of the top 22 clubs in the Overall First and Second 11 tables will be sending representatives to Tampa for the SYL North American Finals November 16-20. Regarded as the top youth soccer event in North America, it is a five-day tournament that includes over 130 of the best youth soccer teams in the US and Canada from U13 to U17 for boys and girls. Teams will qualify from their respective regions and will face the best from around North America in a quest to become league champions.

The event will include over 5,000 players, parents and spectators. The 2006 finals featured teams from Vancouver to Miami with teams representing some of the top professional clubs in the nation such as Major League Soccer’s DC United and Red Bull New York. This year’s event will begin on Thursday, November 15th with the first day of matches being played on Friday, November 16th. Championship matches are scheduled for Tuesday, November 20th.

Due to the recent heavy rains, the UNC v. Clemson match schedule for Friday night at Fezter Field has been postponed until Sunday at 2pm. This postponement has also caused UNC to shift its match against Campbell until Wednesday, October 31st at 7:30pm.

The Vancouver Whitecaps have announced today that 2007 RailHawk Joey Worthen has signed with the Canadian USL-1 club for a two week trial contract. Worthen was a free agent at the end of the 2007 season,

Joey's two week trial comes as the Whitecaps prepare for their upcoming friendly against David Beckham and the L.A. Galaxy on November 7th. Worthen's future with the Whitecaps will likely be based upon his performance in training camp and in this MLS friendly.

Finalists for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award in the Men’s Soccer and Women’s Soccer divisions were announced last week, launching a nationwide balloting process to determine the 2007 award winners for the nation’s premier tribute to college seniors.

This marks the first year for the soccer divisions of the award, which is presented annually in eight NCAA Division I sports to a senior student-athlete who has outstanding attributes in four areas: the classroom, community, character and competition.

The women’s finalists are: Rachel Buehler (Stanford University), Kelsey Carpenter (University of Texas), Joanna Haig (University of Louisville), Valerie Henderson (UCLA), Courtney Hooker (University of California, Berkeley), Stephanie Lopez (University of Portland), Ella Masar (University of Illinois), Jessica Maxwell (University of North Carolina), Lindsey Ozimek (Charlotte) and Angie Woznuk (University of Portland).

The men’s finalists are: Evan Barnes (U.S. Naval Academy), Kevin Forrest (University of Washington), Trini Gomez (Loyola Marymount University), Julius James (University of Connecticut), Tim Jepson (Duke University), Stephen King (University of Maryland), Peter Lowry (Santa Clara University), Brad Peetoom(Syracuse University), Julian Valentin (Wake Forest University) and Mike Zaher (UCLA).

These finalists will be placed on the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award ballot for a nationwide vote beginning October 17 and concluding November 21. Fan balloting, available on the award’s official website www.seniorclassaward.com, will be combined with votes from coaches, media and sponsors to determine the recipient of the award.

Winners will be announced during the NCAA Soccer Championships, scheduled on December 7-9 in College Station, TX for women and December 14-16 in Cary, NC for men. The Lowe’s All-Senior All-America Team will also be recognized.

The 2007-8 Major Indoor Soccer League season got off to a start this weekend as the Baltimore Blast defeated the Philadelphia Kixx 8-2.

A number of 2007 RailHawks players are currently rostered with MISL teams including:

• Jonny Steele - Philadelphia Kixx
  
• Marcio Leite - Milwaukee Wave
  
• Anthony Maher - Milwaukee Wave
  
• Kupono Low - California Cougars
  
• Matthew Maher - New Jersey Ironmen
  
• Connally Edozien - Orlando Sharks
  

For those looking to catch their favorite RailHawks in action during the offseason, Fox Soccer Channel will be showing 1 MISL match a week, typically in the same Friday 8pm time slot that they showed USL-1 matches this past season. A full listing of upcoming MISL televised games can be found here on the MISL website.

The Carolina RailHawks have unveiled ticket pricing for both the Mens and Womens 2008 season tickets.

18-game season ticket packages are unchanged from last year, running $350, $225, and $140 in the club, premium, and spectator sections, respectively. The W-League 7-game season ticket will run $125, $80, and $55 in those same sections. An additional perk for season ticket holders this season will be the right to trade-in unused tickets for additional tickets to any Sunday match next season.

Fans who renew or purchase new season tickets by December 31st can take advantage of a special "combo" pack which includes tickets to all home games from both teams for just $380, $250, or $155.

The RailHawks have also introduced full season "Kick Packs" this year that cost the same as a season ticket but can be used in any combination for multiple tickets to any match.

For those interested in getting season tickets in the 204 Depot Supporters Section, please stay tuned as information will be coming soon about 2008 TSF membership and season ticket packages.

Thursday October 11th is Derby Day in Chapel Hill and both the UNC men's and women's squads will be doubling up for a Carlyle Cup showdown with arch nemesis Duke.

Action begins with the women's match at 6 p.m., followed by the men at 8:30 p.m. Only one ticket will be needed for admission to both games. The UNC Women currently lead the ACC with a conference record of 3-1-0 while Duke stands third at 2-1-1. On the men's side, Duke is also 3rd in the conference with a 2-1-0 record while UNC is 6th with a 1-2-0 record.

The first 4,000 fans will receive commemorative "Blue Out" t-shirts, courtesy of Carlyle & Co. Two Carlyle Cup points - one for each match - will be up for grabs. The annual all-sport competition between UNC and Duke is currently tied at one. Fans in attendance will also have a chance to win a round-trip airline flight courtesy of American Airlines, one of two TAG Heuer watches valued at $799 courtesy of Carlyle or one of two Johnny T-Shirt gift certificates valued at $100 each.

For those not able to attend the doubleheader in Chapel Hill, the matches will both be streamed live and on-demand at ACCSelect.com

The Carolina RailHawks have announced that they will once again be hosting open tryouts at SAS Soccer Park in December giving players a chance to be discovered by the RailHawks' coaching staff. Last year's RailHawks Chris McClellan, Stuart Brightwell, Phillip Long, and Phillip Kutsu all earned their jobs by first impressing Coach Scott Schweitzer at last year's open tryouts.

This year's event, which will be held on December 21st and 22nd, will include tryouts for both the RailHawks senior men's team as well as the newly formed W-League women's franchise. Player's interested in participating in the tryouts should visit CarolinaRailHawks.com to download the participant application form.

On Saturday, October 6th, the Carolina RailHawks will show their support for the fight to find a cure for diabetes by participating in the annual Step Out to Fight Diabetes 5 Mile walk at RTP. Swoops and the RailHawk dancers will be out to cheer on all participants in the walk and RailHawks’ Chris McClellan and Caleb Norkus will join other celebrities in congratulating the walkers at the finish line while posing for photographs and signing autographs.

"We are thrilled to have the Carolina RailHawks join us at the walk as we Step Out to Fight Diabetes,” said Sesha Gaston, Director of the American Diabetes Association Eastern North & South Carolina Market. ”We are promoting active lifestyles to try to manage and prevent the spread of this epidemic. What better representative than our own professional soccer players! Diabetes is a rampant epidemic that can be devastating to manage on a daily basis. I am looking forward to hundreds of people gathering on a beautiful fall day to WALK TOGETHER to raise awareness and funds to put an end to this epidemic.”

The Step Out to Fight Diabetes walk begins with registration at 8:30 am on Saturday morning at 79 TW Alexander Dr. (Take exit 279 A on I -40from Raleigh then turn right on Alexander Dr.). The event will be filled with live music, activities for children, raffles and education about this terrible disease.

For the second time in a matter of days, Carolina RailHawks fans and players watched as a team that had ousted the RailHawks from a knockout tournament went on to be crowned champion. First, the RailHawks playoff nemesis Seattle Sounders took the USL-1 league playoff championship on Saturday, then on Wednesday night, the New England Revolution, who needed an overtime goal from Pat Noonan to get past a scrappy 9-man RailHawks side in the semifinals, won their franchise's first major championship when they captured the US Open Cup with a 3-2 win over FC Dallas.

Neither the jinx of losing two straight MLS Cup finals at Pizza Hut Park, or the absence of midfield engine Shalrie Joseph, who was suspended for his tete-a-tete with Connally Edozien in the semifinal, could stop the Revolution from finally fulfilling their championship destiny on Wednesday night. The Revolution got goals from offensive stalwarts Noonan and Taylor Twellman before Wake Forest alum and rookie Wells Thompson netted the eventual game winner for the Revolution.

Starting this Thursday, October 4th, Premier Soccer is having a huge inventory reduction sale to prepare for the upcoming holiday season. Everything will be on sale. Stop by either the Raleigh or Cary locations to take advantage of these specials.

• Adidas Predator Absolute - All Black- $160.00.
  
• Nike US Women's National Team Gear- 30% Off.
  
• Adidas 7406 FG - $66.00.
  

Plus Much More!...Training Tops, Footwear, Equipment

Hours are Monday - Saturday 10-8, Sunday 11-5. Please visit www.premier-nc.com for directions and contact information.

Editor's Note: Premier Soccer is a sponsor of Triangle Soccer Fanatics