Battery, local charities team up for Kick for a Cure night (update: road win, home draw)

Image by Flickr user lincolnblues

First reporting, updates at the bottom: The Charleston Battery are playing back-to-back games this weekend, first on the road Friday night against the Charlotte Eagles, then at home on Saturday night versus the Pittsburgh Riverhounds.

Friday night's home match is set to being at 7:30 p.m.

The Battery is teaming up with Dragon Boat Charleston and the Lowcountry Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure on Saturday for a Kick for a Cure night. Battery players will be wearing special custom pink jerseys which will be auctioned off immediately after the game with 100% of the proceeds to benefit the participating charities.

To purchase tickets or for more information, call (843) 971-4625 or click here.

Update May, home draw: After winning on the road against the Charlotte Eagles 2-1 (details on that down here,) the Charleston Battery (3-1-1) was held to a scoreless draw by the Pittsburgh Riverhounds (1-2-1) Saturday night at Blackbaud Stadium in front of 4,079. 

Despite out shooting Pittsburgh 17-6 the Battery could not find a way past a resilient Riverhounds defense and their goalkeeper Hunter Gilstrap.

The game doubled as a fundraiser for the Lowcountry affiliate of the Susan G Komen Foundation and Dragon Boat Charleston; the Battery players wore special custom pink jerseys for the game that were auctioned off after the match. 

“It’s disappointing to not get the three points,” said Charleston Battery head coach Mike Anhaeuser.  “I put all our weapons in there early, but we just couldn’t get the shots off that we needed to break them down.” 

The Battery started off the game with a strong run in the first 30 seconds.  With a burst of speed, forward Dane Kelly dribbled into the box from the left-hand side but his shot was nabbed by Riverhounds goalkeeper Hunter Gilstrap.

Minutes later Kelly was at it again. This time Kelly caught Gilstrap out of position and attempted to pass around the goalkeeper, but Gilstrap’s reaction was too quick and he managed to make a kick save. 

The Riverhound’s first chance of the evening came in the 14th minute with forward Matt Fondy dribbling the ball up the center of the field. Just inside the box, Fondy hit a shot to the lower left-hand corner of the net, but Battery goalkeeper Keith Wiggans reacted well to make the save. 

Charleston continued to press and had another opportunity in the 23rd minute after Levi Coleman stripped his defender of the ball. With just the goalie to beat, Coleman shot the ball just wide of the net. 

One minute later midfielder JC Mack produced a powerful cross into the box. Kelly received the cross with a snap header that banged back of the post. Coleman finally got the ball into the back of the net in the 36th minute after he received a pass from teammate Cole Peverley.

Coleman slipped the ball past Gilstrap into the goal, but it was disallowed as he was called offside.

Both teams created chances after the break with Pittsburgh coming closest with a stoppage time free-kick.  The ball was played into the box but the deflected header bounced off the post and away to safety.

The Battery will play their next game on Pittsburgh’s home turf on Friday May 6 for a 7 P.M match followed by a Saturday night game in Rochester versus the Rhinos. Listen live to both matches at www.charlestonbattery.com or locally via 1340 AM The Boardwalk.

Update April 30, road win: Ahead of Saturday's 7:30 p.m. home game, the Charleston Battery won Friday night's road game against the Charlotte Eagles 2-1.

After conceding a goal in the 21st minute the Battery rallied behind goals from rookie forward Seedy Bah and midfielder Nicki Patterson to earn their third win of the USL PRO season.

"This was a great result for us under difficult circumstances," said Charleston Battery head coach Mike Anhaeuser. "Charlotte is always a tough opponent and we started slow but I felt we did a great job defending after we got ahead".

Goalkeeper Keith Wiggans recorded five saves including one from point-blank range late in the game to preserve the victory.

Charlotte opened the scoring with a slotted finish by forward Josh Rife from six yards out in the 21st minute. Charleston leveled ten minutes later after Gambian forward Seedy Bah scrambled the ball home from a Battery corner.

The game winner came in stoppage time at the end of the first half from a set-piece after midfielder Alex Caskey was felled at the edge of the box by Charlotte's Jorge Herrera. Nicki Patterson took the resulting free-kick bending the ball round the wall and past goalkeeper Eric Reed.

After the break the Battery were forced to defend as Charlotte pressed for an equalizer. In the 66th minute Keith Wiggans denied Charlotte's Salieu Bundu from five yards turning his shot away with a superb one-handed reaction save.