NASL Scoreboard for Wednesday September 7th; Carolina RailHawks Clinch Regular Season Championship

Three important games took place on Wednesday evening in the North American Soccer League. Each had an impact on the playoff picture. The Carolina RailHawks clinched the regular season championship, FC Edmonton clinched a playoff spot and the Fort Lauderdale Strikers are also within a grasp of a playoff spot of their own.

Fort Lauderdale Strikers 1-0 Carolina RailHawks

The Carolina RailHawks (17-4-4) entered into Wednesday night’s clash with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers knowing a win or a draw would clinch the regular season championship. They got neither and still walked away from their 1-0 loss to the Strikers with a championship title. The RailHawks earned the title after Puerto Rico failed to get a win with Montreal in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, another midweek match.

“It’s a big, big achievement for us,” said RailHawks coach Martin Rennie. “It was a goal for the season and we’re satisfied we’ve achieved it. To be the top team in the NASL is something the club can build on and it’s a reward for everybody’s hard work and the quality the entire organization has produced this season.”

Everyone went home happy from the game at Lockhart stadium as the Fort Lauderdale Strikers (8-10-7) inched closer to securing a playoff spot for themselves with the win. The Strikers’ Abe Thompson scored the game winner in the 52nd minute with an assist to Lance Laing. The Strikers now sit at 34 points, 5 clear of 6th place Minnesota and only 2 off the mark from Edmonton.

Carolina will received a bye in the first round of the playoffs and move directly to the semi-finals.

Montreal Impact 1-1 Puerto Rico Islanders

The Montreal Impact (6-8-11) traveled to Puerto Rico Wednesday night to take on the Islanders (13-6-7). Montreal was looking to recover from a loss last weekend to the Strikers and needed a win or at least a draw to stay in the hunt to regain form and capture the 6th and final playoff spot. Puerto Rico also looked to get back on track after a loss in Atlanta last weekend to the Silverbacks. Puerto Rico had a much depleted team for that match, with many of their players gone for international duty with their national teams.

When Ryan Pore scored for Montreal in the 88th minute with an assist from Mignane Diouf, it looked as if the Impact would leave the island with 3 points. But Jonathan Faña, back from international duties with the Dominican Republic, drew the game even on a penalty kick in the 90th minute of play.

The draw earned the Islanders an uncontested 2nd place finish in the NASL and a first round bye in the playoffs. For Montreal, they picked up a point on 6th place Minnesota and sit only 3 point off from the coveted playoff position.

 FC Edmonton 2-1 Atlanta Silverbacks

There was high drama in Edmonton on Wednesday evening as the Silverbacks (4-3-18) traveled to Canada and looked to keep their good form that saw them defeat the Islanders last weekend. FC Edmonton (10-6-10) was looking to clinch a spot for themselves in the playoffs and continue their streak of good soccer after a late season slump. The home team got their wish as the Eddies clinched a playoff spot Wednesday night with their 2-1 win over Atlanta. But it took a Paul Craig goal 3 minutes into added time of the second half to get the job done. The goal came off a corner kick taken by Shaun Saiko, who was credited with the assist.

Silverbacks defender Patrick Robertson earned a red card in the 32nd minute for taking down FC Edmonton’s Michael Cox who was deemed last defender. The straight red meant the Silverbacks would have a tough row to hoe. FC Edmonton took advantage of the man advantage in the second half and Kyle Yamada scored in the 58th minute to put the Eddies in the lead 1-0.  Even thought Edmonton was dominating the run of play it was Atlanta who scored next on a goal by defender Tyler Ruthven, his first of the season. The goal came on a free kick taken by midfielder Ciaran O’Brien. Ruthven touched O’Brien’s kick into the goal to even the score.

But it was substitute Paul Craig’s night, with his last-minute heroics which saved the game and gave the first year Eddies a place in the NASL playoffs.

See IMS sidebar for NASL Standings