Charleston, SC. The Charleston Battery heads to Rochester (NY) Friday night for the first game of its USL First Division First Round playoff series with the Rochester Rhinos (7:35 PM, Sports Radio 1450 AM). The Battery defeated the Rhinos three times out of three in regular season play in 2008 but the Rhinos finished one point ahead of Charleston in the final season standings.

The Battery finished as the fifth seeded team and takes on the fourth seeded Rhinos to decide which team will advance to the semifinals. Charleston closed its regular season last Friday night at Blackbaud Stadium with a 2-1 loss to the Carolina RailHawks. The Rhinos lost 1-0 to the Miami FC Blues in their final regular season game played last Wednesday night in Miami.

During the regular season Charleston defeated the Rhinos three times winning 2-0 at Blackbaud Stadium on May 2, 1-0 at PaeTek Park on May 17, and 3-1 in the third game of the series at Blackbaud Stadium on June 28.

The Battery and the Rhinos last met in the post-season in 2006 with Rochester defeating Charleston 1-0 in an aggregate score semifinal series. Prior to that the Battery knocked Rochester out of the semifinals in the 2003 season; Charleston went on to win the USL1 Championship that year.

On Sunday both sides will return to Blackbaud Stadium for the second and deciding game of the series; gates open at 6 PM with kick off set for 7 PM. The match will be broadcast live nationally on FOX Soccer Channel. Tickets for Sunday’s game are available for $8 - $15 with discounts for groups of ten or more and current Charleston Battery season ticket holders; to purchase tickets or for more information please call (843) 971-GOAL (4625) or visit www.charlestonbattery.com.

The top seven teams advanced to the playoff tournament, with the Commissioner’s Cup winner, the Puerto Rico Islanders (regular season champion) receiving a bye into the semifinals. The first round involves the #2 - #7 seeds competing in two-leg aggregate score series with the three winners advancing to semifinals with #1 seed pitted against the lowest remaining seed. The semifinal winners advance to the USL-1 Championship set for October 11.

Sunday’s FOX Soccer Channel broadcast will be the fifth live TV game for the Battery from Blackbaud Stadium in 2008. FOX Soccer Channel reaches over 33 million cable and satellite subscribers in the U.S. and Caribbean, with more households than any other soccer-specific cable broadcaster in the U.S.; FSC will become Nielsen rated as of October 1, 2008.

2008 Charleston Battery Playoffs
Game 1: Friday, September 26
Battery @ Rhinos, PaeTek Park Rochester (NY)
7:35 PM (SPORTS RADIO 1450 AM)

Game 2: Sunday, September 28
Rhinos @ Battery, Blackbaud Stadium, Daniel Island
7 PM (FOX SOCCER CHANNEL)
$8 - $15, (843) 971-GOAL (4625) / www.charlestonbattery.com