The Charleston Battery ran riot over Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC in a thrilling 5-0 win on Monday at Patriots Point. The Battery had five different players on the scoresheet, with Aaron Molloy, MD Myers, and Emilio Ycaza scoring in the first half, and Nathan Dossantos and Viggo Ortiz adding on in the second half. The five goals scored are a new season-high for Charleston’s league-leading offense.
The five goals scored are a new season-high for Charleston’s league-leading offense, and the win tied the club’s record for most regular season wins in their USL Championship era.
Charleston and Colorado Springs kicked off amid pleasant conditions that contrasted starkly with those experienced during the original fixture on Saturday. The Saturday match was abandoned after the Battery took a 1-0 lead into halftime due to severe weather and unplayable field conditions, with the official ruling calling for the game to be replayed in full from the start.
The Battery picked up where they left off on Saturday, and Aaron Molloy fired the hosts in front, 1-0, in just the 7th minute with a sensational strike off his own free kick’s deflection. Molloy’s free kick was blocked by the Colorado Springs wall, but the rebound fell right back to him. The Irish midfielder struck a clean half-volley through the gap and into the bottom right corner, giving Charleston an early lead.
Molloy’s goal was his second of the season.
Just moments later, MD Myers doubled Charleston’s lead in the 12th minute after combining with Cal Jennings on the counterattack. The issue was forced by Jennings after he won the ball at midfield and then surged down the right flank before finding Myers in the box. From there, Myers danced around defender Tyler Clegg and clinically slotted the ball into the net to make the score 2-0.
The goal marked Myers’ 14th of the league campaign and 18th across all competitions, setting a new team lead. Jennings’ assist was the sixth of the season.
It continues the hot streak for the league’s top goalscoring duo; Myers has tallied four goals in his last four league contests, and Jennings has recorded four goals and two assists in his last five home league games.
Charleston kept their foot on the gas and pressed for a third goal. Emilio Ycaza was the one to make it 3-0 with his header from inside the box in the 25th minute. Aaron Molloy lofted a towering cross into the box that found Ycaza on the far post. Ycaza then met the ball in stride and headed it home past goalkeeper Christian Herrera.
The goal marked Ycaza’s fourth of 2025 across all competitions, and the assist was Molloy’s fifth of the year.
Charleston maintained their attacking momentum over the next 20 minutes, with Leland Archer, Molloy, Arturo Rodríguez, and Jennings each registering shots, along with Molloy sending one off the woodwork in the 42nd minute.
The Battery’s defense held firm and disciplined on the other end and limited Colorado Springs to just four shots, all off target, and zero corner kicks.
Halftime arrived with Charleston in control and ahead 3-0 over the league’s defending champions.
Charleston opened the second half looking to extend their lead and maintain their shutout.
In the 62nd minute, goalkeeper Luis Zamudio was called into action for the first time and made a pair of crucial saves. His first was a quick-reflex stop with his foot to deny Cole Mrowka, and then seconds later he collected the follow-up effort from Levonte Johnson.
Charleston added to their lead in the 78th minute when Nathan Dossantos made an instant impact off the bench to make the score 4-0. Molloy delivered a corner kick to the near post and Dossantos timed his run perfectly for a glancing header that Herrera was unable to stop.
The goal marked Dossantos’ first of the season, while Molloy recorded his second assist of the night and sixth of the year.
A notable moment occurred in the 82nd minute when 17-year-old Viggo Ortiz entered the match off the bench and made his first USL Championship appearance. The league debut comes after Ortiz featured in a pair of cup matches earlier in the year.
Just one minute after entering the match, Ortiz scored his first career professional goal to make the lead 5-0 for Charleston. Ortiz found himself in the box as the ball bounced loose following a deflected shot from Wesley Leggett. He took a quick touch with his left foot to set up the strike, then fired a shot straight into the middle of the net to cap off the Battery’s dominant evening.
At 17 years, four months and 18 days old, Ortiz became the second-youngest goalscorer in club history, behind only fellow Mexican youth international Fidel Barajas (16 years, 11 months and 20 days).
Charleston saw out the 5-0 victory from there, achieving their highest-scoring match of the year and doing so against the defending USL Championship Title-Holders. It’s the Battery’s first win over Colorado Springs in the all-time series.
The result advances Charleston’s record to 18W-5L-4D (58pts), placing them second in the Eastern Conference standings.
Charleston’s victory also matches the club’s record for most regular season wins in their Championship era, matching the record set by the 2024 squad.
Goalkeeper Luis Zamudio tallied his seventh clean sheet of the season and made three saves on the night, all in the second half.
Aaron Molloy turned in one of his best performances of the year so far with one goal and two assists, on top of a match-high four chances created and five duels won.
Looking at the Golden Boot race, Cal Jennings sits first with 16 goals and MD Myers is in third with 14 goals after adding another tally.
Charleston remain undefeated against Western Conference sides in 2025 with a 5W-0L-2D record.
Charleston’s next match will be home vs. Detroit City FC on Sat., Oct. 18. Tickets for the game are on sale now via SeatGeek.com, the club’s exclusive digital ticketing provider.
Lineups:
CHS: Zamudio, Martínez (Dossantos, 63’), Akpunonu, Archer, Blackstock (Edwards, 80’), Houssou (Segbers, 63’), Molloy, Ycaza, Myers, Rodríguez (Ortíz, 82’), Jennings (Leggett, 80’)
COS: Herrera, Real, Mahoney, Clegg, Ward, Creek (Foster, 64’), Huerman (Adams, 64’), Mrowka, Johnson (Vassell, 73’), Hanya (Fjeldberg, 73’), Tejada (Rios, 73’)
Scoring Summary:
CHS - Aaron Molloy, 7’
CHS - MD Myers, 12’ (Cal Jennings)
CHS - Emilio Ycaza, 25’ (Aaron Molloy)
CHS - Nate Dossantos, 78’ (Aaron Molloy)
CHS - Viggo Ortíz, 83’