Where we left off last year
2024 season: 64 points, 2nd in the Eastern Conference
If 2023 was Charleston's coming-out party under Ben Pirmann, 2024 was the season where the Battery proved to be more than a fluke. Yes, Nick Markanich's 30 goals stole the show in the Lowcountry, but the Battery also allowed just 35 goals in 34 regular season games and got all-USL seasons out of Aaron Molloy and Graham Smith. The club turned Markanich into a national developmental success story by selling him to Spain, and they doubled down on their future by signing dual national youth stars Zeke Soto and Viggo Ortiz.
Still, expectations are sky high in Charleston. From a certain point of view, finishing a distant second behind Louisville in the East and falling to Rhode Island in the conference final left a bitter taste in the Battery's mouth. The question for Pirmann and co. is simple: how can you overcome the loss of Markanich and take a step forward?
