Game Preview: Rhode Island FC vs. Lexington SC: April 11, 2026
USL Rhode Island FC

Game Preview: Rhode Island FC vs. Lexington SC: April 11, 2026

Published on April 8, 2026 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Rhode Island FC News Release


After keeping its second-straight clean sheet in a hard-fought scoreless tie vs. Detroit City FC at Centreville Bank Stadium, Rhode Island FC will gear up for its first-ever trip to Western Conference side Lexington SC on Saturday, kicking off a busy stretch of two games in four days. Defensively, the Ocean State club has kept two-straight clean sheets across all competitions, and will look to convert on the attack in order to pick up its first win of the regular season in Kentucky. Ahead of RIFC's first cross-conference contest of the season, here is everything you need to know.

AT A GLANCE

Date | Saturday, April 11

Kickoff | 7:00 p.m. ET

Location | Lexington SC Stadium - Lexington, Ky.

Broadcast | NESN+, ESPN Select

Radio | 790 The Score (WPRV 790 AM)

Social | @rhodeislandfc (X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok)

Game Hashtag | #LEXvRI

LEXINGTON SC

Roster

GOALKEEPERS (4): 1-Logan Ketterer, 17-Oliver Semmle, 40-Garrett Adams, 99-Johan Peñaranda

DEFENDERS (7): 2-Jacob Greene, 4-Arturo Ordóñez, 5-Kendall Burks, 12-Xavier Zengue, 14-Andrew Caborn, 22-Joe Hafferty, 23-Javain Brown

MIDFIELDERS (7): 6-Aaron Molloy, 8-Nick Firmino, 10-Michael Adedokun, 11-Alfredo Midence, 16-Blaine Ferri, 30-Latif Blessing, 96-Luis Felipe

FORWARDS (7): 7-Marcus Epps, 9-Phillip Goodrum, 18-Malik Henry-Scott, 19-Tarik Scott, 20-Milo Yosef, 26-Jonathan Stout, 77-Jonathan Lewis

Snap the Streak

Lexington SC is winless in its last three games across all competitions, recently snapping its two-game scoreless skid with a 1-1 tie at Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC. The tie concluded a busy stretch of five games in 17 days, which saw Lexington fall in back-to-back 2-0 losses vs. rival Louisville City FC (U.S. Open Cup) and San Antonio FC (regular season) before getting back on the scoresheet vs. Colorado Springs. Lexington opened the scoring early vs. the Switchbacks when Xavier Zengue netted the go-ahead goal in the 11th minute, becoming the fourth player in five regular-season games to score for the club. Lexington boasts a balanced attack that has spread its five regular-season goals through four different goalscorers. The club's league-record signing, Aaron Molloy, leads the way with two goals for the Western Conference club and is the only player to net multiple goals for Lexington this season.

An Active Attack

Lexington shares a similar trait with Rhode Island FC early in the season: its attack is incredibly active, but is still looking to convert its chances at a higher clip in order to secure results. Lexington's 61 shots - an average of just over 12 per game - is sixth in the USL Championship, but 8.2 percent conversion rate is the fourth-lowest in the league. Lexington has been shut out twice in the regular season, taking a combined 21 shots across those two games. It took 21 shots in its 3-0 win vs. Brooklyn FC on March 25, which was its highest single-game total since the beginning of the 2024 season. Lexington's eight shots in its 1-1 tie vs. Colorado Springs was its lowest total so far this season. Lexington has proven that it will find ways to test persistently the goal, and Rhode Island FC's defense will need to be in top form to keep the homeside out.

Defensive Stability

Although Lexington has two clean sheets and just five goals conceded through three games, it is one of four teams, alongside Rhode Island FC, who lead the league with five points dropped from winning positions. In its 2026 home opener vs. Louisville, Lexington opened the scoring in style when Molloy launched a long-range rocket that won Week 1 USL Championship Goal of the Week, but the homeside gave up a pair of second-half goals to give up the lead and come away empty-handed. It was a similar story for Lexington in Colorado Springs: the club gave up a late goal with just 12 minutes remaining that forced both clubs to split the points. Lexington has given up four of its five conceded goals in the second half, and has taken all three points in just one of the three games in which it has scored the first goal. It will need to find a way to finish strong and put in a full, 90-minute defensive shift to make the most of its first-ever meeting with Rhode Island FC.

RHODE ISLAND FC

Roster

GOALKEEPERS (3): 1-Koke Vegas, 13-Will Meyer, 29-Jacob Castro

DEFENDERS (8): 2-Dani Rovira, 3-Aldair Sanchez, 4-Hugo Bacharach, 5-Grant Stoneman, 15-Frank Nodarse, 22-Nick Scardina, 24-Karifa Yao, 25-CJ Williams, 32-Hamady Diop

MIDFIELDERS (7): 7-Dwayne Atkinson, 10-Agustín "Pity" Rodríguez, 12-Clay Holstad, 17-Jojea Kwizera, 19-Kevin Vang, 21-Zachary Herivaux, 77-Amos Shapiro-Thompson

FORWARDS (5): 8-Leo Afonso, 9-JJ Williams, 11-Noah Fuson, 14-Logan Dorsey, 20-Jamin Gogo Peters

Keeping it Clean

After allowing seven goals in its first three USL Championship games, Rhode Island FC has re-discovered its league-leading defensive form from 2025. The Ocean State club has kept two clean sheets in four days across all competitions, first blanking regional rivals Hartford Athletic 2-0 in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup at Centreville Bank Stadium on April 1 before returning to league play with a scoreless tie vs. Detroit City FC on April 4. During the game vs. Detroit, RIFC outshout the visitors 14-4, holding Detroit to its lowest shot total all season and keeping Le Rouge scoreless for the first time all season. Rhode Island FC will look to continue this strong defensive form in order to avoid giving up multiple goals for a third-straight road game.

League-Leading Leo

Rhode Island FC's attack has been led by Leo Afonso, who leads the USL Championship with 20 shots, and an average of five shots per game, through four USL Championship contests. Although he has come close on several occasions, Afonso is still looking for his first career USL Championship goal, and will look to lead RIFC to its first regular-season win on Saturday. Another offseason signing, Agustín "Pity" Rodríguez, also lands in the top ten shot-takers in the USL Championship with 12, and is another active midfielder who has come within inches of his first career goal for the club several times in his first four games. The pair of creative, attack-minded players have proven that Rhode Island FC has the pieces to put together a dangerous attacking force, but just need to perfect their final touch in order to open the floodgates.

For the Recordbooks

Lexington SC is the only Western Conference team that Rhode Island FC has never faced, and will mark the Ocean State club's first Western Conference road trip in 2026. In 22 games vs. Western Conference opponents across all competitions, RIFC holds a 6W-7L-9T all-time record in three seasons, including a perfectly even 2W-2L-5T record across all competitions in 2025. Although RIFC will face Lexington for the first time, the game will be the Ocean State club's second trip to Kentucky in three weeks after it fell 4-2 to Louisville City FC at Lynn Family Stadium on March 28.

Check out the Rhode Island FC Statistics

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from April 8, 2026


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