Nick Scardina scores earliest home goal in club history to officially book postseason ticket
PAWTUCKET, R.I. (Oct. 14, 2026) – Rhode Island FC officially clinched its third-straight playoff berth on Saturday, defeating Loudoun United FC 1-0 at Centreville Bank Stadium. Nick Scardina’s record-breaking goal just three minutes into the contest established RIFC’s attacking dominance early, and did enough to secure the Ocean State club’s spot in the 2026 USL Championship playoffs. The win sets up an exciting home finale vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on Saturday, with both clubs neck-and-neck in a tight race for a top-four finish in the Eastern Conference standings.
Rhode Island FC (12W-11L-5T) wasted no time taking charge of the critical conference clash, going up 1-0 inside three minutes when Scardina scored RIFC’s fastest-ever goal at Centreville Bank Stadium. Hugo Bacharach started the move by forcing a dangerous turnover in the final third, intercepting a clearance and playing the ball to Scardina on the right. Scardina took a touch and quickly fired a low shot into the bottom-right corner from outside the box.
The goal kickstarted a dominant half in the attack for the Ocean State club, who out-shot Loudoun United (5W-11L-12T) 18-2 through 45 minutes, breaking the club’s single-half shot record in the process. The visitors, despite struggling on the attack, did enough to hold off RIFC after the score as the teams went into the half separated by just one goal.
The Ocean State club continued to pepper the Loudoun goal out of the break, coming closest with a flurry of chances just past the 70th minute. In the 72nd minute, Jojea Kwizera tracked down a long ball on the goal line, cutting the ball back to Leo Afonso. Afonso took a touch past his defender and lined a shot goalward, but Loudoun goalkeeper Ethan Bandré palmed the shot away.
Two minutes later, Afonso continued to cause headaches for the Loudoun backline, getting on the end of Scardina’s splitting pass into the box, dragging Bandré off his line and fizzing a low cross to Yutaro Tsukada. Tsukada lined up a first-time effort from close range, but a Loudoun defender came to the rescue at the last moment, sliding in to block the shot.
As the game entered the sixth minute of stoppage time, Afonso pounced onto a loose ball and played Osman Foyo into a one-on-one position, but Bandré got down low to make an excellent save as the final whistle blew. The 1-0 win officially confirmed RIFC’s spot in the 2026 USL Championship playoffs, and kept its hopes for a top-four home playoff seed alive with two games remaining in the regular season.
Up next, Rhode Island FC will return to Centreville Bank Stadium to close out its regular-season home slate in a rematch of the 2024 USL Championship Eastern Conference Final on Saturday. RIFC will host Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 7:30 p.m., with both clubs holding identical records in the race for a top-four spot in the Eastern Conference standings. Tickets for Fan Appreciation Night are available now at rhodeislandfc.com/tickets.
GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN
RI – Nick Scardina (Hugo Bacharach), 3rd minute: Scardina fires a low shot into the bottom-right corner from distance. RI 1, LDN 0
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- Rhode Island FC officially clinched its third-straight playoff berth with the win, doing so at home for the first time in club history. The win marked the earliest that RIFC has ever clinched the playoffs, doing so with two games remaining in the regular season.
- Defender Nick Scardina scored his fourth career goal for Rhode Island FC, and his second in RIFC’s last three games. He has scored in both meetings vs. Loudoun United FC this season.
- Scardina’s goal is the fastest goal ever scored by RIFC at home, and the fastest goal RIFC has scored this season. RIFC has not scored earlier in a game since its 3-1 win at San Antonio FC on Sept. 28, 2024.
- Defender Hugo Bacharach assisted his second goal of the season, and third of his RIFC career.
- RIFC’s 18 shots in the opening first 45 minutes matched a single-half club record. It broke its prior first-half record of 16 shots which it set in its 4-1 win at Loudoun United FC on June 6.
- RIFC’s 26 shots set a single-game regular-season club record.
- Goalkeeper Koke Vegas made his 300th career regular-season save in the 56th minute.
- Vegas kept his 11th clean sheet of the season across all competitions, and the club-leading 32nd of his RIFC career.
- Yutaro Tsukada was shown a second yellow card and subsequent red card in the 78th minute, and will be unavailable for selection on Saturday vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Nick Scardina
Game stats and information available here.
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