Coach Khano Smith is celebrating as his Rhode Island FC side have won the first trophy in their history after lifting the USL Championship Eastern Conference title.

Smith’s team, who finished fifth in the regular season, beat Charleston Battery 2-1 at Patriots Point Soccer Stadium, with goals from Karifa Yao and Noah Fuson.

Rhode Island are the first expansion team in eight years to advance to the USL Championship Final in their inaugural season and the first to do so in the Eastern Conference.

They have taken the hard route in the postseason, winning games on the road against Indy Eleven and Louisville City before prevailing against Charleston.

They will play for the league championship on Saturday at 1pm, when they travel to face Colorado Springs Switchbacks at Weidner Field. The match will be televised live on CBS Sport.

Forward Zeiko Lewis ensured a fine weekend for Bermudians in the United States when his Union Omaha team secured the USL League One Championship yesterday.

The 30-year-old’s team saw off Spokane Velocity 3-0 in the championship game at Werner Park in Nebraska.

However, Lewis won’t have too long to celebrate as he is due to link up with his international team-mates ahead of Bermuda’s Concacaf Nations League game against the Dominican Republic on Tuesday night.

Lewis had the blessing of Bermuda coach Michael Findlay to miss the win over Antigua on Saturday to play in Union Omaha’s big game.

“We wanted him to be successful and we feel strongly about the depth in our group,” Findlay said last week. “That’s why we’re happy to support him in that situation.”