Battery charges past Rhinos into first place

Battery 3, Rhinos 1

Charleston Battery midfielder Stephen Armstrong has been waiting for a game like this all season.

Armstrong, Randi Patterson and Aaron King each scored to lead the Battery past Rochester, 3-1, Saturday night before a crowd of 3,639 at Blackbaud Stadium.

With the victory, the Battery improved to 7-3-3 (24 points) and moved into first place in the USL First Division. Rochester, which had not lost in seven straight matches, dropped to 2-5-5 (11 points).

It has been a frustrating first half of the season for Armstrong, who led the Battery with 10 goals a year ago, because of a nagging ankle injury he suffered during the Major Indoor Soccer League season.

"I had to be patient and go through the rehab and wait for my ankle to get better," Armstrong said. "It's not something I like doing, but I wanted to be sure my ankle was going to be 100 percent before I got on the field. It wasn't worth going out there earlier in the season at 50 or 60 percent and making it worse.

"There was nothing I could do but be patient. Obviously, I want to play every game, but it was the right decision not to rush things. We've got a deep squad, so there wasn't really a need for me to get back on the field."

Armstrong, who missed the first eight games of the season, said he's finally match fit.

"My ankle is 100 percent, but guys who have played a while know you need games under your belt to get into the flow of things," Armstrong said. "I'm definitely starting to feel better out there."

The weather was a key factor for both teams as wind gusts were clocked at 30 mph throughout most of the match.

"We wanted the wind in the first half in hopes we could jump on them early and we got two goals as a result," said Charleston coach Mike Anhaeuser. "I think everyone saw how Rochester was able to attack us in the second half because they played with the wind. It's so hard to clear the ball out of your own end when you're going against that kind of wind."

The Rhinos were forced to play the final 50 minutes of the game with just 10 players when defender Alfonso Loera was ejected from the game after a tackle from behind on Patterson in the 41st minute.

Charleston took a 1-0 lead on Armstrong's first goal of the season. The play started near the Battery's 18-yard box with defender Nelson Akwari. Akwari sent a long ball down the right sideline to Chris Corcoran. Corcoran slid the ball to Lazo Alvanja in the middle of the field just outside the Rhinos' 18-yard box. Alavanja found Armstrong on the left side, and the former Butler University All-American blasted the ball past Rochester keeper Scott Vallow for the score.

"It was nice to finally get a goal," Armstrong said. "I've been close a couple of times and to finally get one certainly helps my confidence. Great pass from Lazo."

The Battery pushed their advantage to 2-0 just two minutes later on Patterson's seventh goal of the season. After Rochester midfielder Tiger Fitzpatrick slammed Patterson to the ground, the Battery was awarded a free kick from about 25 yards out. Charleston midfielder Osvaldo Alonso sent a curling ball into the six-yard box that Patterson got on the end of and knocked past Vallow for the score.

Charleston made it 3-0 on King's fourth goal of the season in the 81st minute. Patterson sent a long ball to Darren Spicer down the left side, who slid the ball to Mike Richardson just outside the 18-yard box. Richardson found King inside the six-yard box and the former N.C. State star volleyed the ball past Vallow for the score.

Rochester got a late goal from Ze Roberto in the 90th minute for the final margin of victory.

Midfielders Ian Fuller (groin) and David Kenga (lower leg) missed the game with injuries.

The Battery will face Major League Soccer's Houston Dynamo on Tuesday night at Blackbaud Stadium in the third round of the U.S. Open Cup.

Rochester's lineup featured midfielder Steve Guggy, 38, who played in the English Premiership league.

The Battery swept the three-game regular-season series with Rochester for the first time in franchise history.