CHARLESTON, S.C. – Goals either side of halftime by Zach Herivaux and Noah Fuson sent Rhode Island FC to a 2-1 victory against the Charleston Battery before a sellout crowd of 5,087 at Patriots Point in the Eastern Conference Final of the 2024 USL Championship Playoffs presented by Terminix as RIFC became only the third team to reach the USL Championship Final in its expansion season in the league.

Rhode Island earned its third road victory of the playoffs, ending the Battery’s reign as Eastern Conference title holders. RIFC will now visit Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC at Weider Field next Saturday in the Championship Final at 12 p.m. ET.

The Battery had an early chance on a counterattack down the left that saw Aaron Molloy’s cross find Jackson Conway, whose finish went wide of the right post, while Juan David Torres flashed a shot wide from distance in the 17th minute. Rhode Island, meanwhile, had its first good chance three minutes later when the visitors got out in transition to set up Albert Dikwa for a shot that slid wide of the left post.

RIFC threatened again 10 minutes before halftime when Clay Holstad’s long throw-in from the right was flicked on at the near post by JJ Williams, forcing a scrambling one-handed save by Battery goalkeeper Adam Grinwis, who was able to palm the ball off a Rhode Island player and behind for a goal kick.

The Battery also went close from a set piece soon after as a short corner between Torres and Aaron Molloy created space for the Colombian on the left for a back-post cross that Nick Markanich fired into the outside of the side-netting.

The visitors went close again off a corner from the right which was headed on target by JJ Williams, forcing Grinwis into a diving save, but off a subsequent throw-in from the left, Holstad’s delivery got all the way through to Karifa Yao, whose header just outside the six-yard area was turned in at close range by Herivaux to put Rhode Island ahead.

Rhode Island believed it had doubled its lead six minutes into the second half when Dikwa fired home a volley off a header by Frank Nodarse off another recycled set piece, only for Nodarse to be ruled to have committed a foul in winning the header. Two minutes later, however, the visitors struck again as Fuson found space in the left channel and roofed home a finish from eight yards.

The Battery got back into the game just past the hour-mark when Torres curled home a free kick from 35 yards that deceived RIFC goalkeeper Koke Vegas and clipped the underside of the crossbar before finding the back of the net. The visitors almost responded immediately as Yao shot wide off a cutback cross from Marc Ybarra, while Markanich shot off target for the Battery with 20 minutes to go.

As the Battery tried to press late for an equalizer to send the game to extra time, however, Rhode Island’s back line held firm. The visitors, in fact, almost added a third with two minutes to play as Fuson was denied by Grinwis, but it proved academic as RIFC’s defense kept Charleston from a clean look at goal in stoppage time to see out the result.

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. – Emilio Ycaza and Nick Markanich walked over to the Charleston Battery end zone to salute the club’s supporters one last time.

After the pair acknowledge their fans the two turned and embraced for a long moment. The duo looked down the field at Rhode Island’s jubilant celebration and could only shake their heads and think about what might have been had things gone differently.

But this is playoff soccer.

For the second straight year, the Charleston Battery had to watch a visiting team celebrate on their home field and hoist a trophy following the match.

Karifa Yao and Noah Fuson each scored for Rhode Island FC and held off a furious Charleston rally to beat the Battery, 2-1, in the USL Championship Eastern Conference finals before a sellout crowd of more than 5,000 at Patriots Point on Saturday night.

Rhode Island will face the winner of the Colorado Switchbacks FC-Las Vegas Lights FC in the USL Championship final next Saturday.

Charleston Battery forward Nick Markanich and MD Myers came into the playoffs as the highest scoring duo in USL Championship history – combining for 47 goals. But the Rhode Island defense harassed the pair for the entire match, not allowing them to get into any rhythm.

“They are going to get the ball and they’re going to get it in dangerous spaces, and you just have to hope you keep them in areas of the field where they can’t hurt,” said Rhode Island coach Khano Smith. “They certainly had some opportunities, but we tried to at least nullify them getting into dangerous areas.”

The match was physical from the opening kickoff as several post-play scrums between the teams erupted during the match.

“They fouled Nick and the guys and kicked the crap out of us and the ref allowed that to happen,” Pirmann said. “That’s not why we lost. They made sure our playmakers couldn’t get into a flow, and it didn’t go our way.”

Rhode Island grabbed a 1-0 lead on Yao’s header in the 43rd minute off a throw-in from midfielder Clay Holstad.

RIFC extended its lead to 2-0 on Fuson’s blast from just inside the 18-yard box. After a buildup in the Battery’s defensive third, Fuson got the ball on the left side and muscled it past Battery keeper Adam Grinwis for the score.

Charleston cut the lead in half on Juan David Torres’ free kick in the 61st minute.

The loss ended the Battery’s quest for a second straight appearance in the USL Championship finals. A year ago, Pheonix Rising FC defeated the Battery on penalty kicks in the championship game on the same field.

“This just stinks,” said Charleston Battery coach Ben Pirmann. “Sports in general can be the most amazing thing and it can also be the cruelest thing. I’ll be fine, I can compartmentalize, I’m task oriented, but I just feel for these players.”

The two teams battled to a scoreless tie and a 1-1 draw in their two matchups during the regular season.

With Saturday’s win, RIFC becomes the first expansion club to qualify for the USL Championship final in its inaugural season since Louisville City FC in 2015.

This story was provided by The Post and Courier of Charleston, S.C.

apmiller@postandcourier.com

KINGSTON, R.I. (AP) — Malik Grant rushed for three second-half touchdowns and Wesley Neal Jr. blocked a field-goal attempt on the game’s final play as Rhode Island rallied to beat Albany 20-17 on Saturday.

With the Rams (9-2, 6-1 Coastal Athletic Association) trailing 17-0 at halftime to the Great Danes (3-8, 1-6), Grant scored on runs of 42, 3 and 7 yards, the final touchdown coming with 9:36 left in the fourth quarter.

Albany had a short field for its final drive after Jacari Carter returned a punt 23 yards to the Rhode Island 24 with 1:27 remaining. The Great Danes were third-and-18 on the Rhode Island 19 when they went for the field goal but John Opalko’s 36-yard try was blocked. Albany’s previous drive ended when Weber’s pass from the Rhode Island 11 was picked off by Andre Depina-Gray at the 3.

Grant finished with 100 yards on 25 carries. Hunter Helms threw for 248 yards but was intercepted twice.

Van Weber threw for 354 yards on 31-of-51 passing with two touchdowns for Albany but was also intercepted twice. Levi Wentz caught nine passes for 138 yards.

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