USL News Release

Friday, May 9

The Carolina RailHawks have expanded into United Soccer Leagues W-League Atlantic Division this season. Couple that with the return of the Carolina Lady Dynamo and you have a ready-made Carolina Derby set up in the backyard of two of the hottest women’s soccer venues in the United States – Chapel Hill and Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the home of Wake Forest University.

This Saturday, May 10, the Dynamo and the RailHawks will meet for the first time in Greensboro, North Carolina and set the foundation of an I-40 rivalry that is sure to excite local throngs for years to come.

“The RailHawks joining the W-League is a good thing, especially for us” said Dynamo General Manager Scott Zapko. “We like having another team near us for travel purposes and for the impact it will have in the stands. I know with Jay [Howell] leading the RailHawks, they will be a very organized and disciplined team.”

“It may take until the third or fourth time we face each other to establish a solid rivalry on the senior level, but there is already a strong tradition on the youth level between CASL and the Greensboro Twisters,” said Zapko. “I am sure there is some history between the players and that it will filter up and contribute to this competition.”
If anything, the initial competition of this 80-mile rivalry will be well attended.

“We will be busting at the seams,” said Zapko. “It will serve as the opening night for both the women’s and men’s teams and we will certainly pack the house. Our stadium seats a maximum of 4,500. We expect to be between 3,000 and 5,000. It should make for a very exciting atmosphere.”
The W-League Dynamo, who took a hiatus during the 2007 season to reevaluate their direction, have brought in former Appalachian State University Head Coach Art Rex to lead the team in a new direction.

“We went younger,” said Zapko. “We called up a core group of girls from our U19’s.”

Rex and the Dynamo have also tapped the aforementioned resources from two top collegiate programs in North America.

“We have one girl from UNC, midfielder Maria Lubrano, and a few others from Wake Forest,” said Zapko. “Allie Sadow, a forward from Wake Forest, will definitely be one of our top performers. She is a very dynamic front-runner. I have only seen her play once, but Art told me she could flat out play.”