The Seattle Sounders open an East coast road trip against the Charleston Battery at Blackbaud Stadium on Thursday at 4:30pm Pacific time.

The Sounders (3-4-3 12pts) ride a two match win streak into Charleston where they face the Battery (3-2-3 12pts), who are unbeaten in three matches.

Seattle will be without the services of goal keeper Chris Eylander, who had an extra game added to the suspension he received in the match against Carolina after the league disciplinary reviewed the incident and increased the punishment because of violent conduct. They will also be without midfielder Leighton O’Brien, who is serving a one match suspension for a red card received in the Sounders 2-1 Victory at California and Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar, who has yet to work through the ill effects of an Achilles strain.

Ben Dragavon will get his second start for the Sounders between the pipes and Nathan Knox is expected to move into the line-up in place of O’Brien. Both Eylander and O’Brien are expected to return for Saturday’s match against Atlanta.

Charleston feature Byron Alvarez as a goal scorer this season. Sounders fans will recognize Alvarez as the all time goal scoring leader for the Portland Timbers. After four years with the Timbers, during which he tallied 41 goals in 96 appearances, Alvarez has scored four goals so far this campaign and is in a three way tie for second overall in the USL First Division.

After Thursday’s match the Sounders will have a day off before traveling to Atlanta to close out the road trip Saturday night at 4:55pm Pacific Time. Both matches are available live through usllive.com.

The Sounders will play in Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup competition against Banat Arsenal from the United States Amateur Soccer Association, June 12 at 8pm. Tickets are only $7 and available through the Sounders ticket office, (206) 622-3415 or at the gate.