From the wildest half of action in the league’s history, to a landmark hat trick, and plenty more besides, the 2022 USL Championship regular season continued to break new ground, with a pair of veterans hitting big numbers in their careers in addition on Saturday night.

Here’s a look back at the notable names and moments to know as we enter Week 4, as well as upcoming individual landmarks and this week’s Discipline Report.

NEWS AND NOTES

ATLANTA’S CONWAY DELIVERS HAT TRICK NO. 100

Atlanta United 2’s Jackson Conway this past Sunday recorded not only the first hat trick of the 2022 USL Championship season, but the 100th hat trick in the league’s regular season since its launch in 2011. Here’s a look by the numbers at this landmark moment in Championship history.

83 – Eighty-three different players have recorded a hat trick over the past 12 seasons, with 14 players having recorded multiple hat tricks in the Championship over their career. Among those players is current U.S. Men’s National Team player Jesus Ferreira, who had a hat trick while on loan with FC Tulsa during the 2018 season.

15 – Efrain Alvarez is the youngest player to have recorded a hat trick in the USL Championship’s history, with the league’s 2018 Young Player of the Year having achieved the feat at the age of 15 years, 324 days old on May 9, 2018.

8 – The USL Championship’s all-time leading scorer Dane Kelly currently holds the record for the fastest hat trick on record in the league, having scored three goals in the space of eight minutes in a 6-0 victory for Reno 1868 FC against the Tacoma Defiance at Greater Nevada Field on May 20, 2017.

4 – Dane Kelly is also the Championship’s all-time leader in hat tricks, with the Jamaican having recorded four so far in his career. Kelly recorded one hat trick for the Charleston Battery, two for Reno 1868 FC – coincidentally in back-to-back games – and one for the Charlotte Independence.

2 – Louisville City FC and the LA Galaxy II have each seen two players record multiple hat tricks in their colors. Louisville City FC’s Matt Fondy sits second all-time in the league with three hat tricks, all of which were for LouCity, while Cameron Lancaster has bagged a pair of three-goal games in the regular season. For Los Dos, both Efrain Alvarez and Ethan Zubak each scored a pair of hat tricks, including becoming the only teammates to score hat tricks in the same game against Saint Louis FC in 2017.

EL PASO, LAS VEGAS COMBINE FOR RECORD-SETTING HALF

When El Paso Locomotive FC and Las Vegas Lights FC went to the halftime break scoreless last Wednesday night at Southwest University Park, it’s unlikely anyone saw what was about to unfold coming. The second half delivered nine goals as Lights FC came out on top 5-4 behind a pair of goals apiece by Danny Trejo and Cal Jennings in what was the highest-scoring single half in the USL Championship’s history.

El Paso and Las Vegas surpassed the mark of eight goals that had previously occurred in a pair of Championship contests previously, including the memorable Miracle on the Mon that saw Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC defeat the Harrisburg City Islanders 6-5 on May 30, 2015.

Most Goals in a Half a USL Championship Regular Season Game
9 – El Paso Locomotive FC vs. Las Vegas Lights FC – March 23, 2021
8 – Portland Timbers 2 vs. LA Galaxy II – May 18, 2018
8 – Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC vs. Harrisburg City Islanders – May 30, 2015
7 – LA Galaxy II vs. Rio Grande Valley FC – April 24, 2019
7 – OKC Energy FC vs. Las Vegas Lights FC – July 11, 2018
7 – Orlando City B vs. New York Red Bulls II – October 7, 2017
7 – Orange County SC vs. Tacoma Defiance – June 4, 2016

TREJO JOINS EXCLUSIVE CLUB WITH TWO GOAL, TWO ASSIST OUTING

Las Vegas Lights FC’s Danny Trejo was a central figure in the contest between Lights FC and Locomotive FC, contributing two goals and two assists for the visitors as they took victory on the road. In doing so, Trejo became the 12th different place to record at least two goals and two assists in a single regular season contest.

Two Goals, Two Assists in a Single Championship Regular Season Game
Kevin Molino, Orlando City SC – 3 goals, 2 assists vs. Dayton Dutch Lions FC, August 31, 2014

Rob Vincent, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC – 2 goals, 2 assists vs. Harrisburg City Islanders, March 28, 2015

Luke Vercollone, Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC – 2 goals, 2 assists vs. Real Monarchs SLC, April 17 2015

Magnus Rasmussen, Louisville City FC – 2 goals, 2 assists vs. OKC Energy FC, June 27, 2015

Chris Wehan, Reno 1868 FC – 2 goals, 2 assists vs. LA Galaxy II, July 3, 2017

Kharlton Belmar, Sporting Kansas City II – 2 goals, 2 assists vs. Reno 1868 FC, March 16, 2018

Mour Samb, Ottawa Fury FC – 2 goals, 2 assists vs. Charlotte Independence, June 1, 2019

Cristian Parano, San Antonio FC – 2 goals, 2 assists vs. New Mexico United, August 24, 2019

Danny Barrera, Hartford Athletic – 2 goals, 3 assists vs. New York Red Bulls II, June 5, 2021

Yann Ekra, Tampa Bay Rowdies – 2 goals, 2 assists vs. New York Red Bulls II, September 11, 2011

Sebastian Guenzatti, Tampa Bay Rowdies – 2 goals, 2 assists vs. New York Red Bulls II, September 11, 2011

Danny Trejo, Las Vegas Lights FC – 2 goals, 2 assists vs. El Paso Locomotive FC, March 23, 2022

LOUCITY’S DELPICCOLO JOINS 200 APPEARANCE CLUB
Louisville City FC’s Paolo DelPiccolo became the 12th player to record 200 regular season appearances in the USL Championship on Saturday night when he came on as a halftime substitute for his side in a 1-1 draw against Indy Eleven. DelPiccolo currently sits with the sixth-most appearances among active players in the Championship, and in his 146 regular-season appearances for LouCity the club has gone 84-26-36, a win percentage of 57.5 percent.

PHOENIX’S AODHAN QUINN LANDS ON 16,000 MINUTES
Phoenix Rising FC’s Aodhan Quinn became the fourth player to reach 16,000 minutes of action in the USL Championship’s regular season on Saturday night in his side’s contest against San Diego Loyal SC, joining the retired Taylor Mueller, New Mexico United’s Josh Suggs and Monterey Bay F.C.’s Hugh Roberts in reaching the landmark.

Quinn has reached 16,000 minutes in 195 regular season appearances, appearing for 90.1 percent of his potential minutes across those appearances. That is only marginally behind Mueller, the Championship’s all-time regular season minutes leader, who played in 92.6 percent of his 241 regular season appearances in logging 20,077 minutes of action.

Upcoming Player Milestones

Appearances
Approaching 200 regular-season appearances
Kenardo Forbes (PIT) – 198

Approaching 150 regular-season appearances
Neco Brett (NM) – 149
Chris Cortez (MB) – 148
Kyle Murphy (MIA) – 148

Approaching 100 regular-season appearances
Noah Powder (IND) – 98
Sean McFarlane (MIA) – 98
Lindo Mfeka (OAK) – 98
Tobi Adewole (IND) – 97

Minutes
Approaching 10,000 regular-season minutes
Christiano Francois (ELP) – 9,935
Santi Moar (PHX) – 9,932
Christian Volesky (MB) – 9,886

Goals
Approaching 75 regular-season goals
Cameron Lancaster (LOU) – 71

Assists
Approaching 30 regular-season assists
Chris Wehan (NM) – 29
Lebo Moloto (TUL) – 29
Santi Moar (PHX) – 28
Oscar Jimenez (LOU) – 28

Saves
Approaching 200 regular-season saves
Jeff Caldwell (COS) – 190

Shutouts
Approaching 30 regular-season shutouts
Joe Kuzminsky (CHS) – 29
Matt VanOekel (BHM) – 27

Approaching 20 regular-season shutouts
Connor Sparrow (MIA) – 19

Discipline Report – Week 4

TAMPA, Fla. – The following is the USL Championship’s discipline report for Week 4 of the 2022 USL Championship season:

The New York Red Bulls II’s Lamine Conte has been suspended for one game following his red card for denial of a goalscoring opportunity against Louisville City FC on March 23. Conte will be unavailable for the Red Bulls II’s contest against FC Tulsa on Saturday night.

Loudoun United FC’s Sami Guediri has been suspended for one game following his red card for two cautionable offenses against Miami FC on March 26. Guediri will be unavailable for Loudoun’s contest against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on Saturday night.

The Charleston Battery’s Matt Sheldon has been suspended for one game following his red card for two cautionable offenses against Atlanta United 2 on March 27. Sheldon will be unavailable for Charleston’s contest against Las Vegas Lights FC on Friday night.

Las Vegas Lights FC’s Frank Daroma has served a one-game suspension following his red card for violent conduct against El Paso Locomotive FC on March 23. Daroma served his suspension on March 26 when Las Vegas hosted Memphis 901 FC.