RailHawks Sign Two-Time USL-2 Defender of the Year Mark Schulte
Mark Schulte - photo by Jeremy Olson
The Carolina RailHawks announced today the signing of two-time USL-2 Defender of the Year Mark Schulte, pending League and USSF approval.
Schulte was loaned from the Cleveland City Starts to the Minnesota Thunder towards the end of their USL-1 season last year, making a big impact on the stability of the back line and adding much needed experience to the team. The central defender blended well into Don Gramenz 3-5-2 formation and was a key reason for the teams success late in the season and into the playoffs.
Mark Schulte is an experienced defender who has played in Major League Soccer, the USL and abroad. Schulte was the first American to ever play in Uruguay. He was most recently with the Cleveland City Stars of the USL Second Division where he spent the last two seasons. Schulte was instrumental in helping the City Stars capture the 2008 USL-2 Title and was named MVP of the Championship match.
Schulte was drafted by the Tampa Bay Mutiny of MLS in 2000 but was sent to the Minnesota Thunder on loan. He spent three years in Minnesota before signing for ÍBV Vestmannaeyjar of the Icelandic First Division in 2004. In 2005 he signed with Major League Soccer’s Columbus Crew where he saw action in 19 games. He then signed with the Montevideo Wanderers in Uruguay making him the first American to play in the South American country.
After spending one more year in Iceland, he signed with the USL-2 expansion side Cleveland City Stars in 2007. He appeared in 38 regular season games and four playoff games tallying a total of five goals and seven assists. While in Cleveland, Schulte was also named USL-2 Defender of the Year both in 2007 and 2008, becoming the first player to win the award in two consecutive years.
Schulte had tried out for a team in Germany in the USL offseason. The Minnesota Thunder attempted to sign the veteran defender for the 09 season. Disappointingly, he signed with the Railhawks and followed former City Stars coach Martin Rennie, who was hired by the Railhawks before Cleveland had announced they were moving to USL-1.
The Thunder will face the top rated defender in the first game of the 09 season as the team travels to Carolina to play the Railhawks in the season opener on April 11th, at WakeMed Park.
Comments are closed.