The Charleston Battery exited from the USL Championship Playoffs following a 0-0 draw and subsequent penalty shootout defeat against Rhode Island FC in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals on Sunday at Patriots Point. Charleston fought valiantly throughout the day but saw their season come to a close after the visitors won the penalty shootout after extra time, 3-5.
The rematch of last year’s Eastern Conference Final started with both sides looking to punch their ticket to the next round.
Through the first 15 minutes, Charleston controlled the tempo with 57% possession but were unable to find an opener. Cal Jennings and Houssou Landry recorded shots, while Rhode Island did not register one until the 27th minute, an off-target attempt by Hugo Bacharach.
As the half progressed, the match became increasingly cagey. Jeremy Kelly, MD Myers and Graham Smith saw their shots blocked by Rhode Island’s defense, while Clay Holstad recorded the second attempt for the visitors.
Leland Archer made a crucial block in stoppage time to deny Holstad on a dangerous counterattack.
The match went into the break tied and scoreless at 0-0. The Battery retained 58% possession and outshot the visitors by a margin of six to two, but neither side managed to have a shot on target.
Play resumed in the second half with all still to play for.
The best chance of the match came in the 58th minute when Cal Jennings found himself one-on-one against goalkeeper Koke Vegas. Jennings fired a shot across his body toward the bottom-left corner, but Vegas made the kick save.
Two minutes later, Charleston pressed forward again as Jennings delivered a short cross to Myers inside the six-yard box. Myers struck it first-time on the volley, but his effort narrowly missed wide left.
Goalkeeper Luis Zamudio came up with a massive save in the 82nd minute to deny Jojea Kwizera and keep the visitors off the board.
Developments became increasingly nervy for the hosts toward the end of normal time. JJ Williams thought to had scored the go-ahead goal in the 92nd minute, but the ball went off the crossbar and not over the line. On the ensuing longball attempt by Zamudio, Jojea Kwizera obstructed Zamudio for a cheap attempt on goal that went into the net. That goal was chalked off, and Kwizera was issued a yellow for the act.
Tensions flared moments later in stoppage time after Houssou was fouled, sparking a heated exchange between both sides. Words were exchanged amongst the players amid pushing and shoving, leading to red cards being issued to Houssou and Kwizera. Charleston and Rhode Island would carry on with 10 men for the remainder of the contest.
The match reached full-time tied at 0-0, sending the day into two 15-minute periods of extra time to decide the game.
In the first period of extra time, the Battery tried to break through again when Jennings, Myers and Rubio Rubín connected up top, but Vegas intercepted the ball to stop the opportunity in the 94th minute.
Hugo Bacharach came close for Rhode Island in the 103rd minute with a first-time volley from the top center of the box, but his effort sailed over the crossbar.
Nearing the end of the first period, Arturo Rodríguez delivered a cross to Jennings, who headed it from the top of the box, forcing Koke Vegas to leap and punch the ball over the crossbar. A corner kick would have been awarded to the Battery, but the whistle blew to end the period with the score still tied at 0-0.
The second period of extra time was cagey, as neither side registered a shot until the waning moments before penalties. The best attempt came from Molloy in the 120th minute, an on-target shot from distance that forced Vegas into another save.
Still scoreless after extra time, the match ended in a draw and went into penalties to decide the winner.
The first two rounds were converted by each side, but in the third round, Arturo Rodríguez’s spot attempt went over the crossbar after Maxi Rodríguez was true on his. Rhode Island scored in their next two rounds to seal the victory in the shootout and advance to the next round.
Sunday’s match officially ended in a 0-0 draw after extra time, with Rhode Island winning the penalty shootout, 3-5.
The result concludes the Battery’s 2025 campaign, a year where the club reset their regular season wins record, in their Championship era, for the third consecutive year.
Head Coach Ben Pirmann addressed the media after the match, with key quotes to follow.
Coach Pirmann on his assessment of the match…
It was a good game. Like I said, it wasn’t the easiest matchup for us. It was physical, but we expected that, and I thought we played really well. We had three one-on-one breakaways and just didn’t finish. The boys worked their socks off, like they have all year. Usually, that stuff falls for us after nine-and-a-half months, but fair credit, their goalkeeper made the saves. It’s disappointing.
As you said, they’re good, they’re experienced, and they really pushed us up and down the field. We fought through it. They were brave, they went for it, and it just didn’t fall our way. Then, of course, penalties are 50-50. It didn’t matter whether it was 11-v-11 or 10-v-10, the bravery and courage were there. I think our supporters should be proud of this team.
Coach Pirmann on immediate reflection on the final game of the season…
If you don’t win, you’re out. It’s absolute. But I’m so proud of this team, proud of this club, proud of everybody involved. I’m sorry we didn’t win, but we went for it. We showed courage. We made a tweak in overtime and really put them under pressure, and even up until the last play, their goalkeeper made a diving save to tip it out. It just didn’t go our way.
Coach Pirmann on his message to the team…
Football, in my opinion, is one of the few things in this world that can truly bring people together, and this community is a perfect example of that. So fair play to Larry, our owner, Rob Salvatore, our chairman, and Lee, our president. What they do for this club is incredible. The last three years have been so impactful, with positivity both on and off the field.
Right now, it stinks. But what are you going to do, blame somebody? These guys work their socks off. You’ve got Aaron Malloy bleeding out of his face for 75 minutes of regulation and another 30 in overtime. MD Myers ripped his groin in half but fought through it. They just work. They do it for each other, not for themselves. They do it for our supporters.
It’s tough. I feel for them. But that’s life. You have to pick yourself up. It’s disappointing, for sure. Like I said, I thought we outplayed them in so many ways, and we were right there in regulation to win it. Then in overtime, the breakaways didn’t fall our way. You’ve got to give Rhode Island credit. They found a way and are on to the next round. Fair play to them.
I love our guys. I love this club. I’m proud to represent it the best I can. I thought our boys should be proud of what they did tonight, in another record-breaking season. But yeah, if you don’t win the last one, it stings.
Coach Pirmann on the penalty shootout…
It’s structured. Arturo is probably our best. You know, Cal was great all year, and he was gassed, he couldn’t finish [the game]. MD has been secondary, tremendous. Rubio, for his national team, could use him. Arturo has been tremendous. Molloy, who stinks at it, scores it. So we’ve trained them, we’ve prepared, probably got to give them the advantage. I think this is [Rhode Island’s] first shootout in two seasons, it’s the first one they’ve won, which is crazy. But like I said, fair play to them. They did it. Our guys went for it. The shootouts are 50-50, but we prepare. The boys were confident, like I said, I’d go down swinging with Arturo all day. It just got up on him.
Charleston will be back on the pitch in 2026 when the USL Championship season kicks off again. Fans can lock in their spot for all the action, plus a host of perks and benefits, in 2026 with a Season Membership, on sale now.
Lineups and Scoring Summary
Lineups
CHS: Zamudio, Blackstock (Segbers, 87’), Smith, Archer, Martínez (Dossantos, 70’), Houssou, Molloy, Kelly (Rubín, 69’), Myers, Rodríguez, Jennings (Akpunonu, 106’)
RI: Vegas, Diop, Yao (Rodriguez, 119’), Bacharach, Kwizera, Herivaux (Dikwa, 80’), Holstad (Ybarra, 88’), Nodarse (Mabika, 119’), Fuson, Williams, Shapiro-Thompson (Atkinson, 80’ (Sanzhez, 91’))
Penalty Shootout Summary
RI – JJ Williams, Make
CHS – Aaron Molloy, Make
RI – Hamady Diop, Make
CHS – Rubio Rubín, Make
RI – Maxi Rodríguez, Make
CHS – Arturo Rodríguez, Miss
RI – Hugo Bacharach, Make
CHS – MD Myers, Make
RI – Aime Mabika, Make
