As Nick Markanich departs to Spain on a permanent transfer with CD Castellón, he leaves a legacy as one of the top players to suit up for the Charleston Battery and in the USL Championship.
Markanich’s story with the Battery officially began on February 16, 2023, when he was signed to the roster after an impressive preseason as a trialist. The forward made his Battery debut on March 11, 2023, and scored his first Charleston goal a few weeks later, on March 25, 2023.
The 25-year-old concluded his Charleston tenure with 43 goals and 10 assists in 74 matches across all competitions from 2023 to 2024. He helped Charleston win the 2023 Eastern Conference title and end as USL Championship Finalists that year.
Markanich was crowned 2024 Championship Player of the Year, named All-League First Team and won the Golden Boot after setting a new league record with 28 goals scored in the regular season. Markanich was also the top goalscorer in America across all domestic leagues.
He became the first Battery player to win Player of the Year/MVP since Lamar Neagle took home the award in 2010.
The forward finished 2024 with 30 goals across all competitions, setting a new Battery record for most overall goals scored in a single season, surpassing Paul Conway’s previous record of 27 goals scored in 2001.
Markanich also developed a formidable, and historic, strike partnership with fellow forward MD Myers. With 42 combined goals in the regular season, the teammates set a new Championship record for most goals in a single season by an attacking duo.
The Northern Illinois University alumnus recorded eight multi-goal games in his Battery career, including his astonishing four-goal haul against Las Vegas on April 27, 2024, and his sensational hat trick against Orange County on Aug. 24, 2024. Additionally, 12 of Markanich’s career Battery goals were match-winners.
Markanich was prone to rise to the occasion in big moments and scored in every competition he played in, from the regular season to the playoffs to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
Markanich enjoyed an accolade-rich stay in the Lowcountry. In addition to the end-of-year awards he earned, Markanich was a 15-time Team of the Week selection, six-time Player of the Week winner and two-time Player of the Month honoree from 2023 to 2024.
He was also voted by his peers in the USL Player’s Association as the 2024 USLPA Player of the Year and in the Best Eleven.
Markanich now adds to the growing list of recent Charleston players to take their talents to the next level, including Fidel Barajas (Real Salt Lake then Chivas), Trey Muse (Portland Timbers), Dante Polvara (Aberdeen FC) and Derek Dodson (Minnesota United FC then D.C. United).
The club thanks Nick for his dedication to the Battery and the Charleston community and wishes him the best of luck in his new adventure in Europe and beyond.
