USL CHAMPIONSHIP: Charleston Battery down Hartford Athletic to move to 7-2-1 in last 10 games, 9-0-1 in league matches
- Dan Stickradt
- Jun 16
- 4 min read
NATIONAL SOCCER NEWS: www.nationalsoccernetwork.com
HARTFORD, Conn. – The Charleston Battery secured a 2-1 victory over Hartford Athletic on Saturday at Trinity Health Stadium.
The win kept the Battery in second place in the USL Championship-Eastern Conference standings – three points behind division leader Louisville City FC’s 31 points – and it helped Charleston move to 7-2-1 in that span including a pair of Jagermeister Cup and US Open Cup matches. The Battery have outscored their opposition 22-10 with one shutout over the last 10 games overall.
In just USL Championship games, the Battery are 9-0-1 in its last 10 games with a 28-8 scoring edge.
For the season, the Battery (9-2-1 in USL matches) have outscored the opposition 28-13 for a plus-15 in the scoring column against USL Championship teams.
“Big picture, it’s a crazy sport. Last week, we were very good and played a great game, but we tied and it felt like a loss,” said Battery coach Ben Pirmann. “This week, we played a terrible game and coached a terrible game, and then we won. So, that’s full credit to the players, their togetherness and character.
“I thought Hartford was fantastic. They out-coached us, they out-hustled us, they created lots of chances,” continued Pirmann. “They’re very athletic, they’re very direct going forward, and they won the duels. They did more than enough to put themselves in a spot to win the game. Luis (Zamudio) made some great saves, and then we had some good finishes. "
Charleston came out of the gates with a fast start after MD Myers’ goal in the seventh minute, while Houssou Landry’s strike in the 50th minute proved to be the match-winner. The Battery held off Hartford’s late comeback bid and extended their undefeated streak in USL Championship play to nine matches.
After Hartford came out of the gate with some momentum on their side, it did not take long for the Battery to make their mark on the game.
Charleston’s first advance into the final third saw them break open the game via MD Myers in the seventh minute, taking an early 1-0 lead. The play was instigated by Michael Edwards winning the ball out of the defensive third before playing it to Houssou Landry on the other side to lead the advance. Houssou threaded a perfect through ball to Myers, and Myers outmaneuvered Hartford’s defense in the box and delivered a clinical finish.
The goal was Myers’ seventh of the league campaign and 10th overall this year.
“Scoring early helps, but we just never really got our game going,” said Pirmann. “They didn’t allow us to press them, because they went forward so quickly with a purpose. There were just a lot of ups and downs in the game. So, at the end of it, you’re happy to get three points on the road against a tough team, against really good players and a good coach. We’ll take the result and then regroup for Wednesday. So, not a great performance, but absolutely fantastic character, togetherness from the group, and some big plays to win the game.“
Myers nearly doubled the Battery’s lead in the 12th minute when he went one-on-one with Hartford goalkeeper Antony Siaha, but the shot was saved this time.
On the other end, goalkeeper Luis Zamudio was active in keeping Hartford off the board. The shot-stopper made three saves in the first half, including two on shots from inside the six-yard box and from point-blank range.
Charleston took the 1-0 lead into halftime despite conceding a majority of the possession ( 52.4 percent to 46.8 percent) and a lower XG (expected goals) rating of 1.39 to 0.49, conveying the Battery’s efficiency with the ball and their chances.
Play resumed for the second half with Charleston on the front foot.
It again did not take much waiting for the Battery to double their lead, as Houssou was the man to capitalize on the moment with a sensational strike in the 50th minute. The chance was created quickly after Cal Jennings’ shot was blocked and uncollected. Houssou stepped up, gathered the loose ball, and then sent a missile into the back of the net.
Houssou’s goal was his second of the year, and his second against Hartford after also scoring in the match on May 3.
Myers again almost scored his second goal of the night after his header in the 60th minute hit off the woodwork.
The hosts looked to stage a late comeback bid and managed to cut the lead in half via TJ Presthus in the 80th minute.
A notable moment came in the 82nd minute when Leland Archer entered the match off the bench, which marked his first appearance since April 26. Archer contributed a key defensive header in the 90th minute to break up a dangerous cross into the box by Hartford.
Charleston withstood Hartford’s last-ditch efforts for an equalizer and secured the three points in the 1-2 victory, their first triumph at Trinity Health Stadium since 2023. The win extended the Battery’s undefeated streak in league play to nine matches and completed the season sweep over Hartford.
Charleston is in second place with 28 points but with a game in hand.
It was also the Battery’s 10th all-time win over Hartford since 2019.
Joey Akpunonu had a busy night against his former club and recorded a match-high 11 clearances, in addition to two tackles won, three blocks, three recoveries and four duels won.
Emilio Ycaza led the game with nine duels won on the night.
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