MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. – Emilio Ycaza and Nick Markanich walked over to the Charleston Battery end zone to salute the club’s supporters one last time.
After the pair acknowledge their fans the two turned and embraced for a long moment. The duo looked down the field at Rhode Island’s jubilant celebration and could only shake their heads and think about what might have been had things gone differently.
But this is playoff soccer.
For the second straight year, the Charleston Battery had to watch a visiting team celebrate on their home field and hoist a trophy following the match.
Karifa Yao and Noah Fuson each scored for Rhode Island FC and held off a furious Charleston rally to beat the Battery, 2-1, in the USL Championship Eastern Conference finals before a sellout crowd of more than 5,000 at Patriots Point on Saturday night.
Rhode Island will face the winner of the Colorado Switchbacks FC-Las Vegas Lights FC in the USL Championship final next Saturday.
Charleston Battery forward Nick Markanich and MD Myers came into the playoffs as the highest scoring duo in USL Championship history – combining for 47 goals. But the Rhode Island defense harassed the pair for the entire match, not allowing them to get into any rhythm.