RailHawks Capture National Title

The Carolina RailHawks U-23s traveled to San Antonio, TX and came home with their second USASA National Championship in three years.

The RailHawks, coached by Dewan Bader, earned the title with a decisive 4-1 victory over Real Carib SC from New York.

[show_disconnected][show_to accesslevel=’Subscriber’] They were the dominant team over five games at the regional and national levels, scoring 26 goals and only allowing four.

Five different players scored seven goals for the RailHawks over the championship weekend, with Jordan Rouse and Nick Surkamp leading the way with two goals each.

The RailHawks defeated South Sound F.C. from Tacoma, WA, in the semifinals in extra time.

“We are thrilled to capture another National Championship for the RailHawks organization,” said Bader, who grew up playing soccer in the Capital Area Soccer League and for the N.C. State Wolfpack.

“The guys put in the hard work over the summer and it paid off with their performance over the weekend.”

In the championship match, the U-23s jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the 15th minute on a cracker from Nazmi Albadawi into the upper left corner of the goal.

Aabarle Kollie finished the second goal just 10 minutes later for a 2-0 halftime lead.

Surkamp sealed the game with the third goal in the 65th minute. Rouse got the final goal in the 80th minute.

After giving up an early goal in the semifinal, the RailHawks rebounded on a 30th minute goal from Cooper Vandermass-Peeler. With the game tied 1-1, the game went to overtime.

Rouse scored the game-winner off an assist from Albadawi. At the end of the first overtime period Vandermass-Peeler was taken down just outside of the box, and Surkamp hit a bending free kick around the wall for the final 3-1 score.