BY KEITH NAMM
Of The Post and Courier Staff
The Battery positioned itself in the upper tier of the A-League soccer playoffs on the strength of a sparkling 11-2 home record.
Now, fifth-seeded Charleston (16-10-1) needs to tap into that Blackbaud Stadium magic to be able to get out of the first round after Thursday night's 2-1 road loss to the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, the 12th seed. The home-and-home, aggregate-goals series wraps up with tonight's 7:30 match on Daniel Island.
The Battery must win to advance; a one-goal Charleston victory would mean two 15-minute sudden-death overtimes to break the tie, followed by a penalty-kick shootout, if needed.
"The guys have every confidence we can pull out this series," said Battery midfielder Matt Farris, one of nine Charleston players to log all 90 minutes in Game 1. "Even if we had tied them in Pittsburgh, we would have had to beat them at home."
Said Battery coach Alan Dicks, "The key is to get an early goal, which settles everybody down."
The Battery will donate all proceeds from tonight's match to victims of last week's terrorist attacks and will match individual fans' donations dollar for dollar.
As disappointed as Dicks was in the two yellow cards on John Ball that forced his team to play the last 46 minutes a man down, he was full of praise for the way the players kept battling. Two key elements of the club's success showed through: namely, a go-ahead goal from league scoring champion Paul Conway and key saves from goalkeeper Dusty Hudock. "The players worked so well and so hard, we were unlucky to come away losing," Dicks said. "Paul put us in front with a good striker's goal."
Dicks said Riverhounds midfielder Gary DePalma's equalizing goal was an excellent shot into the top corner that would have been a goal even if his side had 11 men. The game-winner, a Phil Karn shot that lobbed over the head of an unsuspecting Hudock after taking a wild deflection, was another story.
Dicks said the Riverhounds' talent makes it imperative that his team get its 'A' game in progress.
"They're coming to our ground, which will please them as well. There should be plenty of flowing football and good passing," said Dicks, noting that Bethel Park is a narrower field.
* Ball is available for selection tonight since an ejection for two cautions does not call for a suspension under A-League rules. Forward/midfielder Jon Akin, who did not make the trip Thursday because of injury, is expected to dress out.
* The series winner advances to the home-and-home quarterfinals against the fourth-seeded Rochester (N.Y.) Raging Rhinos, who received a first-round bye.
