On November 16, 2024, Rhode Island FC hoisted its first-ever trophy at Patriots Point Soccer Stadium, defeating Charleston Battery 2-1 to cement itself as the Eastern Conference Champions in its inaugural season. Now, four months later, a revamped RIFC will return to South Carolina to kick off its second season in the USL Championship. After returning a large core of its players from 2024 and mixing in fresh faces ahead of the new campaign, Rhode Island FC will look to stay undefeated all-time in three trips to Patriots Point Stadium and get off to a strong start to the 2025 season. Ahead of Saturday’s season opener, here is everything you need to know.
AT A GLANCE
Date | Saturday, March 15
Kickoff | 7:30 p.m. ET
Location | Patriots Point Soccer Stadium – Mount Pleasant, S.C.
Broadcast | myRITV, CBS Sports Golazo Network
Radio | 790 The Score (WPRV 790 AM)
Official Watch Party | The Guild
Social | @rhodeislandfc (X, Instagram, Facebook)
Game Hashtag | #CHSvRI
Last Meeting | Nov. 16, 2024: CHS 1, RI 2 – Mount Pleasant, S.C.
CHARLESTON BATTERY
Roster
GOALKEEPERS (3): 1-Christian Garner, 24-Daniel Kuzemka, 56-Luis Zamudio
DEFENDERS (7): 2-Mark Segbers, 5-Leland Archer, 7-Langston Blackstock, 16-Graham Smith, 22-Joey Akpunonu, 23-Josh Drack, 62-Nathan Dossantos
MIDFIELDERS (9): 4-Chris Allan, 6-Aaron Molloy, 8-Emilo Ycaza, 10-Arturo Rodríguez, 11-Viggo Ortiz, 12- Diego Rodríguez, 19-Johnny Klein, 80-Juan David Torres, 91-Houssou Landry
FORWARDS (5): 9-MD Meyers, 17-Zeke Soto, 26-Cal Jennings, 36-Jackson Conway, 42-Douglas Martínez
Big Shoes to Fill
After Nick Markanich set the single-season USL Championship goal scoring record with 30 goals for Charleston last season, the 2024 Player of the Year made a historic move overseas for a six-figure fee, departing for Spanish second-division side CD Castellón. Charleston had a tough task in replacing the most prolific forward in any American domestic league in 2024, and immediately reinforced its attack with the signing of experienced USL Championship forward Cal Jennings in the offseason. An All-League First Team selection in 2023, Jennings has tallied 70 goals and 16 assists in four seasons. The striker most recently scored 34 goals and assisted five in a two-year stint with the Tampa Bay Rowdies, moving into the top 12 all-time USL Championship scorers. During his highlight season in 2023, Jennings finished as the runner-up for the Golden Boot behind RIFC’s Albert Dikwa “Chico,” and was a finalist for the league’s Player of the Year award. In 2024, he was named to the All-League Second Team, and was one of eight new faces to make their Charleston debut in last week’s 2-1 loss to Louisville City FC.
Looking for Revenge
Charleston’s run to a second-straight USL Championship Final was halted in the 2024 Eastern Conference Final by Rhode Island FC, who became just the second team to defeat the Battery at Patriots Point Soccer Stadium last season. Charleston’s only other loss in front of its home fans came in the form of a 2-1 loss to El Paso Locomotive FC on May 24. The loss to RIFC not only broke a 14-game home unbeaten streak, but ended a fantastic season in which Charleston finished the regular season as runners-up in the Eastern Conference, and the entire league, with an 18W-6L-10D record. This time around, Charleston will look for its first-ever win vs. RIFC, having returned 16 players from the squad that made the 2024 Eastern Conference Final, including reigning Defender of the Year Graham Smith, All-League First Team selection Aaron Molloy and top returning scorers MD Myers and Juan David Torres.
Torres off the Mark
Torres, who scored eight goals last season that included a long-range free-kick into the back of the net against RIFC in the Eastern Conference Final, wasted no time picking up where he left off in last week’s season opener vs. LouCity. Although Charleston fell 2-1 to the reigning Players’ Shield winners, Torres once again proved deadly off a set piece, finding the far-side netting in the 63rd minute with a curling free-kick from just outside the 18-yard box to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. Torres has proved dangerous vs. RIFC before, and will be a major threat in the attack if he can continue his recent production.
RHODE ISLAND FC
Roster
GOALKEEPERS (3): 22-Jackson Lee, 1-Koke Vegas, 13-Will Meyer
DEFENDERS (7): 4-Hugo Bacharach, 15-Frank Nodarse, 2-Dani Rovira, 3-Aldair Sanchez, 5-Grant Stoneman, 24-Karifa Yao, 16-Cole Dewhurst
MIDFIELDERS (10): 80-Isaac Angking, 18-Joe Brito, 20-Zachary Herivaux, 12-Clay Holstad, 17-Jojea Kwizera, 8-Taimu Okiyoshi, 21-Maxi Rodriguez, 77-Amos Shapiro-Thompson, 19-Kevin Vang, 23-Marc Ybarra
FORWARDS (3): 10-Albert Dikwa, 11-Noah Fuson, 9-JJ Williams
Running it back
Rhode Island FC returns a core of 16 players from its historic run to the USL Championship Final in 2024, including a majority of the club’s regular starters, the club’s top three scorers and more than 90 percent of the club’s total 64-goal scoring output in 2024. The Ocean State club has been busy in the offseason, signing 2024 USL Championship Golden Playmaker Noah Fuson, RIFC Midfielder of the Year Clay Holstad, RIFC Defensive Player of the Year Karifa Yao and defender Frank Nodarse to multi-year contract extensions. The quartet of players were all among the top five in minutes played in 2024, and will continue to play a major role on the field for RIFC in 2025.
Old Friends
Saturday’s meeting between the two clubs will mark RIFC’s fourth all-time meeting with Charleston Battery, making it the Ocean State club’s most common opponent. So far, RIFC is unbeaten (1W-0L-2D) in three meetings with the Battery, two of which came at Patriots Point Soccer Stadium, including a 2-1 win in the 2024 Eastern Conference Final. Last season, the two squads battled to a pair of draws in the regular season, first sharing the points in a scoreless battle at Beirne Stadium on April 6 before splitting a 1-1 draw in South Carolina on Oct. 24. Rhode Island FC was the only Eastern Conference club to defeat Charleston at Patriots Point last year and will look to repeat history in order to maintain a perfect record against its Eastern Conference counterparts to kick off 2025.
Adding to the Attack
RIFC brought in seven new signings in the offseason, headlined by the acquisition of 2024 USL Championship All-League First team selection Maxi Rodriguez. In his fourth season with Eastern Conference rival Detroit City FC in 2024, the midfielder led Le Rouge with 10 goals and five assists, helping the club to a third-place finish in the Eastern Conference. Rodriguez is a familiar face to RIFC, as the attacker scored against the Ocean State club at Beirne Stadium on June 8 in a 2-0 win, one of only two home losses for Rhode Island FC in 2024. Now, he will join the Ocean State club’s attack in 2025, looking to replicate his career-best output from last season.