LOUISVILLE, Ky. – After going 120 minutes on Sunday night to earn a place in the Eastern Conference Semifinals of the 2016 USL Cup Playoffs, things were a little more relaxed than usual at Louisville City FC practice on Tuesday.

With rest at the forefront of everyone’s mind, a spirited soccer-tennis tournament was on the agenda for Coach James O’Connor’s side, as the team got back into the swing of things ahead of Saturday’s game with the Charleston Battery.

“I think when you had a game like we did on [Sunday] it’s important to get some recovery, some rest and show people that we’re going to be ready for Saturday,” said O’Connor, “but equally you need to get your mind right, so we need to have a bit of freedom first.”

Louisville endured stout resistance from the Richmond Kickers in Sunday night’s Eastern Conference Quarterfinal at Slugger Field, keeping the game scoreless through regulation despite the early sending off of Samuel Asante. City’s pressure paid off in the end, however, as goals by George Davis IV and Chandler Hoffman earned a 2-0 victory, sending the side through to another home playoff date.

“I think team morale is high after that win,” said City goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh. “Obviously it was long game, 120 minutes, went to extra time there, but I think the guys did well to grind it out the whole game. We worked them down, just waited for our opportunities, were really patient, but eventually it worked off and we came out with the win, and now we’re preparing for Saturday.”

Saturday’s game against the Battery is a rematch from last season’s conference semifinals, which contained similarities to City’s victory against Richmond. Both games went to overtime, and both saw Louisville emerge as 2-0 victors. That wasn’t lost on Ranjitsingh, with the postseason bringing the potential for a whole new set of challenges.

“You’ve always got to be prepared for any situation,” he said. “It can go to extra time, it can go to penalties, so the guys have to be ready for anything. We’ve just got to be mentally prepared.”

The No. 6-seed Battery took a 2-1 victory against No. 3-seed FC Cincinnati on Sunday in front of a USL Cup Playoffs record crowd of 30,187, becoming the only lower seed to take victory in the Eastern Conference bracket over the postseason’s opening weekend. After taking a 1-1 draw at Slugger Field when the teams last played, Louisville is aware of the challenge the perennial playoff side poses.

USL Cup Playoffs Preview: Louisville City FC vs. Charleston Battery

“They went to Cincinnati and got a great win, fantastic achievement for them to beat them in front of so many people, so it will be a really stiff test for us,” said O’Connor. “We need to make sure that we’re focused and we’re ready to go for that.”

Coming off a big win of their own, though, Louisville’s players have their eyes set on a return to the Eastern Conference Final.

“The guys are happy,” said Ranjitsingh. “It’s always good when you get to extend your season one game at a time, you know, so we’ve just got to play the next game like any other game. We’re fighting for our season now, so as long as we can go, the guys are going to be happy.”