Battery blanks Rochester, collects first win of season
By Jeff Hartsell (The Post and Courier)
As the corner kick curled past the net and headed out of bounds, everybody in Blackbaud Stadium gave up on the ball.
Everybody, that is, except for Kevin Nylen.
With a superb effort, the Battery defender somehow saved the ball and flicked it back to the front of the net, from where forward Randi Patterson headed in Charleston's first goal.
Aaron King added a second-half goal, and keeper Dusty Hudock earned his first shutout of the season as Charleston blanked the Rochester Rhinos 2-0 in front of 3,355 fans.
Charleston (1-1-2) earned three points for its first USL First Division victory of the season.
"The first win, that's huge for us," said Nylen, who is coming off a broken leg that cost him much of last season. "It's good to get our first win early on and try to set the tone. We have a couple of home games in a row in the next two weeks, and that will give us a little more momentum and a little confidence going forward."
Rochester, a playoff team a year ago, played its first match of the season and fell to 0-1.
"We were a little sharper, and you could tell they had a few guys who got a little tired," said Battery coach Mike Anhaeuser. "They were not as sharp on the ball, and I'm sure they will get better.
"But we have to get better, too. We've got two more home games in a row, and we need to make the best of them."
Nylen, in for the suspended John Wilson, made the best of his opportunity in the 43rd minute of the first half, when Rhino defenders appeared to fall asleep on a Battery corner kick. The kick hooked past the mouth of the goal and seemed headed out of bounds before the 6-3 Nylen lunged to get a foot on the ball, lofting it back in front of the goal.
Patterson, 5-9 and 170 pounds, managed to head the ball past Rhinos keeper Scott Vallow for his first goal of the season.
"A great play by Kevin," said Patterson, who played for the New York Red Bulls of MLS last year. "The whole thing would not have happened if not for him. He was awake and saved it, and I was able to put it away."
Said Nylen, "I just stayed with it, but it was lucky. I was lucky to keep that ball in. Randi did the hard part, he put it away and it was great to have a 1-0 lead going into halftime."
The Rhinos had blown a chance to score first when forward Hamed Diallo, at the far post, appeared to have an open net. But with no defender near him, Diallo tripped and fell, the ball heading harmlessly out of bounds.
The Battery made it 2-0 in the 81st minute, as King, who entered in the 65th minute, showed his speed at forward, getting to a through ball from midfielder Osvaldo Alonso and sending home a left-footed shot for his first goal of the season.
"A beautiful through ball, and Aaron finished it off," Anhaeuser said. "That's where Aaron is very good, one v. one with the goalie, and he put it right past the keeper's hip there."
Hudock was credited with one save as the Battery outshot the Rhinos, 6-4.
"Our defense was fantastic," Anhaeuser said. "Rochester has some solid players up front, and we did a good job of containing them. The only time they got pressure was on free kicks."
The Battery was without defender John Wilson, who was red-carded in Charleston's previous match, a 1-0 loss to the Carolina RailHawks. The Battery hosts Miami FC on May 9 and Montreal on May 14.
