First-Half Explosion Powers Rhode Island FC to First Regular-Season Win, 3-1 at Lexington SC
USL Rhode Island FC

First-Half Explosion Powers Rhode Island FC to First Regular-Season Win, 3-1 at Lexington SC

Published on April 11, 2026 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Rhode Island FC News Release


Rhode Island FC celebrates a goal against Lexington SC
Rhode Island FC celebrates a goal against Lexington SC
(Rhode Island FC, Credit: USL Championship)

PAWTUCKET, R.I. - Rhode Island FC established dominance early and never looked back at Lexington SC Stadium on Saturday, picking up its first win of the 2026 USL Championship campaign in style with a 3-1 win at Lexington SC. Goals from Aldair Sanchez, Jojea Kwizera and Leo Afonso led the Ocean State club's breakout attacking performance, while goalkeeper Koke Vegas made a season-high six-saves to preserve the win on the defensive end.

Rhode Island FC took firm control of the game early, taking a 2-0 lead inside of 28 minutes. Sanchez opened the scoring in style in the 22nd minute, forcing a turnover in the midfield before charging into the final third, finishing a brilliant solo run with a long-range rocket that scorched the back of the net.

Just six minutes later, Kwizera doubled the lead with a powerful near-post finish. JJ Williams began the move when he collected a pass in the middle of the field, quickly spraying a pass out wide to Kwizera, who was wide open on the right wing. Taking a touch onto his left foot, Kwizera quickly launched a near-post shot that deflected off of Lexington goalkeeper Oliver Semmle and in.

The Ocean State club had several chances to extend its biggest first-half road lead in more than a year. It nearly found the back of the net yet again in the 30th minute, when Williams dribbled around two defenders before his close-range shot was saved by Semmle. Four minutes later, after RIFC's relentless pressure forced another turnover in the final third, Afonso sent a long-range curling shot past Semmle that was cleared off the line by a Lexington defender. In the 42nd minute, Agustín "Pity" Rodríguez completed another quick RIFC counter-attack, fizzing a low shot from distance just wide of the left post.

Through the first 45 minutes, Rhode Island FC's dominant attack outshot Lexington 9-2, and its five shots on target were the most the Ocean State club has recorded in a single half this season. It went into the break with a dominant 2-0 lead.

Lexington threatened to cut the lead in half early in the second half, but the RIFC goalkeeper Koke Vegas made a pair of strong stops to hold the lead. In the 53rd minute, Lexington's Joe Hafferty dropped a dangerous cross into the six-yard box, but Vegas moved quickly off of his line to deny the chance in. Eight minutes later, Phillip Goodrum launched a top-corner shot from outside the box, but Vegas pawed the ball away with a full-stretch diving save to deny the chance.

The Ocean State club made Lexington pay for the missed chance in the 68th minute, capitalizing on another quick sequence to put the game to bed. Jojea Kwizera began the move in the midfield, playing a long free kick to Williams, who flicked the ball to the feet of Noah Fuson. Fuson quickly played a short pass to Afonso, who ran onto the ball with pace and picked out the bottom-right corner with a low, long-range shot to extend the lead to three with his first career goal for RIFC.

Lexington pulled back a goal in the 85th minute when Jacob Greene connected with a low cross at the top of the six-yard box and snuck a near-post shot past Vegas to make it 3-1. Despite the late surge from the homeside, Vegas capped off a season-high six-save performance with a fantastic one-on-one save just two minutes later, denying Goodrum to preserve the two goal cushion and securing RIFC's first win of the regular season.

Up next, Rhode Island FC will return to Centreville Bank Stadium in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 when it takes on Major League Soccer club New England Revolution on Tuesday, April 14 at 7 p.m. Tickets for the game are available now at rhodeislandfc.com/tickets.

GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN

RI - Aldair Sanchez (Agustín "Pity" Rodríguez), 22nd minute: Sanchez drills a powerful long-range shot into the top-left corner. LEX 0, RI 1

RI - Jojea Kwizera (JJ Williams), 28th minute: Kwizera launches a shot from the right wing that deflects off of Semmle and into the back of the net. LEX 0, RI 2

RI - Leo Afonso (Noah Fuson), 68th minute: Afonso picks out the bottom-right corner with a long-range shot. LEX 0, RI 3

LEX - Jacob Greene, 85th minute: Greene beats Vegas with a near-post shot from the top of the six-yard box. LEX 1, RI 3

ADDITIONAL NOTES

RIFC scored two first-half goals in a regular-season road game for the first time since its 3-0 win at Oakland Roots SC on April 5, 2025.

RIFC's five shots on target in the first half were the most it has taken in a single half this season.

Aldair Sanchez collected his first career regular-season goal for Rhode Island FC, and his team-leading second across all competitions in 2026.

Jojea Kwizera scored his team-leading second goal of the 2026 regular season. Both goals came in Kentucky, with his first coming in RIFC's 4-2 loss at Louisville City FC on March 21.

Leo Afonso, who led the USL Championship with 20 shots ahead of Saturday's game, scored his first career goal for the Ocean State club in the 68th minute.

Agustín "Pity" Rodríguez collected his first career regular-season assist for Rhode Island FC.

JJ Williams collected his team-leading third assist of the season across all competitions, and the 11th of his Rhode Island FC career.

Noah Fuson tallied his first assist of the 2026 season, and the club-leading 16th of his RIFC career.

Goalkeeper Koke Vegas made a season-high six saves to preserve the win.

Amos Shapiro-Thompson returned from injury and made his 2026 debut, coming in as a second-half substitute.

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Koke Vegas

Check out the Rhode Island FC Statistics

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Images from this story

Rhode Island FC reacts after a goal at Lexington SC
Rhode Island FC reacts after a goal at Lexington SC
(USL Championship)		 Rhode Island FC midfielder Jojea Kwizera vs. Lexington SC
Rhode Island FC midfielder Jojea Kwizera vs. Lexington SC
(USL Championship)		 Rhode Island FC celebrates a goal against Lexington SC
Rhode Island FC celebrates a goal against Lexington SC
(USL Championship)



United Soccer League Championship Stories from April 11, 2026


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