Final Four Look to Advance to 2015 USL Championship

October 9, 2015 - United Soccer League Championship (USL) News Release

TAMPA, Fla. - The conference finals are on the horizon this weekend as four teams look to advance to the USL Championship. Every game of the 2015 USL Playoffs will be live, free and in HD on YouTube (www.Youtube.com/USL).

2015 USL Playoffs Hub on USLsoccer.com

The Eastern Conference's top-seeded Rochester Rhinos, the 2015 USL Regular Season Champions, host second-seeded Louisville City FC at 7:05 p.m. ET on Saturday at Sahlen's Stadium. A pair of second-year USL clubs square off in the Western Conference Final as second-seeded OKC Energy FC faces the fifth-seeded LA Galaxy II on Sunday at Taft Stadium. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. ET.

The winner of the Eastern Conference Final will host the 2015 USL Championship the following week.

2015 USL PLAYOFFS: CONFERENCE FINALS

East - No. 1 Rochester Rhinos vs. No. 2 Louisville City FC

Saturday, 7:05 p.m. ET, Sahlen's Stadium

The top two seeds in the Eastern Conference have carried over their regular-season success into the postseason and will now play for the right to host the 2015 USL Championship against either OKC Energy FC or the LA Galaxy II. Rochester won the season series against Louisville with a 1-0-1 record, first drawing 1-1 on April 16 at Slugger Field, followed by a 2-0 victory on June 13 at Sahlen's Stadium. In the latter match, USL single-season shutout record holder Brandon Miller had one of his busiest games of the year with five saves, while Kenardo Forbes and Steevan dos Santos each provided a goal for the Rhinos. The teams' contrasting styles will be at the forefront of this Eastern Conference Final. Louisville scored a USL-high 55 goals during the regular season and Rochester set a USL record with the fewest goals conceded with a mere 15 during regular-season action. City's Matt Fondy was the USL Golden Boot winner and established a single-season record with 22 goals. Miller's 13 regular-season shutouts topped the previous USL record by two. In the Eastern Conference Semifinal stage, Rochester eliminated the New York Red Bulls II with a 2-0 victory and Louisville topped the Charleston Battery 2-0 in overtime thanks to a Fondy brace.

USL Today: Rhinos Welcome City For Eastern Final

Chance to Host Championship at Stake in East Final

Rhinos' Attack Revolves Around Dynamic Dos Santos

Fondy Leads From Front, But Credits Support

West - No. 2 OKC Energy FC vs. No. 5 LA Galaxy II

Sunday, 7 p.m. ET, Taft Stadium

The two second-year USL sides look to advance to their first appearance in the title game. During their inaugural 2014 seasons, OKC did not advance to the USL Playoffs while LA reached this stage of the postseason, but fell in the semifinals against eventual champion Sacramento Republic FC. This regular season, Energy FC had the upper hand against Los Dos with a win and a draw. They tied 1-1 on July 18 at StubHub Center, and then OKC posted a 2-0 win on Aug. 4 at Taft Stadium. The Galaxy II, who have won more on the road than any other USL club this year, opened the playoffs with a 1-0 victory against Sacramento, followed by a strong 2-0 win against top-seeded Orange County Blues FC in the conference semifinals. OKC earned a first-round bye and defeated Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC 4-3 in a penalty shootout Sunday. Goalkeeper Evan Newton was the star with two shootout saves to lift Energy FC after it played the Switchbacks to a 2-2 score through regulation and overtime.

USL Today: OKC, Los Dos Clash in Western Final

Los Dos' Lassiter Feels Side is 'Catching Fire'

Cohesive Defense Steadying Energy FC

Energy FC's Newton Embodies Final Piece of Puzzle

OTHER NEWS, NOTES AND MILESTONES

- The five leading goal scorers in the 2015 USL Playoffs have all posted braces to account for their postseason goals. They include three players currently playing for a spot in the USL Championship - Rochester's Steevan dos Santos, Louisville's Matt Fondy and LA's Ariel Lassiter. The other two are the Pittsburgh Riverhounds' Willie Hunt and the New York Red Bulls II's Karl Ouimette.

- Three of the four remaining teams in the postseason have not allowed a goal in the USL Playoffs, with Galaxy II goalkeeper Clement Diop posting two clean sheets. Rochester's Brandon Miller and Louisville's Scott Goodwin did not allow a goal in their respective conference semifinal matches.

- The Galaxy II's Raul Mendiola became just the fourth player to post two assists in one USL Playoff game when he set up both of Ariel Lassiter's goals against Orange County Blues FC in a 2-0 victory in the Western Conference Semifinals. Mendiola joins Wilmington Hammerheads FC's Christian Davidson (2012), the Charlotte Eagles' Jorge Herrera (2013) and the Richmond Kickers' Shay Spitz (2014) as the only players to accomplish this feat. No player has posted more than two goals in one postseason game this season.

2015 USL PLAYOFFS RESULTS AND SCHEDULE

Eastern Conference Quarterfinals

Saturday, September 26

No. 3 Charleston Battery 2, No. 6 Richmond Kickers 1 (OT)

No. 4 New York Red Bulls II 4, No. 5 Pittsburgh Riverhounds 2 (OT)

Western Conference Quarterfinals

Friday, September 25

No. 3 Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC 2, No. 6 Seattle Sounders FC 2 0

Saturday, September 26

No. 5 LA Galaxy II 1, No. 4 Sacramento Republic FC 0

Eastern Conference Semifinals

Saturday, October 3

No. 1 Rochester Rhinos 2, No. 4 New York Red Bulls II 0

No. 2 Louisville City FC 2, No. 3 Charleston Battery 0 (OT)

Western Conference Semifinals

Saturday, October 3

No. 5 LA Galaxy II 2, No. 1 Orange County Blues FC 0

Sunday, October 4

No. 2 OKC Energy FC 2, No. 3 Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC 2 (OKC wins 4-3 in shootout)

Eastern Conference Final

Saturday, October 10

No. 1 Rochester Rhinos vs. No. 2 Louisville City FC; 7:05 p.m. ET, Sahlen's Stadium

Western Conference Final

Sunday, October 11

No. 2 OKC Energy FC vs. No. 5 LA Galaxy II, 7 p.m. ET, Taft Stadium

2015 USL PLAYOFFS LEADERS

Goals

1. Steevan dos Santos (ROC), 2

1. Matt Fondy (LOU), 2

1. Willie Hunt (PGH), 2

1. Ariel Lassiter (LA), 2

1. Karl Ouimette (NY), 2

6. 11 players tied with 1

Assists

1. Chandler Hoffman (COS), 2

1. Raul Mendiola (LA), 2

3. 11 players tied with 1

Points

1. Steevan dos Santos (ROC), 4

1. Matt Fondy (LOU), 4

1. Willie Hunt (PGH), 4

1. Ariel Lassiter (LA), 4

1. Karl Ouimette, (NY), 4

6. 13 players tied with 2

Goals-Against Average

1. Clement Diop (LA), 0.00

1. Scott Goodwin (LOU), 0.00

1. Brandon Miller (ROC), 0.00

4. Devala Gorrick (COS), 0.86

5. Dominik Jakubek (SAC), 1.00

Saves

1. Odisnel Cooper (CHS), 14

2. Devala Gorrick (COS), 9

2. Ryan Taylor (RIC), 9

4. Santiago Castano (NY), 8

5. Clement Diop (LA), 7

ALL-TIME RECORDS FOR TEAMS IN 2015 USL PLAYOFFS

(2011-present)

Eastern Conference

Charleston Battery: 5-4 (eliminated in conference semifinals)

Louisville City FC: 1-0

New York Red Bulls II: 1-1 (eliminated in conference semifinals)

Pittsburgh Riverhounds: 0-3 (eliminated in conference quarterfinals)

Richmond Kickers: 3-5 (eliminated in conference quarterfinals)

Rochester Rhinos: 2-3

Western Conference

Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC: 1-1 (eliminated in conference semifinals)

LA Galaxy II: 3-1

OKC Energy FC: 1-0

Orange County Blues FC: 0-3 (eliminated in conference semifinals)

Sacramento Republic FC: 3-1 (eliminated in conference quarterfinals)

Seattle Sounders FC 2: 0-1 (eliminated in conference quarterfinals)

USL CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS

2011: Orlando City SC 2, Harrisburg City Islanders 2 (Orlando City wins 3-2 in PK shootout)

2012: Charleston Battery 1, Wilmington Hammerheads FC 0

2013: Orlando City SC 7, Charlotte Eagles 4

2014: Sacramento Republic FC 2, Harrisburg City Islanders 0

HOW TO FOLLOW

Every game of the 2015 USL season can be seen live, free and in HD on YouTube (www.Youtube.com/USL), with updates from throughout the league also available via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

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