Since his debut in the USL Championship more than a decade ago, Antoine Hoppenot has been among the best dual-threat creators and finishers in the league’s history.

In this week’s edition of the USL Championship’s News & Notes, we look at the elite club he joined with his game-winning goal on Saturday night for Hartford Athletic, as well as another landmark for Indy Eleven’s Solomon Asante and the rapid scoring tempo that San Antonio FC’s Tani Oluwaseyi is currently setting.

All of that plus our regular look at upcoming individual landmarks for players across the league, and the Week 23 Discipline Report.

Let’s dig in.

NEWS AND NOTES

HARTFORD’S ANTOINE HOPPENOT JOINS 40-40 CLUB

Hartford Athletic’s Antoine Hoppenot became only the fourth player in the USL Championship’s regular season history to reach 40 goals and 40 assists in their careers as he scored the game-winning goal in his side’s 2-1 victory against New Mexico United on Saturday night.

Hoppenot’s goal was the 40th of his career in the league’s regular season. The 32-year-old currently sits at 46 regular season assists after claiming the league’s Assists Champion award a season ago. He joins Solomon Asante, Aodhan Quinn and Enzo Martinez in the elite group of attacking playmakers.

Players to have recorded 40 goals, 40 assists in the USL Championship Regular Season
1. Enzo Martinez – 67 goals, 43 assists
2. Aodhan Quinn – 53 goals, 49 assists
3. Solomon Asante – 51 goals, 49 assists
4. Antoine Hoppenot – 40 goals, 46 assists

INDY’S SOLOMON ASANTE REACHES 100 COMBINED GOALS & ASSISTS

Indy Eleven’s Solomon Asante became the seventh player to reach 100 combined goals and assists in the USL Championship’s regular season on Saturday as he notched the 49th regular season assist of his career in the side’s contest against Memphis 901 FC. Asante currently has 51 regular season goals in the league.

The two-time Championship MVP achieved the accomplishment in his 150th regular season appearance. He joins current Indy teammate Aodhan Quinn and Birmingham Legion FC’s Enzo Martinez among active players in the Championship to have reached the mark. The group could soon be joined by its next member, too, with Legion FC’s Neco Brett currently on 99 combined goals and assists (74 goals, 25 assists) after his goal against Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC last Friday night.

Most Combined Regular Season Goals & Assists in USL Championship
1. Dane Kelly – 132 (106 goals & 26 assists)
2. Enzo Martinez – 110 (67 goals & 43 assists)*
3. Jorge Herrera – 107 (72 goals & 35 assists)
T-4. Hadji Barry – 103 (79 goals & 24 assists)
T-4. Corey Hertzog – 103 (74 goals & 29 assists)
6. Aodhan Quinn – 102 (53 goals & 49 assists)*
7. Solomon Asante – 100 (51 goals & 49 assists)*

* - active players

SAN ANTONIO’S TANI OLUWASEYI CONTINUES HIGH SCORING RATE

San Antonio FC’s Tani Oluwaseyi maintained his lead in the race for the USL Championship’s Golden Boot with his 14th goal of the season on Saturday night in his side’s 2-1 victory against Phoenix Rising FC.

Oluwasyi has now recorded 14 goals in 13 regular season games on loan from Minnesota United FC at a strike rate of a goal every 72.1 minutes. That mark ranks among the lowest in the Championship’s regular season history for an individual season among players who recorded at least 10 goals, with only Matt Fondy’s 10 goals for Orange County SC and Dom Dwyer’s 15 goals for Orlando City SC – both in the 2013 season – sitting with a better strike rate historically.

Best Single-Season Goal Strike Rates in a USL Championship Regular Season (Min. 10 goals)
1. Matt Fondy, Orange County SC (2013) – 10 goals, 58.3 mins/goal
2. Dom Dwyer, Orlando City SC (2013) – 15 goals, 65.7 mins/goal
3. Tani Oluwaseyi, San Antonio FC (2023) – 14 goals, 72.1 mins/goal
4. Cameron Lancaster, Louisville City FC (2018) – 25 goals, 80.2 mins/goal
5. Junior Flemmings, Phoenix Rising FC (2020) – 14 goals, 85.1 mins/goal

Quick Hits
- Louisville City FC’s Cameron Lancaster is one goal from equaling Hadji Barry for second in the USL Championship’s regular season after his goal against FC Tulsa last Friday. Lancaster now sits on 78 regular season goals for his career.

- The Tampa Bay Rowdies’ four total shots against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on Saturday night were their lowest single-game total in the 2023 season. The last time the Rowdies were held to four shots or fewer was when the side recorded only three shots against the Charleston Battery on September 11, 2020.

- Orange County SC’s victory against San Diego Loyal SC marked the first time the side had won on the road after trailing at halftime since June 19, 2021 at Las Vegas Lights FC. The club’s current four-game winning streak is its longest since a five-game winning streak to close the 2021 regular season.

- San Antonio FC’s victory against Phoenix Rising FC was its first in the series between the clubs since September 8, 2018. Phoenix had gone five games undefeated in games between the two sides.

Upcoming Player Milestones

Appearances
Approaching 250 regular-season appearances
Paolo DelPiccolo (LOU) – 247

Approaching 200 regular-season appearances
Tarek Morad (OAK) – 197
Kyle Murphy (MIA) – 197
Mitchell Taintor (SA) – 196

Approaching 150 regular-season appearances
Amadou Dia (LOU) – 149
Chris Wehan (NM) – 148
Kevon Lambert (PHX) – 147
Mechack Jerome (IND) – 147
Mark Segbers (MIA) – 146

Approaching 100 regular-season appearances
Dario Suarez (DET) – 99
Andrew Fox (OC) – 99
Dylan Mares (LOU) – 99
Danny Griffin (PIT) – 98
Tumi Moshobane (SD) – 98
Yuma (ELP) – 98

Minutes
Approaching 15,000 regular season minutes
Paco Craig (MIA) – 14,987
Brian Ownby (LOU) – 14,920
Joe Farrell (PIT) – 14,866

Approaching 10,000 regular season minutes
Tyler Pasher (BHM) – 9,875
Connor Sparrow (TBR) – 9,859
Will Seymore (NM) – 9,817
Adrian Diz Pe (IND) – 9,673

Goals
Approaching 75 regular season goals
Neco Brett (BHM) – 74

Approaching 50 regular season goals
Romario Williams (COS) – 49
Lucky Mkosana (TBR) – 48

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

Approaching 30 regular season assists
Niall McCabe (LOU) – 27
Charlie Adams (SD) – 27
Rodrigo Da Costa (MEM) – 27

Saves
Approaching 250 regular season saves
Paul Blanchette (OAK) – 246

Approaching 200 regular season saves
Danny Vitiello (SAC) – 192
Jake McGuire (MIA) – 188
Kyle Morton (LOU) – 187

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

Discipline Report – Week 23

TAMPA, Fla. – The following is the USL Championship’s discipline report for Week 23 of the 2023 USL Championship season:

Sacramento Republic FC’s Lee Desmond will not serve a suspension following the successful appeal of his second yellow card against Monterey Bay F.C. on August 5 to the Independent Review Panel. Desmond will be available for selection in Sacramento’s contest against Birmingham Legion FC on Saturday night.

Phoenix Rising FC’s Manuel Arteaga has been suspended for one game following his red card for violent conduct against San Antonio FC on August 5. Arteaga will be unavailable for selection in Phoenix’s contest against El Paso Locomotive FC on Saturday night.

Hartford Athletic’s Andre Lewis has been suspended for one game following his red card for two cautionable offenses against New Mexico United on August 5. Lewis will be unavailable for selection in Hartford’s contest against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on Saturday night.

El Paso Locomotive FC Head Coach Brian Clarhaut has been suspended for one game following his red card for abusive language and gestures during El Paso’s contest with Miami FC on August 5. Clarhaut will serve his suspension during Locomotive FC’s contest against Phoenix Rising FC on Saturday.

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:

• Birmingham Legion FC (1) – Anderson Asiedu

• El Paso Locomotive FC (2) – Eder Borelli, Eric Calvillo

• Indy Eleven (1) – Callum Chapman Page

• Las Vegas Lights FC (1) – Isidro Sanchez

• Memphis 901 FC (1) – Graham Smith

• Monterey Bay F.C. (1) – James Murphy

• Orange County SC (1) – Milan Iloski

• Rio Grande Valley FC (1) – Taylor Davila

• San Antonio FC (1) – Mitchell Taintor

• FC Tulsa (1) – Milo Yosef