Battery to Face Tulsa for Second Time in 2022

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By: Battery Media

The Charleston Battery head to Oklahoma this weekend to take on FC Tulsa on Saturday, June 25. Kickoff at ONEOK Field is set for 8:30 p.m. ET.

Charleston and Tulsa square off for the second time this season after the Battery bested Tulsa on opening night in a 1-0 victory at Patriots Point. Augustine Williams scored his first goal with the Black and Yellow early in the game and it proved to be the match-winner after Charleston's defense solidified the shutout. That fixture was the first between the two clubs, so Saturday will be Charleston's first visit to Tulsa.

Saturday will mark Tulsa's second match under Donovan Ricketts' leadership as interim head coach after the club announced that longtime manager Michael Nsien was relieved of his duties on June 17. Tulsa fell 2-0 on the road to Memphis 901 FC on Wednesday in their first match with Ricketts on the touchline. Memphis found the back of the net in the 14th minute but the 1-0 scoreline held through much of the contest. The hosts put the game away in the 84th minute when Derek Dodson scored on a counterattack. Tulsa will seek redemption in their return home.

The Battery will aim to continue the momentum of strong results recently when they arrive in Oklahoma. Charleston drew against Tampa Bay 1-1 on the road, with Williams scoring the equalizer in the second half to steal a point from the Rowdies. Tampa Bay were held in check for most of the evening as the defense held their ground well against the potent Rowdies attack. Preston Kilwien embodied the tenacity of the back line with a sliding block in the final minutes of stoppage time to deny Jake LaCava a chance for the match-winner. LaCava was deep inside the box and his shot would've been on target if not for Kilwien's intervention.

Defender Matt Sheldon will return to his old stomping grounds for the first time since joining Charleston this past offseason. Sheldon played three seasons for Tulsa and was an integral part of the formidable teams of those years.

Midfielder Dominic Oduro is knocking on the door of his 100th career regular-season USL Championship appearance heading into Saturday. The Ghanaian currently has 99 matches to his name, 13 of which have come with the Battery.

Tulsa will be without talented El Salvador international Joaquin Rivas, who was another longtime member of the club that departed this week after he was transferred out to Miami FC. On the opposite end, Tulsa acquired Sean McFarlane on loan from Miami for the remainder of the 2022 season.

When the Battery step up to the plate at ONEOK Field, they will be doing so in a baseball stadium adapted to host soccer matches. FC Tulsa share the ONEOK with the Tulsa Drillers, the AA affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers.