Early Frank Nodarse goal gives Ocean State club critical three points
PAWTUCKET, R.I. (July 18, 2026) – Rhode Island FC rose above the playoff line with a critical derby win on Saturday, downing regional rivals Hartford Athletic 1-0 at Centreville Bank Stadium. Frank Nodarse’s 20th-minute goal put the hosts in front early, complementing a dominant performance that ended in the club’s seventh clean sheet of the season across all competitions.
Rhode Island FC (5W-5L-4T) pounced on the attack from the outset, winning five corners and forcing three saves out of goalkeeper Antony Siaha in the first 20 minutes. The Hartford Athletic (4W-4L-7T) shot-stopper made a pair of impressive stops within two minutes to keep the game level, first getting down quickly to deny Frank Nodarse’s close-range header in the 17th minute before palming away Nick Scardina’s driven effort with a full-stretch dive two minutes later.
The Ocean State club did not take long to capitalize on the early pressure, opening the scoring just before the 20-minute mark when Nodarse met Jojea Kwizera’s inswinging corner kick in the six-yard box. Nodarse crashed the goalmouth and fired the cross into the top-left corner, scoring his first goal of the season to put RIFC up 1-0.
Rhode Island continued to dominate Hartford’s defensive third as the half came to a close, nearly doubling the lead in the 39th minute. Leo Afonso dropped his defender with a quick turn into the box, launching a driven shot that was denied by Siaha at the near post. The effort capped a five-save first half for Siaha, who kept the deficit at 1-0 going into the half despite Rhode Island FC’s relentless attacking siege. In the first half alone, RIFC out-shot Hartford 15-3.
The second half showed more of the same. The Ocean State club tacked on another seven shots to bring the deficit to 22-7, holding Hartford Athletic without a single shot on target for the entire game. Despite the attacking pressure, both defenses held strong in the second frame as the Ocean State club did enough to stretch its unbeaten run at Centreville Bank Stadium to six-straight games. The victory lifted RIFC into playoff positioning at the expense of Hartford, who fell below the postseason line for the first time all season.
Up next, Rhode Island will hit the road for the first of two-straight away games, beginning when it travels to defending USL Championship title-winners Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on Saturday, July 25 at 7 p.m. It will return to Centreville Bank Stadium on Saturday, August 8 when it takes on Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC for a rematch of the 2024 USL Championship Final. Tickets to the next home game are available now at rhodeislandfc.com/tickets.
GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN
RI – Frank Nodarse (Jojea Kwizera), 20th minute: Nodarse capitalizes on a dangerous corner kick from close range. RI 1, HFD 0
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- The 1-0 win marked the 100th game in Rhode Island FC history across all competitions.
- Frank Nodarse scored his first goal of the season, and the ninth of his Rhode Island FC career across all competitions. Nodarse is Rhode Island FC’s highest-scoring defender.
- Jojea Kwizera assisted on his second goal of the season across all competitions, tallying an assist for the second-straight game.
- Kwizera’s assist was the 10th of his Rhode Island FC career. He is the third player in club history to reach a double-figure assist total.
- Rhode Island FC out-shot Hartford Athletic 22-7, forcing six saves out of goalkeeper Antony Siaha.
- Koke Vegas kept his seventh clean sheet of the season, and the 29th of his Rhode Island FC career.
- The win lifted Rhode Island FC into eight and final playoff position in the Eastern Conference standings, dropping Hartford Athletic below the playoff line.
- Across all competitions, Rhode Island FC is 2W-0L-1T vs. Hartford this season, out-scoring its regional rivals 3-0.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Frank Nodarse
Game stats and information available here.
For Rhode Island FC news and updates, visit rhodeislandfc.com, subscribe to RIFC’s monthly newsletter, follow the club on Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok, X and LinkedIn, and download the official team app.
