By: Battery Media
The Charleston Battery hit the road this weekend to face Loudoun United FC on Sat., Sept. 16, in Virginia. Kickoff at Segra Field is set for 7 pm ET.
The Battery and Loudoun square off for the second time this season. Charleston took home all three points back in June with a 3-0 victory at Patriots Point. The Battery are seven games unbeaten against Loudoun and hold a 6W-1L-2D record in the all-time series.
Charleston (15W-7L-7D, 52 pts) head into this weekend on a three-match winning streak, and three-match shutout streak, most recently knocking off San Diego Loyal SC at home, 2-0. The Battery dominated the night to keep the league’s second-best offense without legitimate options and Tristan Trager's brace paved the way for victory. The win punched Charleston's ticket to the USL Championship Playoffs for the first time since 2020.
Loudoun (7W-19L-3D, 24 pts) enter Saturday's fixture on the opposite side of the coin and will be looking to snap a three-game losing streak. The Virginia outfit succumbed to Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, 3-1, in their last match. Loudoun, the youngest squad in the league, had their last victory come on the road against Las Vegas Lights FC on Aug. 12, a 0-3 result.
Nick Markanich is a player to watch for the Battery. The attacker will look to find the back of the net again for the first time since the reverse fixture against Loudoun, when he scored twice in the second half.
Zach Ryan is one to keep an eye on for the hosts. The skipper is their most potent threat on offense, with a team-high nine goals, along with two assists.
There is a chance the Battery will face off against former goalkeeper Hugo Fauroux, who has started 15 of Loudoun's 29 league contests.
The trio of Augi Williams, Jesse Randall and Fidel Barajas are available for selection again after returning to the Lowcountry this week after respective international call-ups.
The Battery will look to add to their impressive rebound season this weekend, as the club's 52 points so far this season marks a 27-point turnaround from last year. With five games to go, the Battery have a chance to surpass the greatest increase in points from one season to the next in the USL Championship's regular season history. They need just five points to set the new record.
Additionally, Charleston's 15 league wins have matched their best total in the USL Championship era. The 52 points are the club's third-highest total in the USL Championship era, four off from matching the highest (56 points in 2018).
There's a chance for the Battery to do something they haven’t achieved in more than two decades and eclipse the 60-point mark for the second time in club history. Charleston recorded 63 points in the 2002 USL A-League season, a club best. They won the league title the following year.
Looking at stat leaders across the league, goalkeeper Trey Muse is tied for the most clean sheets this season with 11.
Two players are nearing the century mark for appearances in the USL Championship regular season: Trey Muse (98) and AJ Paterson (97).
