Usually, it’s goalscoring streaks that get all the attention.

But this week, and potentially beyond, you should be paying attention to what Ryan Spaulding is doing for the Tampa Bay Rowdies.

We’ve got more on one of the Championship’s current assists leaders, plus notes on the Charleston Battery’s Trey Muse and Sacramento Republic FC’s Russell Cicerone and some quick hit notes going into Week 13’s action.

As usual there are also upcoming milestones for individual players, and the Week 13 Discipline Report.

Let’s dig in.

NEWS AND NOTES

SPAULDING’S ASSISTS STREAK REACHES FOUR GAMES FOR ROWDIES

The Tampa Bay Rowdies’ Ryan Spaulding recorded an assist in a fourth consecutive appearance on Saturday night as the Rowdies earned a 2-1 victory against Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, making the 24-year-old only the 10th player to record an assists streak of at least four games in the USL Championship’s regular season history.

The Championship’s all-time record for consecutive regular season games with an assist is seven games, set by Raul Mendiola for the LA Galaxy II during the 2015 season.

Most Consecutive USL Championship Regular Season Games with an Assist
1. Raul Mendiola (LA) – 7 games, 2015
T-2. Danny Barrera (SAC) – 5 games, 2016
T-2. Aodhan Quinn (PHX) – 5 games, 2021
T-4. Ryan Spaulding (TBR) – 4 games, 2023*
T-4. Danny Barrera (HFD) – 4 games, 2022
T-4. Antoine Hoppenot (RNO) – 4 games, 2018
T-4. Jared Stroud (NY) – 4 games, 2018
T-4. Aodhan Quinn (OC) – 4 games, 2018
T-4. Antoine Hoppenot (RNO) – 4 games, 2018
T-4. Villyan Bijev (POR) – 4 games, 2016

* - Active Streak

BATTERY’S MUSE JOINS NOTABLE GROUP WITH 10-SAVE SHUTOUT 

The Charleston Battery’s Trey Muse became only the 11th goalkeeper in the Championship’s recorded history to record double-digit saves in a shutout on Saturday night with 10 saves as the Battery earned a 2-0 victory on the road against Rio Grande Valley FC.

Muse is the first goalkeeper to post a shutout with double-digit saves in the USL Championship this decade. The most recent previously was when the Philadelphia Union II’s Tomas Romero recorded 11 saves against Louisville City FC on July 20, 2019 in a 1-0 victory for the Union II at Slugger Field. The all-time single-game record for saves in a shutout is held by former Phoenix Rising FC goalkeeper Carl Woszczynski, who posted a 13-save shutout in his side’s 2-0 win against Orange County SC on July 5, 2015.

Most Saves in a Shutout in a USL Championship Regular Season Game
13 – Carl Woszscynski, Phoenix Rising FC vs. Orange County SC, 7/5/15
12 – Alex Mangels, FC Tulsa vs. Rio Grande Valley FC, 3/26/16
11 – Angelo Cavalluzzo, Toronto FC II at Louisville City FC, 4/29/17
11 – Cody Laurendi, OKC Energy FC at Las Vegas Lights FC, 9/29/18
11 – Tomas Romero, Philadelphia Union II at Louisville City FC, 7/20/19

SACRAMENTO’S RUSSELL CICERONE JOINS 50-GOAL CLUB

Sacramento Republic FC’s Russell Cicerone became the 23rd player to record 50 goals in the USL Championship’s regular season on Friday night with the opening goal in Republic FC’s 4-1 victory against Hartford Athletic. Cicerone reached the mark in his 165th regular season game of his career.

The 28-year-old has accelerated toward the half-century mark over the past two-plus seasons, with 38 of Cicerone’s regular season goals in the Championship having come since the start of the 2021 campaign. In that span, only 2021 Championship Most Valuable Player Hadji Barry has recorded more regular season goals than Cicerone.

Most Regular Season Goals in the USL Championship (Start of 2021 Season-Present)
1. Hadji Barry – 41 goals, 132.6 mins/goal
2. Russell Cicerone – 38 goals, 156.3 mins/goal
3. Kyle Murphy – 33 goals, 146.4 mins/goal
4. Luis Solignac – 32 goals, 160.9 mins/goal
5. Milan Iloski – 31 goals, 170 mins/goal

QUICK HITS

- The Charleston Battery claimed their seventh win of the regular season on Saturday against Rio Grande Valley FC. The current Eastern Conference leaders have now surpassed their win total (6) from the 2022 USL Championship regular season.

- Las Vegas Lights FC’s victory at Phoenix Rising FC on Friday night was the club’s first in an away game against Phoenix in club history. Lights FC’s current highest total of road visits without a win is against Orange County SC, where it is winless in eight trips to Championship Soccer Stadium.

- The Tampa Bay Rowdies continued their run of May form on Saturday, completing a 4-0-0 month with a 2-1 victory against Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC. The Rowdies have now won 13 consecutive league games in May and are 14-0-2 in the league in May since Neill Collins was appointed Head Coach.

- The Charleston Battery’s Augustine Williams became the 12th player to reach 60 regular season goals in the USL Championship’s regular season with his pair of tallies against Rio Grande Valley FC. The Sierra Leone international is now three goals from reaching the Top 10 in the league’s history, with Kyle Greig and Steevan Dos Santos currently tied for ninth on 63 goals.

- Rida Zouhir became the fourth-youngest player to score in a regular season contest for San Antonio FC on Saturday night aged 19 years, 185 days old. The trio of players to score at a younger age for the club were Ethan Bryant, Jose Gallegos and Devin Vega.

Upcoming Player Milestones

Appearances
Approaching 200 regular-season appearances
Enzo Martinez (BHM) – 199
Brent Richards (OC) – 199
Bolu Akinyode (MIA) – 198

Approaching 150 regular-season appearances
Lucky Mkosana (TBR) – 148
Matt LaGrassa (SAC) – 148
Luiz Fernando (MEM) – 148
Matt Mahoney (COS) – 147
Chris Wehan (NM) – 146

Approaching 100 regular-season appearances
Sam Gleadle (MB) – 99
Joe Kuzminsky (COS) – 98
Aidan Apodaca (CHS) – 98
JJ Williams (TBR) – 98
Napo Matsoso (OAK) – 98
Yuma (ELP) – 97

Minutes
Approaching 20,000 regular season minutes
Josh Suggs (NM) – 19,938

Approaching 15,000 regular season minutes
James Musa (COS) – 14,819
Kalen Ryden (NM) – 14,756
Kai Greene (MB) – 14,747

Approaching 10,000 regular season minutes
Alex Crognale (BHM) – 9,985
Shannon Gomez (SA) – 9,949
Austin Yearwood (NM) – 9,861
Elijah Martin (SD) – 9,856
Luiz Fernando (MEM) – 9,698

Goals
Approaching 75 regular season goals
Neco Brett (BHM) – 72

Approaching 50 regular season goals
Lucky Mkosana (TBR) – 48

Assists
Approaching 60 regular season assists
Kenardo Forbes (PIT) – 58

Approaching 50 regular season assists
Aodhan Quinn (IND) – 49
Solomon Asante (IND) – 48

Approaching 30 regular season assists
Oscar Jimenez (LOU) – 29
Justin Portillo (NM) – 28
Niall McCabe (LOU) – 27
Charlie Adams (SD) – 27

Saves
Approaching 500 regular season saves
Alex Tambakis (NM) – 491

Approaching 200 regular season saves
Jordan Farr (SA) – 195
Kyle Morton (LOU) – 187

Shutouts
Approaching 40 regular-season shutouts
Matt VanOekel (BHM) – 38

Approaching 30 regular-season shutouts
Joe Kuzminsky (COS) – 29
Danny Vitiello (SAC) – 27 

Discipline Report – Week 13

TAMPA, Fla. – The following is the USL Championship’s discipline report for Week 13 of the 2023 USL Championship season:

FC Tulsa assistant coach Matthew Watson has been suspended for one game following his red card for use of unauthorized electronics or communications equipment during his side’s contest against Louisville City FC on May 24. Watson will serve his suspension during FC Tulsa’s contest against Monterey Bay F.C. on Wednesday night.

The following players enter the upcoming matches one caution away from a yellow card accumulation suspension for their eighth yellow card of the season. Here is the breakdown per club:

• San Antonio FC (1) – Lamar Batista