Photo courtesy of UNC Athletics Junior defender and team captain Boyd Okwuonu will anchor the Tar Heels’ back line in 2013 In chronicling the powers of North Carolina Tar Heels athletics, men’s soccer isn’t necessarily the first sport to spring to mind. But in that increasingly competitive arena, North Carolina has become an annual mainstay […]
Neil Morris
Posted inFilm & Television
The Spectacular Now is a tender and surprising teen tale
The Spectacular Now opens Wednesday Taking place at that crossroads of restless youth and sobering adulthood, The Spectacular Now examines the angst of young romance as much as its bliss. It’s about two teens finding love with each other only once they dareor are forcedto venture outside their comfort zones and confront life beyond their […]
Posted inCulture
Defend the nest: RailHawks splinters Minnesota United 1-0
Photo by Joannah IrwinJulius James (left) and Breiner Ortiz harass Minnesota’s Simone Bracalello as Pablo Campos looks on. WAKEMED SOCCER PARK/ CARY—On October 6, 2012, the Carolina RailHawks lost 2-1 to the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the first leg of the North American Soccer League (NASL) playoff semifinals. It’s the last time the RailHawks suffered […]
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Life of Brian: Shriver’s scoring takes flight as Carolina RailHawks hosts Minnesota United FC
File photo by Rob KinnanBrian Shriver celebrates his game-winning goal during the Carolina RailHawks 3-2 victory over Minnesota United on June 22 at WakeMed Soccer Park For all the understandable gnashing of teeth over the Carolina RailHawks’ inability to convert goals with the same frequency and precision as the opportunities generated by their creative cadre […]
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Little Town Blues: Brian Shriver’s brace leads RailHawks to win over Cosmos
Photo by Joannah IrvinNew York Cosmos defender Hunter Gorskie pleads his case after being whistled for a penalty during a 3-0 loss to the Carolina RailHawks Saturday at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, NC WAKEMED SOCCER PARK/ CARY—The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “cosmos” as “an orderly harmonious systematic universe.” However, there was little that was orderly […]
Posted inSports
Who knew that America’s soccer legacy was stored in Hillsborough?
Soccer timeline 1863 The rules of association football (“soccer” for short) are codified in London. 1869 The first known match in the U.S. using the formal London Football Association’s rules is played between Princeton and Rutgers. 1884 Teams from the United States and Canada play in Newark, N.J., the first unofficial international match outside the […]
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RailHawks Reboot: Carolina defeats FC Edmonton 1-0 to open NASL Fall campaign
Photo by Joannah IrvinBrian Shriver scrambles in front of goal during the Carolina RailHawks’ 1-0 win over FC Edmonton Saturday night at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, NC WAKEMED SOCCER PARK/CARY—Saturday night marked the long-awaited return of an important member of the North American Soccer League (NASL) family, a club with a proud pedigree whose […]
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NASL Commissioner Bill Peterson responds to criticism over 2014 regular season format
Last Friday afternoon, the North American Soccer League (NASL) issued a press release titled “NASL Confirms Mid-Season Break To Accommodate 2014 FIFA World Cup.” The purported crux of the announcement was that the league is adjusting its midseason break—which took place during the month of July this season—to begin June 7 and run until July […]
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Molting season: Colin Clarke discusses Carolina RailHawks prep for NASL Fall season, including Floyd Franks – Bryan Arguez trade
File photo by DL AndersonFloyd Franks fends off Robbie Rogers during the Carolina RailHawks’ U.S. Open Cup win over the LA Galaxy on May 29 According to ornithologists, molting in birds occurs in response to hormonal shifts brought on by seasonal changes. Nature times the molting cycle to occur when it would be most ideal. […]
Posted inFilm & Television
The Way, Way Back is a familiar, but winning, coming-of-age tale
The Way, Way Back opens Friday The Hollywood assembly line churns out faux-indie dramatic comedies as efficiently as it delivers sight-and-sound shows about fighting robots. Although (or because) The Way, Way Back debuted at January’s Sundance Film Festival, even its late July release date is transparently strategic: late enough to avoid the summer box office […]