
USL Championship Announces 2024 Golden Awards Winners
October 27, 2024 - United Soccer League Championship (USL) News Release
TAMPA, Fla. - The USL Championship announced on Sunday its Golden Awards for the 2024 regular season, honoring the Charleston Battery's Nick Markanich as the Golden Boot winner, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC's Eric Dick as the Golden Glove winner, and Rhode Island FC's Noah Fuson as the Golden Playmaker winner as the league's three individual statistical award honorees.
Markanich earned the Golden Boot following a historic season in which he set a USL Championship single-season record with 28 goals in 33 appearances for the Battery. He set a torrid pace to start the season, recording 12 goals in his first 10 appearances of the campaign, and then pushed on in the second half of the season with a run of 16 goals in 17 appearances which began in his side's victory against Southern Derby rival North Carolina FC on June 28.
The 24-year-old surpassed the league's single-season record of 25 goals set by Louisville City FC's Cameron Lancaster in the 2018 season and matched by Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC's Hadji Barry in 2021, as Markanich scored at a rate of a goal every 98.3 minutes. The Illinois native is set to depart the Battery this offseason after the club struck a transfer agreement with LaLiga 2 club CD Castellon that will see him become the latest USL Championship talent to make a transfer move to Europe.
Dick earned the Golden Glove for the first time as he posted a goals-against average of 0.69 in his first season with the Hounds. An offseason arrival from Minnesota United FC, the 30-year-old made 22 appearances for Pittsburgh and posted a 79.1% save percentage and 14 shutouts while recording a minus-10.18 Goals Prevented mark as the Hounds conceded the fewest goals in the Championship during the regular season.
Fuson earned the Golden Playmaker award for the first time as he recorded 10 assists to lead Rhode Island to the postseason in its inaugural season. The 24-year-old was part of a three-pronged attack that also featured 2023 Golden Boot winner Albert Dikwa and JJ Williams, and in addition to double-digit helpers, Fuson also notched eight goals to rank fourth in the USL Championship in goal contributions during the regular season.
All three players are set to feature in the upcoming 2024 USL Championship Playoffs presented by Terminix, which kick off this Friday night with the Eastern and Western Conference Quarterfinals. Full details of the bracket and schedule for the opening weekend of games can be found here.
The 2024 USL Championship Golden Boot, Golden Glove and Golden Playmaker are the opening three awards that will be presented by the league this year. The Championship's Player of the Year, Young Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, Defender of the Year, Goalkeeper of the Year, and the USL Championship All-League Teams will be announced in November.
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United Soccer League Championship Stories from October 27, 2024
- Rhode Island FC Announces End-Of-Season Player Awards - Rhode Island FC
- New Mexico United Falls to Memphis 901 FC by a 2-3 Score - New Mexico United
- Noah Fuson Claims USL Championship 2024 Golden Playmaker Award - Rhode Island FC
- Nick Markanich Wins 2024 USL Championship Golden Boot - Charleston Battery
- USL Championship Announces 2024 Golden Awards Winners - USL
- Hounds GK Eric Dick Wins Golden Glove - Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
- Rowdies to Face Detroit in Conference Quarterfinal - Tampa Bay Rowdies
- Rhode Island FC Approaches Inaugural Playoff Match with Never Say Die Attitude - Rhode Island FC
- Date, Time, TV Set for Playoff Opener - Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
- Field for 2024 USL Championship Playoffs Presented by Terminix Set - USL
- Playoff Tickets on Sale Monday, October 28 - Memphis 901 FC
- Republic FC Blanked by Switchbacks FC - Sacramento Republic FC
- Switchbacks Earn Three Points in Sacramento, Sit 2nd Seed in Western Conference - Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
- Roots Concede Four First Half Goals, Fall 0-5 at Home to Birmingham Legion FC in Regular Season Finale - Oakland Roots
- Hartford Athletic Fall 3-2 to Orange County in Season Finale - Hartford Athletic
- Doghman's Brace, Amang's Winner Propell OCSC into 6th Place in 3-2 Over Hartford - Orange County SC
- San Antonio FC Falls 1-4 to Detroit City in Season Finale - San Antonio FC
- Sellout Crowd Sees Rhode Island FC Conclude Inaugural Regular Season with Largest Win in Club History - Rhode Island FC
- Legion FC Caps Season with Offensive Onslaught in Oakland - Birmingham Legion FC
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