RIFC Faces No. 3 North Carolina FC Tonight in Eastern Conference Semifinals
USL Rhode Island FC

RIFC Faces No. 3 North Carolina FC Tonight in Eastern Conference Semifinals

Published on November 8, 2025 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Rhode Island FC News Release


Rhode Island FC travels to First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park to face North Carolina FC in the Eastern Conference Semifinals of the 2025 USL Championship Playoffs.

WHO

North Carolina FC

Rhode Island FC

WHEN

Saturday, Nov. 8

7:00 p.m. ET

WHERE

First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park

101 Soccer Park Drive

Cary, NC 27511

BROADCAST

NESN+, EPSN+

OFFICIAL RHODE ISLAND FC WATCH PARTY

The Guild Brewing Company

461 Main Street

Pawtucket, RI 02860

GAME PREVIEW

Prior to its 0-0 tie vs. Rhode Island FC on Oct. 18, North Carolina FC had suffered a disappointing stretch of two-straight shutouts losses for the first time all season, dropping out of the top four in the Eastern Conference standings. Following NCFC's result against RIFC, the club has turned its fortunes around completely. NCFC finished the regular season with a 1-0 win vs. Loudoun United FC to secure the No. 3 seed, and replicated that result one week later in a second-straight matchup vs. Loudoun in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. It has now kept three-straight shutouts, which is a club record in its USL Championship era, going 338 minutes without conceding. NCFC has also kept one-third of its nine total shutouts this season in the last three games. The club has shut out Rhode Island FC in both of its meetings at First Horizon Soccer Stadium in the last two seasons, and will look to continue that trend and build on its impressive defensive run of form as it hunts for a spot in the Eastern Conference Final.

Rhode Island FC proved why it is one of the toughest defenses to beat in the USL Championship in its penalty-shootout upset win at No. 2 Charleston Battery in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. Although the Battery had scored a league-leading 62 goals through the 2025 regular season without suffering a single regular-season shutout at home, the RIFC defense rose to the occasion, doing something no other USL Championship team had accomplished in 2025. Fueled by four highlight-reel saves from goalkeeper Koke Vegas - including a one-on-one breakaway save to deny the USL Championship's second-highest scorer, Cal Jennings - the Ocean State club kept the Battery out of the back of the net for all 120 minutes of regulation and extra time to keep its 13th shutout of the year across the regular season and playoffs. Scoring all five penalty kicks in the shootout following the scoreless tie, RIFC became the only team in the last two seasons to beat Charleston twice at Patriots Point Soccer Stadium, punching its ticket to its second-straight Eastern Conference Semifinal with its first penalty-shootout win in club history.

Check out the Rhode Island FC Statistics

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from November 8, 2025


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