Archer & Lewis return for 2020

More news keeps coming in from the Charleston Battery camp, with the club announcing two players from the 2019 season returning ahead of the 2020 campaign in as many days, one at either end of the park.

Leland Archer will ply his trade in Black and Yellow for the third year, joining in 2018 after success in College at the College of Charleston midway through the season. He finished his first season strongly, and looked set to kick on in 2019, before struggling with injury as part of a list that looked never-ending at a certain stage of the campaign that showed promise early on, but lost momentum as the players on the treatment table and matches began to pile up.

A part of half of the Battery’s 8 clean sheets in 2019, Archer has made 31 appearances, and will be asked to step up in the wake of former captain Taylor Mueller’s departure for Tacoma.

DEFENSE 🏹 Back on the back line in 2020 👊🏻 The former Cougar will return to Patriots Point where he played four years as a standout defender at the College of Charleston. @leland_archer https://t.co/cKJiRBkc57 pic.twitter.com/CF1NEvDofI

— Charleston Battery (@Chas_Battery) January 9, 2020

He’ll no doubt be relishing the opportunity to put his own stamp on the team as the Battery make their move to Patriot’s Point, the place that he called home during his college days at C of C..

Up front, the Battery will welcome back Zeiko Lewis, who returns for his second season. Lewis enjoyed his first season in Black and Yellow after a stint in Europe, scoring eight goals and playing provider in five.

Who’s Excited? We’re Excited 🙋🏽‍♂️ Charleston's leading goalscorer is back for the 2020 season! https://t.co/0VyEK0iJ5M pic.twitter.com/O89t1OMxEn

— Charleston Battery (@Chas_Battery) January 6, 2020

Showing a creative side from minute one of his time in Charleston, the forward would lead the line 25 times in the Battery’s 2019 league season, and would represent his country of Bermuda at last summer’s Gold Cup.

Perhaps along with the team as a whole, the biggest thing fans will look for in Lewis in 2020 is consistency. The Battery’s strikers have historically found their first year in the league a little difficult, and Lewis will be hoping to improve on a solid first campaign in which he frequently made highlight reels with his penchant for making defenders quake in their boots.

The pair will be welcome additions to the ranks as the new season approaches, and will now be a part of the leadership group among the core of the squad in what looks to be a very important season in Battery history on and off the field.