Battery announce full preseason schedule, re-sign two players

It was a busy weekend for the Battery, as they announced their full slate of preseason matches, as well as having re-signed two key players from 2016.

The Battery unveiled the rest of their preseason schedule, having previously announced the schedule for the 2017 USL season, and the Carolina Challenge Cup for mid-February.

The Battery will have games before then, however. Their usual preseason meeting with College of Charleston is scheduled for 2/11, which isn’t even a week away at time of writing. They then face the University of South Carolina on the following Wednesday, 2/15, before the CCC gets underway against Seattle three days later, Columbus on the 22nd, before finishing against Atlanta on the 25th.

They start off the month of March against Coastal Carolina on 3/1. before travelling to North Carolina to play North Carolina FC on 3/4. Clemson away is next on 3/10, before returning home to play the University of North Florida two days later on 3/12. We then finish preseason on 3/15, facing Coastal Carolina again, giving us a ten day break before the new year begins against FC Cincinnati on March 25th.

The second piece of news concerns the team itself, having made two important signings for the new year. Center back Taylor Meuller and winger Dante Marini have re-signed for 2017, giving added experience to the team. Meuller will enter his sixth year with the Black and Yellow, already having notched 114 appearances for the club, winning the award for Defender of the year last season.

Marini is entering his fourth season with the Battery, having made 30 appearances last season, the most of any player, and was part of an attack that scored 38 goals. His pace and direct style of play was very important to that attack, and so signing him to a new deal will no doubt be music to fans’ ears.

These two join a list of players returning that includes Justin Portillo, Maikel Chang, Forrest Lasso, Obi Woodbine, Quinton Griffith, Naveal Hackshaw and Ataulla Guerra as the Battery continue their recent streak of keeping a good core group together for multiple seasons, which is always important when you’re looking to challenge.

The preseason matches, with the exception of the CCC, are free and open to the public, as well as some of them being streamed online. The preseason begins Saturday, February 11th.

TOP IMAGE: TAYLOR MEULLER PLAYS THE BALL OUT OF THE BACK DURING LAST YEAR’S FRIENDLY WITH RANGERS FC. Photo credit ROSS ALMERS PHOTOGRAPHY.