Goals from four different players secure second-largest road win in club history
LEESBURG, Va. (June 13, 2026) – Rhode Island FC wrapped up its June slate in style on Saturday, picking up its first-ever victory vs. Loudoun United FC with a 4-1 win at Segra Field. Goals from JJ Williams, Nick Scardina, Leo Afonso and Dwayne Atkinson secured the second-largest road victory in club history for the Ocean State club’s explosive attack, who brought its total to 11 goals in its last four games across all competitions.
Loudoun United FC (1W-4L-6T) had a brilliant opportunity to open the scoring less than two minutes into the game when Thor Úlfarsson got on the end of a long ball in the box, drawing a pair of defenders before cutting the ball back to Jack Panayotou. Facing an open goal, Panayotou lined a low shot just wide of the far post. Fifteen minutes later, Rhode Island FC (4W-4L-3T) goalkeeper Koke Vegas came up with a sharp reflex save, denying Úlfarsson’s low free kick from the top of the box.
The two opportunities were the best of the bunch for the hosts, who outshot RIFC 6-2 through the opening 45 minutes, with all six shots coming in the opening 19 minutes. However, RIFC was clinical with its opportunities and struck first in the 22nd minute, using its size and physicality to capitalize on its only shot on target of the half. It started when Clay Holstad’s long throw-in found the head of Hugo Bacharach in the box, who flicked the ball towards the goalmouth. Williams rose above everyone to meet the cross, drilling a close-range header into the back of the net to give the visitors the lead with his team-leading ninth goal of the year across all competitions.
RIFC came out of the locker room hot, doubling the lead less than three minutes into the second half. Williams got on the end of Amos Shapiro-Thompson’s right-wing cross in the 48th minute, flicking the ball back across the face of goal. Scardina made a smart run into the box, evading the Loudoun defense before slotting the ball into an open net from point-blank range.
After an active opening 20 minutes, Úlfarsson eventually got his goal in the 57th minute to cut the deficit in half. After getting on the end of a well-played ball down the right wing, Christian Torres snuck a low cross past Vegas at the near post, and Úlfarsson slammed the ball home from close range to keep Loudoun in the game with 33 minutes to play.
Not to be deterred, a pair of second-half substitutes combined to re-establish RIFC’s two-goal cushion in the 71st minute. Moving quickly through the midfield, Holstad broke a pair of tackles before spraying the ball out wide to Noah Fuson. Fuson tore down the right wing and played a low ball across the top of the box, and Afonso met the cross with a driven first-time finish into the bottom-right corner to make it 3-1.
In the 89th minute, Atkinson wrapped up the second-half onslaught with his third goal of the season. After Vegas’ long punt found Afonso, Afonso wasted no time playing Williams through down the left wing. Williams quickly played a low ball to the back post, where Atkinson thumped the roof of the net with a close-range finish to secure a statement 4-1 win.
Up next, RIFC will take a three-week break before returning to Centreville Bank Stadium for its Independence Day game vs. Orange County SC on July 4, which will conclude with RIFC’s second postgame fireworks show of the summer, presented by Rhode Island Energy. Tickets to the next home game are available now at rhodeislandfc.com/tickets.
GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN
RI – JJ Williams (Hugo Bacharach), 22nd minute: Williams drives home Bacharach’s flicked header. RI 1, LDN 0
RI – Nick Scardina (JJ Williams), 48th minute: Scardina taps in Williams’s goalmouth cross. RI 2, LDN 0
LDN – Thorleifur Úlfarsson (Christian Torres), 58th minute: Úlfarsson powers home Torres’s low, right-wing cross. RI 2, LDN 1
RI – Leo Afonso (Noah Fuson), 71st minute: Afonso fires Fuson’s cross into the bottom-right corner. RI 3, LDN 1
RI – Dwayne Atkinson (JJ Williams), 89th minute: Atkinson taps in a close-range cross from Williams at the far post. RI 4, LDN 1
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- JJ Williams scored his team-leading ninth goal of the year across all competitions, and his sixth goal in the 2026 regular season.
- Williams officially surpassed his 2025 goal total with the first-half header, and is just two goals shy of his highest-scoring season for RIFC less than halfway through the 2026 campaign.
- Williams also picked up his team-leading fourth and fifth assists of the season across all competitions. The game marked the first multi-assist game of his Rhode Island FC career.
- Williams is RIFC’s all-time leading scorer with 28 career goals, and ranks second all-time in club history with 13 career assists.
- Nick Scardina scored his second career goal for RIFC across all competitions, and first career USL Championship goal.
- Leo Afonso scored his fourth career goal for RIFC. He has scored off the bench in two-straight games across all competitions.
- Dwayne Atkinson scored his third goal of the season, and fourth career goal for Rhode Island FC. He has scored every one of his goals off the bench.
- The win marked the fifth time in club history multiple substitutes have scored goals.
- Noah Fuson picked up his third assist of the season. He is the club’s all-time assist leader with 18 career helpers.
- Hugo Bacharach tallied his first assist of the season, and his second career assist for Rhode Island FC.
- Through RIFC’s last three games across all competitions, it has out-scored opponents 11-3. It has scored at least three goals in three of its last four games across all competitions.
- The win marked RIFC’s first-ever victory and first-ever goals against Loudoun United FC.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: JJ Williams
Game stats and information available here.
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