KANSAS CITY, Mo. – After winning the USL Western Conference Championship in 2016, the Swope Park Rangers return to the USL Cup Playoffs for the second consecutive year looking to go one better in 2017, having lost in the USL Cup to the New York Red Bulls II last year. In a field full of newcomers to the USL Cup Playoffs, five teams in the Western Conference are first-time qualifiers, the experience from last year should prove useful as the Rangers look to claim their second trophy from the same position as they entered a year ago.

2017 USL Cup Playoffs: Quarterfinal matchup:
No. 4 Swope Park Rangers vs. No. 5 Phoenix Rising FC – Saturday, Oct. 21, 8:30 p.m. ET, Children’s Mercy Victory Field

2017 USL regular season:
Records:
Overall: 17-8-7 (58 points) | Home: 11-2-3 (36 points) | Road: 6-6-4 (22 points)

Goals For: 55 | Goals Against: 37

Leaders:
Goals: 1. Kharlton Belmar 14; 2. Nansel Selbol 9; 3. Lebo Moloto 7; 4. Mark Gonzalez 5

Assists: 1. Cristian Duke 7; 2. Kevin Oliveira 5; 3. Lebo Moloto 4; 4.(tie) 3 with 3

Saves: 1. Adrian Zendejas 47; 2. Darrin MacLeod 14; 3. Andrew Dykstra 7; 4. David Greczek 6

Clinched its postseason … Sept. 23 with a 3-1 win against Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC

Clinched the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference … Oct. 14 when Phoenix Rising FC only managed a 4-1 win against Portland Timbers 2 to leave the Rangers ahead of Rising FC on goal differential

Defining moment: Facing a strong San Antonio FC side on September 17th could have been a daunting prospect but the Rangers showed they were contenders in an impressive 5-2 win. Facing the best defensive side in the USL, the Rangers grabbed a late first-half lead on a free kick by Felipe Hernandez, and then back-to-back goals three minutes apart by Nansel Selbol and Kharlton Belmar broke the game open for good. Max Rugova's first professional goal capped the victory for Swope Park, which propelled the team well into the top four and created a gap to the chasing pack which would hold through the rest of the season.

Three keys to a championship run:
1. Belmar Leads the Line: With a career-high 14 goals this season Belmar surpassed his 2015 USL Rookie of the Year display as his efficiency in front of goal saw him make the most of the Rangers' creativity. Belmar converted 36 percent of his chances in the 2017 regular season, scoring 14 goals on just 39 shots. The 24-year-old is also versatile, adept at playing in the center of the Rangers' three-man attack or out wide. In those wide positions Belmar recorded 21 key passes that resulted in two assists on the season. Belmar is strong in the air too, winning 64.9 percent of his aerial duels, and he has been able to use that good work in the air to set up opportunities for teammates and score goals himself.

2. Weaving a Web: With a league-leading 83 percent passing accuracy rate, the Rangers goal of controlling the tempo of a game and keeping the ball away from their opponents has been consistently successful. It has also made the Rangers dangerous on a counter-attack, with the side able to spring forward quickly thanks to the likes of Christian Duke, who sat fourth in the league in total passes with 1,643 attempts, and New Zealand international James Musa providing the opportunity for Belmar, Nansel Selbol and Lebo Moloto to stretch their legs in behind opposing defenses. The Rangers' game is designed to wear down opposing defenses, pulling a player out of position to open up a potentially lethal final pass. With 13,778 successful passes this season and a average of 58.6 percent possession per game, it's been effective for a second consecutive season.

3. Taking Chances: The Swope Park Rangers have converted 33 opportunities considered by Opta to be Big Chances, the second-highest number in the league in that statistic, with only runaway goal-scoring leaders Reno 1868 FC ahead of them. That's an indicator of the quality of opportunity the Rangers produce on a regular basis, but also of the side's ability to finish cleanly when those opportunities present themselves. With Belmar’s accurate shooting one part of the puzzle, another has been the play of Nansel Selbol, who has been phenomenal either in the starting lineup or off the bench for the Rangers in posting with a 70.27 percent shooting accuracy rate.

QUOTABLE:
“We have to congratulate the players for a fantastic year, we made more points than last year, more goals, more wins… so I think it was a fantastic regular season. Playoffs are a completely different animal, it’s one game.” Swope Park Rangers Head Coach Nikola Popovic after the match against Seattle Sounders FC 2 on October 11th