CARY - The celebration was furious and fevered after the apparent game-winning goal, scored in front of the Carolina RailHawks' hardest-core fans. They greeted what they had to assume was a certain -- and significant -- win with a barrage of orange and blue streamers.

One minute later, the Atlanta Silverbacks interrupted the celebration with a goal of their own. The disappointment within WakeMed Soccer Park was obvious, because while the RailHawks' season is only four games old, there was plenty on the line.

A win over the Atlanta Silverbacks would have put the RailHawks in first place in the USL's first division, briefly for certain and possibly longer pending a late game on the West Coast.

As it was, Carolina's unbeaten record remained unscathed with the 2-2 draw, leaving the RailHawks at 2-0-2 after a game they had every chance to win -- and probably should have won.

"We knew it," RailHawks coach Scott Schweitzer said. "We could have been in first place and probably would be tied for first. ... That tie feels like a loss, to give up a goal like that."

The RailHawks gave up an early goal during a lackluster first half, but tied the score before halftime when Dan Antoniuk nearly lost the ball only yards from the goal, then recovered to score his second goal in four games with Carolina.

Much improved in the second half, the RailHawks dominated play and took the lead in the 83rd minute when Jamil Walker headed a long Kupono Low free kick into the net, only to give away the back-breaking goal a mere minute later.

First place, on this night, would remain out of reach. Still, it's hard not to notice the strides the team has made in its short tenure in the Triangle.

The RailHawks made the USL playoffs in their inaugural season, unquestionably a step in the right direction. Their run to the semifinals of the U.S. Open Cup, where they lost to MLS' New England Revolution, was a bonus.

This season, expectations are higher. So far, the RailHawks haven't had a problem meeting them.

The RailHawks continue to benefit from events elsewhere -- perfect weather for two home games so far; the unexpectedly early end to the Carolina Hurricanes' season, allowing the Triangle's suburban demographic to concentrate on soccer -- while taking care of business on the field.

Much of last year's team is back, from leading scorer Connally Edozien to team MVP Low to goalie Chris McClellan. Of the 11 starters in September's playoff loss to Seattle, six were on the field Saturday with two others out injured.

That level of turnover is remarkably small for minor-league soccer, where the jerseys sometimes ought to say "one size fits all" and the locker rooms might as well be built with revolving doors.

To that largely intact group, the RailHawks added Antoniuk, last year's USL leading scorer, and two Wake Forest products who spent last season with MLS teams, drawn in by what they saw in the RailHawks' first season.

"They were a tough team to beat," said Antoniuk, who played for Atlanta last season. "It's a bunch of guys who are going to fight and work hard for each other. The other stuff -- skill level, talent, breaks -- that all comes from working hard as a group."

A rough-and-tumble team last year -- four RailHawks were among the USL's top 10 in fouls -- Antoniuk and a few others were signed in a search for a little bit more flair this season.

What the RailHawks appear to have successfully found is a niche in the Triangle, with average attendance around the 5,000 mark, increasingly visible corporate support, a core group of die-hard fans and the confidence to start a women's pro team this season (a 2-0 winner in its inaugural game Saturday).

If last season was a solid step forward for the expansion franchise, this summer has the potential to go farther, both on the field and in the stands. If Saturday is any indication, the RailHawks are moving in the right direction, if not quite there yet.