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USL Charleston Battery

Battery Host Pittsburgh in Clash of '90s Clubs on Saturday

June 7, 2024 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Charleston Battery News Release


CHARLESTON, S.C. - The Charleston Battery host Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on Sat., June 8, in a Week 14 clash of the Black and Yellows. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET and the match will air on WCSC (Charleston) and WIS (Columbia) on local TV, and stream via ESPN+.

Charleston and Pittsburgh meet for the first time of the year and the 41st time ever on Saturday. The sides split the series in 2023 with one win apiece. The Battery won the match at Patriots Point, a 3-1 triumph over the Hounds.

The Battery (8W-1L-4D, 28pts) head into this weekend after drawing 0-0 away to Monterey Bay FC last Wednesday. Goalkeeper Daniel Kuzemka recorded his second shutout of the season. The game marked the fourth consecutive week with a midweek game for the Battery.

Pittsburgh (3W-5L-4D, 13pts) arrive in the Lowcountry following a 1-2 home loss against the red-hot Indy Eleven on Saturday. Danny Griffin's goal in the second half sparked a comeback bid, but the effort fell short in the end.

The Hounds are winless in their last five matches, posting three losses and two draws in that span.

Looking at the Eastern Conference table, the Battery are in second and Pittsburgh are in 10th.

Storylines of the Match

The Old Guard Shield Returns - No two teams have clashed more in the USL Championship than the Battery (est. 1993) and the Riverhounds (est. 1999), who are set for their 41st all-time meeting dating back to 1999. Supporters of both clubs contest for the Old Guard Shield and the winner is determined after the two regular season fixtures.

Over 20 Years of History - The all-time series is narrowly led the Battery with a 14W-10L-16D record over Pittsburgh. The first match was played on July 30, 1999, a 2-0 Riverhounds win in Pennsylvania, when both clubs were members of the USL A-League. Charleston hold the largest margin of victory in the series, a 4-0 result achieved on July 14, 2000, and again on August 30, 2014.

Recent History - In the past five matches, the series evenly split at two wins for each side and one draw. The Battery have secured back-to-back wins at Patriots Point over the Hounds, including the 3-1 victory in 2023.

Familiar Faces - Saturday could feature Nathan Dossantos' first match against Pittsburgh since joining the Battery this past offseason. Dossantos spent 2022 and 2023 with the Hounds. On the other side, former Battery players Patrick Hogan and EJ Johnson are set to compete against their old club after both departed the Lowcountry following the 2022 campaign.

League Leaders in Charleston - Despite falling to second place in the standings, the Battery have several players leading in various statistic categories: Nick Markanich (Goals, 12); Aaron Molloy (Chances Created, 34); Adam Grinwis (Shutouts (tied), five); Graham Smith (Clearances, 73). As a team, Charleston lead the league with seven shutouts on the year.

Allan Returns - Chris Allan will be available for Saturday's contest after missing the Monterey Bay match while serving a red card suspension.

Roster Update - Jake LaCava completed a permanent transfer to USL Championship side San Antonio FC on Monday. LaCava featured in 12 matches across all competitions for the Battery in 2024.

MATCH INFO

Charleston Battery vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC

Saturday, June 8 - 7:30 p.m. ET Kickoff

Patriots Point

HOW TO WATCH:

Saturday's match will air on local television on WCSC channel 5.3 in Charleston and WIS channel 10.4 in Columbia.

It will also stream on ESPN+ domestically and through the league's YouTube channel for free internationally.

A limited amount of tickets for Saturday are available now via SeatGeek.com, the Battery's exclusive digital ticketing provider.

Check out the Charleston Battery Statistics

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