The Battery welcome back AJ Paterson for the 2021 season! The attacking defender returns for his third year in the Black and Yellow, pending league and federation approval, after making 12 starts during the shortened 2020 season.
Paterson continued to exemplify his play-making talent on both sides of the pitch this past season with 3 assists on the attack, tying Angelo Kelly for team lead. His first came during the Battery’s August 15 come-from-behind 3-2 win over Atlanta United 2 as he executed a piercing pass in stoppage time across the goal to find Zeiko Lewis who punched it in for the victory. During Charleston’s 3-0 shutout over North Carolina FC to claim the Southern Derby, Paterson recorded his second assist while winning 6 of 7 duels and 4 of 4 aerials. The performance earned AJ USL Championship Team of the Week honors.
Paterson ended the season with 13 appearances to the tune of 1,049 minutes, creating 14 chances while adding 29 clearances and 11 interceptions from the back line. Commenting on his return, AJ noted, “I’m really excited to be back with the Battery and looking forward to building off our strong 2020 campaign.” There’s no disagreement there as AJ will continue to be a dual-threat presence for opponents to watch in 2021.
