TAMPA, Fla. – The USL Championship today announced Charleston Battery forward Nick Markanich had been voted the league’s Player of the Month presented by Konami eFootball for August as the 24-year-old continued his remarkable season with five goals and two assists to lead the league in goal contributions as the Battery continued their pursuit of the Players’ Shield.

The award is Markanich’s second of the season after previously claiming the honor in April. He has also been nominated for the award on four occasions overall, an indicator of the historic season Markanich has produced in the 2024 campaign. The native of Bourbonnais, Ill., has currently equaled the Championship’s single-season record of 25 goals with six games remaining in the regular season, with his performance in August key to propelling him closer to the record.

Markanich recorded goal contributions in three of the Battery’s five outings, notching a goal and assist in victories against Indy Eleven and Memphis 901 FC in consecutive outings before notching his second hat trick of the season against Orange County SC on August 24.

“Nick has been exceptional all season long,” said Battery Head Coach Ben Pirmann. “Obviously he has produced in terms of goals and assists, but he continues to provide our team with so much more. There is no surprise that he continues to earn awards as I anticipate he will earn more throughout the duration of the season.”

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Currently in his third season as a professional, Markanich’s future is already mapped out. On August 31, the Battery announced it has reached an agreement for his transfer this offseason to LaLiga 2 club CD Castellón, where he will begin the next stage of his journey in the professional ranks. Having helped the Battery claim the Eastern Conference title a season ago before finding the net in the 2023 USL Championship Final, Markanich is aiming to end his time at the club on a high before he heads across the Atlantic.

“Nick is focused on helping his team and winning games for the Battery,” said Pirmann. “He understands that he has a job to do, but he also loves his teammates and goes to work with them each and every day. This has allowed him to focus on being himself, playing his best football, and trying his best to get three points each week.”

Markanich earned 45 percent of a weighted poll that included the USL Championship Technical Committee, a national panel of independent media representing every USL market and an online fan vote held at USLChampionship.com. Hartford Athletic forward Mamadou Dieng finished second on 33 percent after a breakout month in which he recorded five goals at a strike rate of a goal every 77.2 minutes and led Championship with a +2.97 Goals Added mark per American Soccer Analysis.

USL Championship Player of the Month – August 2024