Charleston Battery News Release -- www.charlestonbattery.com
Thursday, August 30, 2012
CHARLESTON, S.C. -- The Charleston Battery take on the Rochester Rhinos on Friday night at Sahlen’s Stadium in Rochester, N.Y. in a USL PRO Playoffs semifinal (7:35 p.m. / 1450 AM). The Battery advanced to the semifinals with a 2-1 quarterfinal win against the Harrisburg City Islanders behind goals from Nicki Paterson and former Rhino Tony Donatelli.
Friday night's game will be broadcast live locally on 1450 AM with the pregame build up starting at 7:15 p.m. The match will also be streamed live via USLNation.com. There will be a special viewing party for the game in the Three Lions Club at Blackbaud Stadium. This event is open to the public, a full bar menu will be available.
After conceding an early goal in the quarterfinal against Harrisburg, the Battery rallied with two goals before halftime to earn a berth in the semifinals. Paterson scored the first, converting a penalty kick in the 40th minute, while Donatelli notched the eventual game-winner, slotting past Harrisburg goalkeeper Nick Noble in first-half stoppage time.
The Rhinos received a bye into the semifinal round of the playoffs as the No.2 seed following the conclusion of the USL PRO regular season. The Battery and the Rhinos split their regular season series with Rochester earning a 1-0 victory at Blackbaud Stadium on May 12 and Charleston beating the Rhinos 4-0 in Rochester on August 11.
Charleston’s roster features two former Rhinos; John Wilson played for Rochester in 2004 and Tony Donatelli spent the 2011 season with the Rhinos.
The Battery and the Rhinos have met on five occasions in the USL postseason with the Rhinos advancing four times to the Battery’s one. Charleston’s lone win came in a two-game playoff semifinal series in 2003.
Both sides have won three USL championships, Charleston in 1996, 2003 and 2010; the Rhinos in 1998, 2000 and 2001.
The second semifinal pits the Wilmington Hammerheads against the Orlando City Lions on Friday night at the Citrus Bowl.
The USL PRO Championship is set for next weekend. As the top seed, Orlando would host either Charleston or Rochester should the Lions defeat the Hammerheads. The winner between Rochester and Charleston would host the championship if the Hammerheads were able to pull the upset at the Florida Citrus Bowl.
