Charleston Battery forward Nick Markanich breaks USL single-season goalscoring record

After one of the most prolific goalscoring seasons in USL Championship memory, Markanich set the record he has been chasing all season. The Battery star found the net for the 26th time this season, marking his memorable campaign with a clinical left-footed volley into the bottom corner to lead his side to a playoff-clinching victory. He added a second after the break, finding the same spot of the net to tie the Battery’s all-time club record for most goals in a single season (all competitions), matching Paul Conway’s mark of 27 in 2001.

Markanich's quality has seen him earn a European move. The forward flirted with a potential MLS switch at the end of last season but opted to stay at Charleston with the goal of competing for a championship. His patience seemed to pay off, with Segunda Division CD Castellon seeking his services and agreeing on a six-figure deal with the forward that will see him move to Iberia on the conclusion of the season.

The USL single-season record has been broken twice in the last six years. Cameron Lancaster of Louisville set a mark of 25 in 2018, before Colorado Springs' Hadji Barry equalled it in 2021.

The forward offered insight into breaking the record in a post match interview: "I'm glad I did it at home. I didn't mean to. It feels amazing. Like I've been saying all season, it's all credit to my teammates, setting me up in the right positions. I just do my movements in the box and they find me."

The forward will look to lead Charleston on a playoff run in the coming weeks - as the second-placed battery hunts down table-topping Louisville. The regular season ends on Oct. 26.