Battery look to enter into a first-place tie

When the Charleston Battery started the season 0-1-2, head coach Mike Anhaeuser didn't panic.

Through the first three games, Anhaeuser had seen enough on the field to convince him that the team would be fine with just a little more seasoning.

As it turns out, Anhaeuser was right.

The Battery (2-1-2) has won back-to-back games, and with a win over the Montreal Impact tonight at Blackbaud Stadium, the Battery will find itself tied for first place in the USL First Division.

"Obviously you want to win every time you step on the field," Anhaeuser said. "Early in the season we were not getting the results we wanted, but we were playing well. We had a lot of new faces in the lineup. Even though we were not getting the results we wanted I like what I saw from the guys.

"I figured as soon as everyone got used to playing with each other we'd start to get better results. I knew the nucleus was there to be a successful team. We just had to jell a little bit, and I think we're starting to come together as a team, especially in these last two games."

The Battery is coming off a 3-1 win over Miami FC this past Saturday and has won two straight games at Blackbaud Stadium. The Battery, which beat Rochester, 2-0 on May 2, has outscored its last two opponents, 5-1.

"We've had two home games in a row and two very good results," Anhaeuser said. "We've started to build a little momentum and when you start to get on a roll like this you just want to keep it going. We've played well the last two games, but they're in the past and now we've got to be focused on our next opponent."

Anheauser said winning at home will be crucial if the Battery wants to make it back to the postseason.The Battery play four of its next five games at Blackbaud Stadium.

"We've got a schedule that is front-loaded with a lot of home games, so getting off to a good start is important," Anhaeuser said. "You want to win your home games, plain and simple. If you do that it's going to put you in a good position no matter when you play them during the season.

"Obviously, we've got a lot of home games early in the season and we've had two wins and a draw. We've won two in a row and now we want to win three in a row. We don't want to have a letdown."

Charleston striker Aaron King, who had a goal against Rochester, said the Battery is starting to build a very strong home field advantage.

"We've got a lot of confidence playing in front of our home crowd," said King, who has a goal and an assist on the season. "The crowds have been amazing and you get that extra boost when you're at home. You know that the fans have your back and we're embracing that.

"We didn't get off to that bad of a start this season. I felt like we had the team and things were only going to get better for us."

The Impact has started the season with six straight road games and won't have their home opener until next Monday against Vancouver.

"We're less than a month into the season and Montreal is already a tested road team," Anhaeuser said. "They've always been a very strong team in our league and this year is no exception. They're always a very strong defensive team and they like to possess the ball. We're going to push everything forward and hopefully put pressure on them."

Reach Andrew Miller at apmiller@postandcourier.com and check out the new Battery blog at www.charleston.net/blogs/battery/>