The Islanders won the 2009 season series against the Battery (2 wins & 1 loss). It was the first regular season win by Charleston over the Islanders since the 2005 season.

Randi Patterson netted the game’s only goal, pushing the Battery over the Islanders back to the top of the USL-1 table with 27 points.

The Islanders started last night an 8-game road trip, and visit the Carolina Railhawks next this Saturday.

The Islanders come into the game with consecutive 1-0 (and 1-0) wins this past weekend at Juan Ramon Loubriel stadium; and along the way they leap-frogged Charleston into first place in the USL standings.

The Islanders handed the Battery their first two losses of the year and Bill “The Wall” Gaudette was named Player of the Week for the two shutout wins. John Krause also made the Team of the Week for his ‘alajuelazo‘ (last minute goal) scored in stoppage time to win the first of the two games this past weekend.

The former 2009 USL league leaders Charleston Battery, once the Islanders main rival (rivalry defined due to the many games both teams played in contrast to other teams) have become a Puerto Rican punching bag. The teams have faced each other 20 times in 6 years, with the Islanders wining 11 of the encounters, tying 8, and losing 2 to the Battery.

The Battery’s only win came at home in Charleston over the Islanders was a 2-1 result four years ago (July 22, 2005). Charleston’s other win was 1-0 result in the return leg of the 2006 USL Quarterfinals in Bayamón, Puerto Rico.

The Islanders have outshot Charleston 27 to 15 alltime. The Puerto Ricans have shutout the Battery 11 times (5 wins and 6 draws) and have only allowed Charleston to score 2 goals three times ever (1 loss and 2 draws).

The Islanders have gone undefeated against Charleton in 4 of the last 5 regular USL seasons. What the Puerto Ricans have not accomplished is to win all their matches against the Battery in a single season.

That feat will be accomplished tonight in Charleston!

Nicholas Addlery scored the game winner on the 54′. It’s Addlery’s 4th goal this season. Fabrice Noël got the assist. It was Bill Gaudette’s third clean sheet this season.

The Islanders now have 25 points this season and the win vaults them from fourth to first in the USL standings, relegating the Charleston Battery and the Carolina Railhawks to a 2nd place tie with 24 points.

Charleston who was undefeated 6-6-0 [W-T-L] before arriving to Puerto Rico on Thursday, now have 2 losses in the season, both against the Islanders (7-4-3 [W-T-L]). The Islanders now have an 11-8-2 [W-T-L] all time record against the Battery.

The Islanders are now undefeated in their last 6 games (5-1-0). Charleston is now winless in their last four games (0-2-2).

The result tonight means Puerto Rico won the regular season series of matches against the Battery in the league, with one game still to go in the series on June 25th in Charleston.

John Krause scored an ‘alajuelazo‘, the only goal of the game with only a few seconds left in stoppage time as the Islanders defeated the Charleston Battery 1-0 at Juan Ramón Loubriel, in Bayamón.

Jonathan Steele took a 93′ corner kick, Cristian Arrieta headed for a miss, Fabrice Noel lightly shot and the Battery keeper Dusty Hudock stoped but could not control; John Krause found the loose ball and the rest is history… ¡¡¡Alajuelazo!!!

The Charleston Battery lost their first game in 13 games this season. The Islanders get 3 points for the match which gets the Puerto Ricans dangerously close to take the lead at the top of the standings away from the Battery when they face Charleston again on Saturday.

Pierluisi also told us that the Islanders are working on a collaboration agreement with an important Soccer School in Argentina to open the possibility of player transfers between the two organizations.

“Clarke is currently discussing the option with several players from the 2008 team edition to return next year, and the Islanders’ management trusts to have a well prepared team for both the 2009 USL season as well as the next round of the CONCACAF Champions League“, said Pierluisi.

Pierluisi also said that the team is already making arrangements to play a friendly in Puerto Rico with the Toronto FC, most likely around March 14th. Additionally he said that there are advanced talks under way to hold a separate set of MLS friendlies with DC United. The DC team should be in Puerto Rico for a whole week in February before the Islanders’ Champions League quarterfinals compromise on February 26th at Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium in Bayamón.

DC United, the winners of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup (over the USL-1 Charleston Battery), also participated in this year’s CONCACAF Champions League, but was eliminated as they finished fourth in Group A play. The Toronto FC finished 2nd in the Nutrilite Canadian Championship, two points behind the USL-1 winner Montreal Impact, who is playing alongside the Islanders in the Champions League.

The Islanders finished in 2nd place in Group D play, accomplishing their mission to move on to the quarterfinals. The Impact did the same, finishing 2nd in Group C and also qualifying to the quarterfinals.

The pairings for the knockout CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals round and the route to the finals will be set with the draw on Wednesday December 10. The Islanders get to play either of the Mexican teams Atlante FC or Pumas UNAM; or the Group of Death’s (group A) winner CD Marathon from Honduras.

Who will be the Islanders opponent in the quarterfinals? Vote in our poll.