Happy Monday USL fans!

Week 15 started out on Wednesday with a bang, as Greenville Triumph rookie Lyam MacKinnon set two USL League One records: fastest hat trick, and most goals scored in a single match. Midweek chaos and mayhem, confirmed. Here’s a review of the week’s action:

• Greenville 5-1 Chattanooga
• Omaha 1-1 Knoxville
• Madison 3-2 Lexington
• Richmond 2-2 Knoxville
• Chattanooga 2-2 Charlotte
• Omaha 2-0 Tormenta
• Hailstorm 1-0 Fuego

Here’s how we have the league stacking up moving into week 16 (the midway point of the season!):

1) Hailstorm FC

Last week: 3
Record: 6-1-4 (3rd)
Matches since last ranking: WIN vs. Fuego, 1-0
Next league match: vs. Charlotte, 7/4

Hailstorm heads into a busy July with the wind at its backs. Sure, the weekend saw a somewhat uneventful 1-0 win over lowly Fuego in which Billy King managed to get one past returning Fuego goalkeeper Ofek Antman. And yes, to this point, Hailstorm has the weakest schedule.

But July is where they’ll take the momentum into a challenging seven match stretch where they’ll face five top-six clubs (Charlotte twice, One Knox, Richmond and NCFC), with unpredictable bottom-six challengers Chattanooga and Union Omaha peppered in. Given the level of play we’ve seen in the first 11 matches of the season, we’re feeling pretty confident in their ability to pass this test and exit the month with a lot of those points, and maybe cement themselves at the top of the table once and for all.

2) Forward Madison

Last week: 4
Record: 6-3-4 (4th)
Matches since last ranking: WIN vs. Lexington, 3-2
Next match: at Tormenta, 6/28

Since dropping consecutive matches to start the month, the Mingos suddenly find themselves in a three match win streak heading into a visit to a South Georgia side struggling to find its way. They’re shooting with deadly accuracy, largely maintaining a solid defense and not relying on Christian Chaney to do everything, even if he has still provided the expected team-leading five goals. Nine others on the squad have at least one goal now. And they achieved this streak against NCFC, Richmond and a Lexington side that hasn’t exactly been a slouch lately. A win at Tormenta on Wednesday would have this club competing for top of the table going into July.

Speaking of July, Madison will face a resurgent Greenville twice, as well as Fuego, NCFC and Torementa, for 15 possible points. They way they’ve been playing, it shouldn’t be a problem.

3) North Carolina FC

Last week: 1
Record: 7-4-2 (1st)
Matches since last ranking: DRAW vs. Lexington, 2-2
Next league match: vs. Charlotte, 6/30

NCFC had the week off, and after Charlotte, Richmond and Knoxville all failed to win, they retained the precarious spot at the top of the table. They will rematch with Charlotte on Friday to determine the champions of North Carolina. Charlotte took the last one 2-1, while the first match was a 1-1 draw.

They’ve had an inconsistent last five, with two wins, two losses and a draw, but this squad can never be underestimated. It should be one exciting Friday in Cary.

The squad only has four matches for 12 possible points in July, facing One Knox, Forward Madison, Northern Colorado and Chattanooga. At least three of those present a serious challenge in maintaining the top spot in the table.

4) Charlotte Independence

Last week: 2
Record: 6-3-5 (2nd)
Matches since last ranking: DRAW at Chattanooga, 2-2
Next league Match: at NCFC, 6/30

Inexcusable is the word to describe blowing a lead to a struggling Chattanooga side playing with ten men, especially with the level of talent otherwise seen with Charlotte’s defense. If there was ever an expected win, this one was it. Instead, they had to settle for a point, and remain just out of first place based on total league wins.

If NCFC can similarly expose weak points in an otherwise solid defense, there could be trouble for the Jacks on Friday. Let’s hope there were a lot of lessons learned.

After a relatively light load in June, the Jacks move into a busy July schedule with six matches for 18 possible points. They’ll face Northern Colorado, Lexington, Richmond, Greenville, Fuego and then finish up with a second matchup against Northern Colorado.

5) One Knoxville SC

Last week: 5
Record: 5-4-6 (5th)
Matches since last ranking: DRAW at Omaha, 1-1; DRAW at Richmond, 2-2
Next match: vs. NCFC, 7/8

One Knox started the week with a last minute draw at Omaha, a match in which they were all but outplayed, and got yet another favorable (and correct) penalty call and successful conversion. Then, traveling to Richmond, they ground out yet another draw, in which play showed remarkable improvement. After a dominant first-half performance by Richmond, One Knox got a lucky bounce off Richmond defender Dakota Barnathan for an own goal, and minutes later an open play goal from halftime substitute Ilija Ilić. But One Knox found itself on the other side of a match-altering penalty call, as Jordan Skelton took down Emiliano Terzaghi, who converted the penalty for the draw.

One Knox remains in solid contention, just two points outside of first place. But with Greenville on the rise, they’ll need to convert some of these draws into wins to stay there. They’ll have a well-deserved week off before hosting NCFC on July 8th, followed by a busy stretch against Northern Colorado, Greenville, Omaha, Chattanooga and Fuego to round out the month for 18 possible points.

6) Richmond Kickers

Last week: 6
Record: 5-4-6 (6th)
Matches since last ranking: DRAW vs. One Knox, 2-2
Next match: vs. Chattanooga, 7/1

On a bright note for Richmond, Terzaghi appears to be back in full force, scoring the first goal of the match against One Knox, and then driving home the match-drawing penalty kick. But the month of June did not see anything special to help the Roos move up the table. Losses to higher-ranked Hailstorm and Madison, a draw with One Knox and expected wins over Chattanooga and Fuego don’t exactly inspire confidence moving into July’s matchups with higher-ranked Charlotte and Hailstorm and lower ranked Chattanooga, Omaha and Lexington. Richmond desperately needs to maximize the 15 possible points moving into the crucial August period where Madison returns and they face NCFC twice.

It starts with a home rematch against Chattanooga on Saturday, a club Richmond beat 1-0 to start the month of June.

7) Greenville Triumph

Last week: 8
Record (5-5-4, 7th)
Matches since last ranking: WIN vs. Chattanooga, 5-1
Next match: vs. Madison, 7/1

Greenville’s midweek matchup was one for the history books, as rookie Lyam MacKinnon became the fastest in USL League One history to score a hat trick, and then went on to add another to become the first player in the league to score four in one match. Leo Castro added another to pour salt into the wounds of a Red Wolves side that was completely adrift. Greenville is now back on top when it comes to goals per match, by a wide margin. But moving into July, the schedule becomes a bit tougher, with the likes of Madison, Knoxville, Charlotte, Tormenta and Madison again comprising the agenda for the next month. If they can maintain half the momentum they gained against Chattanooga, they should make it out of the month in playoff contention.

8) Union Omaha

Last week: 10
Record: 3-3-7 (8th)
Matches since last ranking: DRAW vs. One Knox,1-1; WIN vs. Tormenta, 2-0
Next Match: at Fuego, 7/1

In a two-match week where the Owls really could have used all six points, they settled for four. It started mid-week with another last minute draw against One Knox, in which Omaha conceded a penalty late in the match. However, the weekend match with Tormenta gave the fans what they desperately needed to see, a home win, and the squad’s first win since April 29th. July starts with a visit to Fuego before a challenging stretch where they’ll face Richmond, Hailstorm, One Knox, Lexington and another home match with Tormenta to finish the month. 18 possible points, and the Owls must maximize them to dig out of the hole and back into contention. It’s going to take more than a win against a somewhat lost Tormenta side to inspire more confidence though.

9) Tormenta FC

Last week: 7
Record: 4-6-3 (9th)
Matches since last ranking: LOSS at Omaha, 2-0
Next match: vs. Forward Madison, 6/28

After starting the season with almost equal wins and losses, and using those wins to remain in the top six, Tormenta is now winless in five, and drops to 9th in the table. And this is after the return of expected top-offensive producers, Arthur Bosua and Kazaiah Sterling. That early season magic seems to have given way for inconsistency. They’ll finish their uninspiring month of June hosting a red-hot Forward Madison side on Wednesday. It would be nice to get at least one win before heading into a relatively light July schedule against Lexington, Chattanooga, Greenville, Madison and Omaha.

10) Lexington SC

Last week: 9
Record: 3-6-5 (10th)
Matches since last ranking: LOSS at Madison, 3-2
Next match: vs. Tormenta, 6/2

Lexington put up a valiant come-from-behind attempt, but failed to break even against a solid Forward Madison side. Nico Brown scored both goals to bring Lexington back within one each time, but the squad could not break Madison in the final thirty or so minutes where Madison played with a man down.

They’ll host a struggling Tormenta side on Sunday. While Lexington has managed to separate itself from the bottom two, they’re still trying to figure out how to move higher. Perhaps Tormenta will be a stepping stone? Afterwords, they’ll face Charlotte, Fuego, Omaha and Richmond to round out July.

11) Red Wolves SC

Last week: 11
Record: 3-8-3 (11th)
Matches since last ranking: LOSS at Greenville, 5-1; DRAW vs. Charlotte, 2-2
Next match: at Richmond, 7/1

Soon after we published last week’s rankings, in which we mentioned that something needed to change, Chattanooga announced the departure of coach Ziggy Korytoski in favor of assistant, Jimmy Weekley. But there was to be no post-firing bounce, as the injury-riddled squad limped into Greenville and got blown out. Injuries especially affect the back line, as indicated by the 5-1 scoreline.

Then on Saturday, somehow, the squad salvaged what was quickly turning into a disaster against Charlotte. Down 2-1, down a man after an Omar Gomez red card, the defense stepped up to stop multiple serious attacks by Charlotte, and then Chevone Marsh equalized with a stunner of a goal at 90+7 minutes.

Look, as we head into a crucial midway point where a turnaround has to happen now, we’re not going to say there are any corners turned yet. This squad has a long way to go, as evidenced by the ease with with Charlotte scored its two goals. But if it gives the squad some momentum heading into Richmond on Saturday, they’ll take it. After that, they’ll face Northern Colorado, Tormenta, One Knox and NCFC to finish out July. Not exactly the easiest schedule with which to mount a turnaround, but if they don’t, they can kiss this season goodbye.

12) Fuego FC

Last week: 12
Record: 3-9-1 (12th)
Matches since last ranking: LOSS at Hailstorm, 1-0
Next match: vs. Union Omaha, 7/1

Fuego didn’t move anywhere this week, taking a 1-0 loss at Northern Colorado. While we can speak positively about holding a high-flying offense to one goal, and the return of Ofek Antman, a loss is a loss, and goals will not come until they can figure out how to get some more shots on target.

Union Omaha comes to town on Saturday with momentum after their home win over Tormenta. Time is running out for Fuego and coach Martin Vasquez to figure things out. July won’t be easy, with Madison, Lexington, Charlotte and One Knox following Omaha. 15 possible points, and they need every single one of them just to stay afloat.

Editor’s note: a previously published version of this story mistook Jordan Skelton for Jake Keegan in One Knox’s ranking.