Battery Complete Historic Playoff Comeback, Outlast Hartford on Penalties

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. — In one of the most dramatic postseason matches in league history, the Charleston Battery overcame a three-goal second-half deficit with a frantic 17-minute blitz before prevailing 5-4 in a penalty shootout against Hartford Athletic at Patriots Point.

The victory sends No. 2 seed Charleston to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they will host fourth-seeded Louisville City FC. For Hartford Athletic, the defeat marked a heartbreaking end to a historic 2026 campaign highlighted by their first-ever USL Championship postseason win and a second consecutive appearance in the Prinx Tires USL Cup Final.

Dream Start for Hartford

Hartford set the tone early in the first half, seizing control with relentless attacking efficiency.

In the 13th minute, Michee Ngalina pounced on a loose deflection atop the 18-yard box, driving a strike into the back of the net to make it 1-0. The goal carried personal history for Ngalina, standing as his 24th across all competitions for Athletic and moving him past Mamadou Dieng as the club’s all-time leading scorer.

Only three minutes later, Hartford doubled their advantage. Barry Coffey reacted fastest to a loose ball deep in the penalty area, slipping a composed finish past Charleston goalkeeper Luis Zamudio for a 2-0 lead.

Despite Charleston searching for a foothold, Hartford struck a third blow in the 31st minute on a lethal counterattack.Junior Moreira redirected a pass off Sadat Anaku, who slotted home his third goal of the postseason to send the visiting Boys in Green into halftime with a commanding 3-0 lead.

Charleston's 17-Minute Miracle

Facing elimination, Charleston spent much of the second half applying pressure, finally breaking through in the 80th minute when Emilio Ycaza calmly converted a penalty kick to cut the deficit to 3-1.

The hosts were back on the board just three minutes later. Colton Swan rose above the defense to head home a corner kick in the 83rd minute, bringing the Battery within a single strike at 3-2.

The equalizer arrived deep into stoppage time. In the 98th minute, Nanan Houssou delivered a service into the area that Kirill Pakhomov headed into the net, capping off a three-goal surge in just 17 minutes of game action and sending Patriots Point into delirium as regulation ended 3-3.

Extra Time and Shootout Drama

Both sides tightened up defensively during the 30-minute extra-time period. Hartford’s best chance to reclaim the lead came in the 116th minute when forward Augi Williams broke in on goal with a golden opportunity, but a sliding denial from Zamudio kept the match level.

In the shootout, the pressure was immense as the first four shooters for each club converted cleanly. Hartford saw successful strikes from TJ Presthus, Jordan Scarlett, Samuel Careaga, and Michael Adedokun.

In the fifth and decisive frame, Williams was denied, and Charleston stepped up to convert their final attempt, sealing the 5-4 shootout triumph and punching their ticket to the conference championship.

Match Statistics