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The Battery took three points, beating out Hartford Athletic late, in a 3-2 win on Saturday night at Dillon Stadium. It was a thrilling second half of play which saw four goals scored between the two sides and a late winner from Dante Marini.

A fantastic free-kick from Zeiko Lewis in the 41st minute opened the scoring giving the Battery a 1-0 lead going into halftime. Vincenzo Candela forced a foul from defender Alex Davey after dashing past two Hartford defenders to win the free-kick. Lewis and O’Brian Woodbine lined up over the dead ball before Lewis curled a perfect shot past Frederik Due and the six-man Hartford wall. It was Lewis’ sixth goal of the season and second since returning from international duty with Bermuda.

Hartford opened the second half on the front foot, creating a number of dangerous opportunities down the flanks and through the middle of the field. Wojciech Wojcik put Hartford on the board in the 57th minute blasting a shot past Joe Kuzminsky from the penalty spot. Jose Angulo put pressure on the Battery goal after making a strong run to the top left corner of the penalty area before having a shot on goal. Angulo forced a save from Kuzminsky who couldn’t handle the initial shot with the rebound falling to the feet of Wojcik in the middle of the box.

Mads Jorgensen put Hartford up 2-1 eight minutes later on a stunning goal from about thirty-five yards out. It was Jorgensen’s first action of the match after coming on as a substitute in the 64th minute, relieving Mac Steeves for fresher legs. His powerful shot gave Kuzminsky no chance at making a save, finding the top right corner of the net.

The final half-hour was a back and forth affair; the Battery looking for an equalizer and Hartford looking to put a nail in the coffin. It was Ataulla Guerra, who scored his first goal of the season, that brought Charleston level. There was a scramble in the box following a Battery corner and defender Leland Archer was able to keep his composure, controlling the cross and find Guerra who slipped it past Due.

Dante Marini would retake the lead for the Battery 92 seconds later beating Due from a tight angle on the left side of the box. The goal was Marini’s third of the season and second against Hartford, both of which proved to be game-winners. “I relish the opportunities to come in and do whatever the team needs of me,” Marini said after the match. “We’ve spoken as a team about going out and winning games, instead of settling for draws, and it feels unbelievable to go out and help our team accomplish that.”

The Battery head west for next weeks match against Swope Park Rangers on July 27th at 8:00 PM EST. Romario Piggott and Felipe Hernandez scored in a 1-1 draw against the teams at MUSC Health Stadium on June 22nd. The Battery return home on August 3rd as they take on the Tampa Bay Rowdies at 7:30 PM. Tickets can be purchased online or by calling (843) 971-GOAL.

BOXSCORE

HARTFORD: Due, Curinga (Williams), De Wit (YC 71), Davey (YC 39, Bedoya), Lee, Dixon, Rasmussen, Barrera (YC 90), Angulo, Steeves (Jorgensen 64, goal 65), Wojcik (goal 57)

Substitutes: Lissek, Novotny, Downs, Williams, Bedoya, Jorgensen

CHARLESTON: Kuzminsky, Paterson, Archer (assist 79), Mueller, Woodbine (Marini 71, goal 80′), Kelly, Candela, Rittmeyer, Guerra (goal 79), Lewis (goal 40), Svantesson (Bosua 64, YC 69)

Substitutes: Breno, Bolt, Nelson, Cox, Higashi, Marini, Bosua

The Battery are on the road this weekend for a matchup with Hartford Athletic on Saturday, July 20th at 5:00 PM at Dillon Stadium.

Previous Meeting

The Battery were 2-1 winners against Hartford Athletic in Week 2 of USL Championship action on March 16th at MUSC Health Stadium. Zeiko Lewis scored his first goal for the Battery in the 17th minute, combining with Romario Piggott in a quick one-two just outside the box. Piggott lofted a perfect pass over the top of the Hartford defense and Lewis beat Jacob Lissek low at the near post.

Dante Marini doubled the Battery’s lead in the 73rd minute after coming for Piggott in the 63rd minute of play. It was Marini’s first goal since returning from a knee injury that forced him to miss the entire 2018 USL Championship season. Ian Svantesson battled two Hartford defenders before having a shot from the left side of the box. Lissek made the initial save on Svantesson but couldn’t control the rebound and Marini was first to the loose ball.

Phil Rasmussen would pull one back for Hartford in the 83rd minute after converting on a penalty. Angelo Kelly was called for the penalty after Vincenzo Candela’s clearance inadvertently hit the midfielder’s arm in the box.

What to Watch For

Hartford had a brutal start to their inaugural season in the USL Championship playing their first eight games on the road while their home venue, Dillon Stadium, was undergoing renovations.

Four of Athletics first eight matches were against the current top four teams in the East (Tampa Bay Rowdies, New York Red Bulls II, Indy Eleven, and North Carolina FC). In those four matches, Hartford allowed fourteen goals while only scoring one. Hartford has been much better at home playing to a 2-3-3 record with quality wins against St. Louis FC and Indy Eleven.

Danny Barrera, who leads the team in assists (3) played a crucial role in the teams 2-1 win against Indy on July 13th assisting on each one of Hartford goal. The former Fresno FC and Sacramento Republic FC midfielder brings veteran experience and leadership to the young club and will look to lift Hartford from the bottom of the table in an improved second half of the season.

It’s been a long break between matches for the Battery as their last two games against Memphis 901 FC and Atlanta United 2 were postponed due to poor weather conditions.

Leading goalscorer Zeiko Lewis will have his eyes set on goal against a Hartford team that has conceded 46 goals on the season. Lewis was on the scoresheet for Charleston in the teams previous meeting and continues to be the Battery’s most dynamic attacker. The return of Ataulla Guerra should alleviate some of the offensive pressure put on Lewis’ shoulders, allowing the Bermuda international to showcase his playmaking ability.

Defense has been the identity of the Charleston Battery in recent years and a positive result Saturday could kickstart a strong second-half run. Captain Taylor Mueller enters Saturday’s match with 195 career appearances for the Battery sitting third all-time amongst Battery players. Mueller leads the Battery in clearances (69), blocked shots (12), and has played every minute in each of the three Battery shutouts.

On Episode 2 of Behind the Battery we head up into the broadcast booth to take a unique look at the Battery and the world of sports broadcasting with a familiar voice, our very own Poppy Miller.

Miller attended the University of South Carolina Beaufort where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Communications. The Nottingham, England native played soccer for four years at USCB while juggling a sports broadcast job with the university. “I knew that I really wanted to get into soccer broadcast,” Miller said. “During my senior year I thought I just about emailed every single team in America.”

Miller got her break prior to the start of the 2017 USL Championship season joining the Battery as a side line reporter. Miller moved from the sideline to the booth when the Battery’s former play by play commentator left. “They said do you want to do it? And I said sure I’ll give it a go!”

Miller has since taken over the club’s broadcast team while remaining in the booth on Battery game days. “When I initially took it over I thought it would be very temporary, I thought I’ll be doing this for maybe one or two weeks before we get someone in and now I’m still doing it.”

The Battery’s match against Memphis 901 FC, originally scheduled to be played on July 13th, has been rescheduled to Monday, September 2nd at 6:00 PM EST at MUSC Health Stadium.

Tickets purchased for July’s match will be honored for September’s game and can be exchanged at the box office on game day. Tickets are now available for purchase online or by calling (843) 971-GOAL.

The Battery are back in action this weekend against Hartford Athletic at Dillon Stadium on Saturday, July 20th. The match will be broadcast on MyTVCharleston and streamed live on ESPN+.

Piggott scored his first goal of the season against Birmingham and picked up his second against Swope Park. Piggott started in three USL Championship matches and the Open Cup match against Atlanta United.

Piggott opened the scoring in both contests to give the Battery a pair of 1-0 leads and has been efficient with his shots. Piggott converted on 40% of his shots and forced saves in all but one of his attempts.

The Charleston Battery are back in action this Saturday against Hartford Athletic before an away match with Swope Park on July 27th. The Battery square off against the Tampa Bay Rowdies on August 3rd with tickets available for purchase online or by calling (843) 971-GOAL.

Nicque Daley has received an international call up to the Jamaican National team ahead of the country’s Olympic Qualifying matches for the 2020 games.

Daley and Jamaica are set to compete in a preliminary round of qualifying (July 17th – July 21st) to determine their participation in regional qualifying later in the year. Jamaica joins Saint Kitts and Nevis, Guyana, and Dominica in Group A with the winner advancing to a play in match against the winner of Group D (Antigua and Barbuda, Dominican Republic, Saint Lucia, and Puerto Rico). The winner of that match will earn a spot in the in CONCACAF Men’s Olympic Qualifying Championship.

Since joining the Battery in March, Daley has scored two league goals in eleven appearances (three starts) and providing one assist. Daley scored his first goal for the Battery against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds in a 2-2 draw at MUSC Health Stadium on May 4th. Daley led the Battery to a third-round Open Cup win against Nashville SC, opening the scoring in the 24th minute.

Daley has enjoyed a successful international run with Jamaica making six appearances for the U-17 side and featuring as a key player during the U-20 CONCACAF Championships. Daley scored six goals in five matches during the competition including a four-goal effort against Saint Martin last November.

The Battery’s match against Atlanta United 2, originally scheduled for July 5th, has been rescheduled to Wednesday, September 18th following its postponement after inclement weather forced the game to be canceled after eleven minutes of play. The match will be restarted and played in its entirety.

The match will be held at Fifth Third Bank Stadium at 7:30 PM and be streamed live on ESPN+. The Battery are back in action this Saturday against Memphis 901 FC at MUSC Health Stadium at 7:30 PM. Single and group tickets are on sale and can be purchased online or by calling (843) 971-GOAL.

The second half of the USL Championship season is here and the race for playoff positioning is heating up! The Battery are looking to clinch a ninth consecutive playoff birth and a favorable start to the second half of the season have the Battery eyeing a top-four finish.

June has featured a number of strong performances from the boys in Black and Yellow with last months Player of the Month nominations below.

ARTHUR BOSUA

Bosua started in five of six league matches in June scoring two goals and providing one assist.

Bosua scored his third goal of the season, converting from the penalty spot, in a 3-1 win over Birmingham on June 8th. His goal would prove to be the game-winner giving the Battery a 2-1 lead in the 75th minute. It was Bosua’s second goal in as many games as he headed home the Battery’s lone goal against Louisville a week earlier.

KOTARO HIGASHI

Higashi picked up two assists in the month of June, appearing in all six league matches (5 starts). Higashi assisted on Romario Piggott’s opening goal against Birmingham squeezing a perfectly weighted pass between two defenders to put Piggott through on goal.

The Japanese midfielder picked up his second assist of the month against New York Red Bulls II forcing a turnover in the midfield and finding Nicque Daley on a streaking run to give 10-man Charleston a 1-0 lead.

Higashi leads the team in assists (3) and is third in chances created (13) at the midway point of the season.

ROMARIO PIGGOTT

Piggott scored his first goal of the season against Birmingham and picked up his second against Swope Park. Piggott started in three USL Championship matches and the Open Cup match against Atlanta United.

Piggott opened the scoring in both contests to give the Battery a pair of 1-0 leads and has been efficient with his shots. Piggott converted on 40% of his shots and forced saves in all but one of his attempts.

JARAD VAN SCHAIK

Van Schaik has proven to be one of the Battery’s most consistent defenders over the first half of the season and played every minute of every match, including the U.S. Open Cup match against Atlanta United, in the month of June.

Van Schaik was named to the USL Team of the Week following his performance against Eastern Conference leaders, Tampa Bay Rowdies, in a 1-1 draw in Tampa on June 15th. Van Schaik made 5 interceptions and 5 clearances in the match and his free kick in the 88th minute would lead to the equalizing goal.

Friday night’s match between Atlanta United 2 and the Charleston Battery has been postponed due to inclement weather.

The match, originally scheduled for 7:30 PM EST, was delayed for an hour and a half following an initial weather delay just prior to kickoff. An attempt to play the game was made at 9:05 PM before a second weather delay forced the teams off 11 minutes into the match.

A rescheduled date and time have yet to be determined and updates will be provided as more information is available. Please visit https://www.www.charlestonbattery.com for details.