Defeat in Charleston Ends Riverhounds' Season
November 2, 2024 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC News Release
MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. - The Pittsburgh Riverhounds had their season come to an end in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, as an early goal was enough to give the Charleston Battery a 1-0 win tonight at Patriots Point Soccer Complex.
Nick Markanich, the USL Championship's leading scorer, found the net in the eighth minute for the second-seeded Battery, who are the reigning Eastern Conference champions.
Eric Dick made four saves in goal for the Hounds, who qualified for the USL Championship Playoffs for a seventh consecutive season. The No. 7-seed Hounds were shut out for the first time in 10 matches, and they were unable to find the net despite a 12-10 edge in shots.
First half
After holding first-half leads in seven consecutive matches, the Hounds found themselves in the unfamiliar position of playing from behind in the eighth minute.
The Battery worked the ball down the left side before dropping a pass back to Arturo Rodriguez, who lifted a cross toward the back post. Markanich made a late cut in front of his defender and dove to head the ball past Dick for a 1-0 lead. It was the first goal allowed by the Hounds in 379 minutes of play, and it was the first first-half goal given up by the team since Aug. 17 against Colorado Springs, a run of nine matches.
The Hounds pressed to get the goal back quickly, and Bertin Jacquesson showed great skill in the box to control the ball and lay a pass back to Danny Griffin, whose shot was deflected wide for a corner by the Battery defense. That remained a theme of the night, as the Battery blocked six shots on the night.
Dick kept the margin close in the 42nd minute with his biggest save of the night, diving to his left to deny a curling shot by Rodriguez from 13 yards away.
Second half
The Hounds went straight on the attack to begin the second half, and Edward Kizza won the ball to set up Jacquesson, but again, the Battery tracked back to block the effort.
In the 70th minute, Bradley Sample won a contested ball in the attacking third to set up Robbie Mertz, who wisely drew the defense before passing to Griffin. The Hounds' captain beat the goalkeeper with his shot, but the defense again tracked back to keep the ball from getting to the goal line.
The Battery had shouts for a penalty kick in the 75th minute when Griffin collided with Emilio Ycaza in the box, but play continued and the Hounds got a chance on the counter that ended with Langston Blackstock shooting wide of the goal.
In the end, the Hounds were not able to put a shot on target in the second half, with their final chance coming on a cross from Luke Biasi that found Kizza for an off-balance attempt in traffic that sailed high at the near post.
Modelo Man of the Match
Pat Hogan was a stalwart on the back line against his former club, helping to slow down the league's second-highest scoring team. The center back won 9 of 12 duels (7 of 9 in the air) and had a match-best five interceptions while connecting on 64 of 73 passes (87.7 percent).
Riverhounds SC lineup (3-5-2) - Eric Dick; Sean Suber, Pat Hogan, Illal Osumanu (Bradley Sample 63'); Junior Etou (Langston Blackstock 63'), Jackson Walti, Robbie Mertz (Kenardo Forbes 79'), Danny Griffin, Luke Biasi; Bertin Jacquesson (Babacar Diene 79'), Edward Kizza
Charleston Battery lineup (4-2-3-1) - Adam Grinwis; Chris Allan, Nate Dossantos, Graham Smith, Mark Segbers; Jay Chapman, Aaron Molloy; Juan Torres (Samuel Biek 85'), Arturo Rodriguez (Robbie Crawford 90+3'), Nick Markanich (Emilio Ycaza 72'); Jackson Conway (MD Myers 72')
Scoring summary
CHS - Nick Markanich 8' (Arturo Rodriguez)
Discipline summary
CHS - Aaron Molloy 33' (caution - reckless foul)
PIT - Pat Hogan 53' (caution - reckless foul)
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