Etienne Barbara

WEBCAST – The Carolina RailHawks continued their impressive early season form Saturday evening, defeating FC Tampa Bay 3-1 at Al Lang Stadium in Tampa, FL.

The teams exchanged scores in the opening stanza. Etienne Barbara netted his fifth goal of the season with a left-footed breakaway in the 20th minute to give the RailHawks early 1-0 lead. A mere two minutes later, however, Tampa’s Pascal Millien leveled the score after his own foray through the RailHawks unsteady defensive line.

Barbara assisted on a Brian Farber pointblank blast in 52nd minute as Carolina regained the lead. With RailHawks goalkeeper Brad Knighton thwarting Tampa’s mounting pressure, Barbara netted his brace in the 76th with a shot that deflected off a Tampa defender on its way into the back of the goal..

Named earlier this week the NASL Player of the Month for April, Barbara’s two goals give him six this season and 14 since joining the RailHawks last year, already making him Carolina’s all-time leading goal scorer.

The RailHawks (3-1-1) move into a tie with the Puerto Rico Islanders atop the NASL table. Carolina returns to WakeMed Soccer Park this Wednesday, May 11 to take on the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers. Kickoff is 7:00 p.m.