LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Phillip Goodrum scored the only goal of the game as Louisville City FC took a 1-0 victory against Hartford Athletic at Lynn Family Stadium to earn the Players’ Shield winner the USL Championship’s single-season points-per-game record while posting a fifth consecutive shutout.

Goodrum gave LouCity the lead five minutes before the halftime break as he put home a cross from the right by Aiden McFadden at the second attempt after initially being denied by Hartford goalkeeper John Berner. The hosts pushed for more in the second half, and Berner had to make an impressive point-blank save to keep out Sean Totsch from close range within three minutes of the resumption.

Jamaican international Kevon Lambert also hit the right post for the hosts in the 53rd minute before Berner was called upon again late on to deny Brian Ownby on a breakaway. Louisville’s Niall McCabe was also kept out by a goal-line clearance by Hartford’s TJ Presthus in stoppage time, but while Hartford almost grabbed a late equalizer through Michee Ngalina on his side’s lone shot on target, the hosts held firm to see out a record-setting win.

Takeaways

Louisville City FC: The hosts weren’t at their clinical best in front of goal but did enough to complete an undefeated home regular season and will enter the playoffs having lost only once in 30 regular season games, the fourth club to suffer only one defeat in a campaign in league history.

Hartford Athletic: The visitors slid out of the top four in the Eastern Conference with their defeat and will now head on the road to start their first postseason trip since the 2020 season.

Key moment

Phillip Goodrum’s goal late in the first half saw the striker bag his 13th goal of the regular season and send the side to its 22nd win of the regular season.

Key stat

Louisville City’s 22-1-7 record saw it record 73 points and post a league-record 2.43 points-per-game mark for the regular season, surpassing Orlando City’s 2012 squad (2.38) for the best mark in league history.

USLChampionship.com Player of the Match

Taylor Davila, Louisville City – The playmaking midfielder recorded two shots and three chances created while making 13 recoveries and winning 3 of 3 tackles defensively in a sterling all-around game.

Scoring Summary
LOU – Phillip Goodrum 39’