Battery in battle for first place

Who: Rochester 4-2-1 (13 points) at Battery 3-0-4 (13 points).

When: 7:30 p.m.

Where: Blackbaud Stadium

Tickets: 971-4625

Battery, Rhinos in a battle for first-place

Most of the talk about this year's Charleston Battery team has centered on the squad's stingy defense.

And for good reason.

Seven games into the regular season, the Battery (3-0-4, 13 point) has allowed USL First Division low two goals. Charleston keeper Dusty Hudock has a league-leading five shutouts.

"You can't lose if you don't concede any goals," Charleston Battery coach Mike Anhaeuser has repeated throughout the first month of the season.

It seems for the Battery, however, that one of the bi-products of having such a stout defense has been a lack of offensive production. The Battery has scored just five goals in seven games. Only Cleveland and Portland, which have played two fewer games than the Battery, have scored less goals this season.

"I think at the beginning of the season you really concentrate on getting your defensive shape in order," Anhaeuser said. "You stress defense in the preseason because it's easier for everyone to get on the same page defensively. The attack usually takes a little longer to develop. It's something that we've been working on every day in training."

Anhaeuser said he is starting to see the team's attack improve in the last two games and hopes that trend continues when the Battery takes on the Rochester Rhinos at 7:30 p.m. today at Blackbaud Stadium.

"I've seen some progression over the last couple of matches," Anhaeuser said. "Unfortunately, it's been hit-and-miss. There are a lot of little things that have kind of held us up, but I can see those things kind of coming together now. I think we're due for a breakout game and usually all it takes is one or two goals to get the ball rolling."

One of the biggest issues for the Battery has been getting its top offensive threats in the lineup at the same time.

For a variety of reasons, strikers Randi Patterson, Dan Antoniuk, and midfielders Ian Fuller, Stephen Armstrong and Tsuyoshi Yoshitake have yet to be on the field together for any significant period of time.

"It's hard to get any continuity going with your attack if your top guys are not playing together," Anhaeuser said. "Dan and Randi played indoor this winter and they're finally starting to get match fit. Ian and Stephen have had some injuries, so it's been a little difficult for everyone to get their timing down, but again, I've seen some improvement. We're moving in the right direction."

Armstrong (ankle) and Fuller (leg) missed Wednesday's 1-0 win over Miami FC. Fuller is expected to be back in the lineup tonight, but Antoniuk will be out after suffering a hamstring injury against Miami and Armstrong is still a week away from rejoining the team.

Rochester, which has not yet to play a home game this season, has recorded a league-high 10 goals in seven matches. Veteran midfielder Johnny Menyongar, who has four goals, leads the league with nine points.

"Rochester is a very opportunistic team," Anhaeuser said. "They've really relied on the counter attack. They don't get many scoring chances, but they've done a great job of finishing off the chances they're getting. This is a big game for both teams. The winner will be in first place and I'm sure every player on both sides realizes that."

Reach Andrew Miller at apmiller@postandcourier.com and check out the Battery 'Battery Shots' blog at, postandcourier/blogs/battery.