It was a weekend filled with landmarks in the USL Championship, including an unfathomable mark for one of the league’s legendary head coaches, while two of the league’s attacking standouts left their imprint on important victories for two teams on course for the playoffs.

Here are the three big storylines we took away from Week 23’s action, our picks for who’s up and who’s down coming out of the weekend, and thoughts on everything else we saw around the league.

TOP THREE STORYLINES

1. HOUNDS SOAR AS LILLEY REACHES MILESTONE

There’s no-one in American soccer with a resume like Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC Head Coach Bob Lilley. He reached the remarkable landmark of 400 wins as a Head Coach across all competitions on Saturday night with the Hounds’ 3-0 victory at Birmingham Legion FC.

The result also couldn’t have come at a better moment, too, given Pittsburgh’s precarious position in the postseason race.

• GAINING GROUND: The victory moved the Hounds within three points of both Loudoun United FC and Rhode Island FC after their draw on Saturday night. The catch? Pittsburgh has fewer games remaining than both, which made this win vital to try and bridge the gap.

• GIVE US A KIZZA: Apparently, there’s something about Edward Kizza and Protective Stadium. The 25-year-old bagged his second two-goal game at the venue after his heroics helped the Hounds eliminate Legion from the 2022 playoffs. He’ll need to keep delivering that way down the final stretch.

• KEEPING IT CLEAN: Quietly, Eric Dick has continued to be stellar in the Hounds’ net. He posted his 10th shutout of the season on Saturday night, tied for second in the league, as he posted a six-save performance.   

The biggest reason the Hounds find themselves below the playoff line is their finishing, which has run more cold than hot this season. With five goals in the past two games, and multiple players finding the scoresheet, keeping a consistent level of production is maybe the biggest key to whether the club’s playoff streak continues, but Lilley liked what he saw on Saturday.

“As a team, it’s important to finish our chances,” said Lilley. “But Baba [Diene], not having a start in a while, had a nice assist on Kizza’s goal and added some size. Then we were able to bring EJ [Johnson] in there, and he got a goal. As a group, I thought they did well to execute the game plan we had coming in.”

With games against Rhode Island and Loudoun down the final stretch of the season, the Hounds should get their chance to make a move. They’re going to need to be as decisive as they were in Birmingham to grasp it.

2. NICK MARKANICH REMAINS ON FIRE

We’re going to sound like a broken record soon, but… Nick Markanich, crikey.

The Golden Boot leader’s hat trick against Orange County SC on Saturday to move him to 24 tallies this season saw him surpass the Charleston Battery’s single-season record for regular season goals, move within one of the USL Championship’s single-season record, and move within three of the Battery’s overall single-season record.

• ON THE MARK: There is clearly something really special happening here, but what stands out most is the combination of anticipation and technique Markanich brings each game. His second goal on Saturday was another example, dropping into an open space off a free kick and rifling home a first-time finish into the roof of the net when the ball dropped his way.

• PRECISION FINISHING: The other aspect of what Markanich is doing is how consistently clean his finishing is. His 24 goals have come at an Expected Goals mark of 15.39xG – second in the league – but his conversion rate on unblocked shots is currently 34.8 percent. His hat trick against Orange County came on three shots.

• HE SAID IT: “It's amazing, the season I’m having. It’s all credit to my teammates setting me up as always. I wouldn’t be scoring these goals without them. [Battery Head Coach] Ben [Pirmann] is a great, great guy, and an even better coach. I think hearing those words from him and the coaching staff is awesome.”

It’s almost unthinkable Markanich won’t surpass the mark of 25 goals set by Cameron Lancaster for Louisville City FC in 2018 and equaled by Hadji Barry for Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC in 2021.

The only question might be how high he’s going to set the bar over the final eight games of the regular season.

3. REPUBLIC FC’S CICERONE COMES THROUGH

Having bagged double-digit goals each of the past three campaigns, this injury-hit season has unquestionably been a frustrating one for Sacramento Republic FC’s Russell Cicerone.

His second-half performance against San Antonio FC, however, showed why he’s likely to be the biggest x-factor in Sacramento’s bid for a USL Championship title in November.

• BOOST OFF THE BENCH: Sacramento was in control at halftime against a San Antonio with a lengthy injured list, but only created one great opportunity in the opening 45 minutes. Cicerone’s presence helped changed that, with his energy and quality on the ball helping amp up the pressure in the final third for the hosts.

• ON THE BALL: Cicerone was tremendous in possession, popping in different places and barely putting a foot wrong with the ball at his feet. He completed 18 of 19 passes and 2 of 3 dribbles while popping up in positions that helped create space and opportunities for others.

• POWER FINISH: When Sacramento was awarded a chance to take the lead from the penalty spot with four minutes to go, he made no mistake. Forget trying to deke out the goalkeeper, Cicerone blasted his finish to the left corner to leave SAFC goalkeeper Pablo Sisniega little chance, even as he went the right way.

“Getting three points at home is such a morale booster in our stadium, with the energy that we have, and it really spurs us on to push for a good placement in the league,” said Cicerone. “It’s so important for us to get these points at home.”

Cicerone admitted after the game he’s been agitating to get more minutes with the coaching staff, who understandably want to be more cautious after the setback he suffered after his game-winner against Detroit City FC on July 27.

His 45-minute shift against San Antonio was Cicerone’s longest run-out since that outing. But as the playoff push ramps up, Cicerone’s influence feels like it’s going to be key.

Three Up

Alex Tambakis – The Greek God of Saves notched his 50th regular season shutout on Saturday night in New Mexico United’s 1-0 win at Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC. He’s also on the verge of 600 career saves.

Mamadou Dieng – Hartford Athletic brought in the 20-year-old Senegalese forward as a project at the start of this season. He’s starting to live up to that promise with four goals in the past four games after Saturday’s brace against Louisville City FC.

Valentin Noël – Las Vegas Lights FC’s turnaround has had multiple key figures, but Noël is turning into a showstopper for the side. His ninth goal of the season was even better than J.C. Ngando’s early strike, and that’s saying something.

Three Down

Phoenix Rising FC’s Attack – There was real promise in Rising’s draw against the Tampa Bay Rowdies two weeks ago, but that’s four consecutive games without a goal and far less threat this time out in another scoreless draw, this time against North Carolina FC.

Ryan Doghman – If you’re going to give away a penalty kick in the fifth minute, at least try to show the referee you’re attempting to win the ball instead of just shoving the attacker in the back. That red card left me shaking my head.

Zach Ryan – If Russell Cicerone was the example of how to take a penalty kick this weekend, Zach Ryan’s stuttering approach was not. You’re banking on the goalkeeper blinking, and when Rhode Island’s Koke Vegas didn’t it left two points on the table for Loudoun United.

THE REST OF THE ACTION

#DETvTUL: It remains utterly perplexing that Detroit City has two more wins on the road than at Keyworth Stadium this season. Aaron Bibout scoring the winner for FC Tulsa after his brief stint with Le Rouge last season probably felt good for the young striker as well.

#HFDvLOU: Hartford Athletic has won consecutive games for the first time since March after its comeback against LouCity. Maybe there’s still a chance they can salvage a playoff push from this situation?

#LDNvRI: The way this game turned on a dime from Rhode Island being in control in the first half to Loudoun taking over in the second was something. Great halftime adjustments by United Head Coach Ryan Martin, even if the hosts didn’t get the result in the end.

#TBRvMIA: If we’re honest, this could have been a lot more lopsided in favor of the Rowdies, who are still misfiring a bit in attack. Miami’s Khadim Ndiaye made sure the scoreline remained respectable, but Miami’s could be eliminated from playoff contention next weekend.

#COSvNM: Colorado Springs’ Head Coach James Chambers was adamant a couple of weeks ago when his team had suffered setbacks it was of their own making. Add Mukwelle Akale’s winner for New Mexico United to that list after an uncharacteristic mistake by Matt Mahoney.

#MBvELP: Monterey Bay’s Antony Siaha is closing in on 100 saves this season after his six-save shutout against Locomotive. The coach has changed but MBFC’s leaky back line is still being bailed out regularly.

#OAKvMEM: A 1-1 draw felt like the right result between Oakland and Memphis, both of which might end up being difficult outs in the postseason. Panos Armenakas’ finish was the touch of quality 901 FC will be hoping for more of.

#LVvIND: Great bounce-back result for Las Vegas, especially with Roots and 901 FC ending all square. Indy’s got bigger fish to fry with Tuesday’s Open Cup Semifinal – which saw them leave plenty of talent home – but Jack Blake’s performance and Maalique Foster’s debut were good.

#PHXvNC: Both Rising and North Carolina have playoff aspirations. They’re each going to need improved finishing if they’re going to achieve that.