SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The road has been long for Reno 1868 FC over the past two weeks, but the side is looking forward to the end of a four-game road trip that kicked off on May 2 in South Texas when it heads to face Sacramento Republic FC on Saturday night at Papa Murphy’s Park in the first Donner Pass Derby of the season (10:30 p.m. ET | Match Center | ESPN+).

“[We’re] definitely going to be relieved that the long spell of away games is over soon,” said 1868 FC defender Zach Carroll. “We are all very focused and very prepared for this next game. Sacramento is first in the West and they are a good team, so it will definitely be a hard game and one we will have to be very prepared for.”

Reno has already visited Rio Grande Valley FC – a game that had been rescheduled from earlier in the season – before trips to face Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC last Saturday and Tulsa Roughnecks FC on Wednesday night. The side has come through the trip with three consecutive draws after a 1-1 draw with the Roughnecks that featured Lindo Mfeka’s second goal this season, a run that has extended the club’s undefeated streak to five games.

“We are still looking for those three points on this trip but walking away with a point from each match has kept us in the hunt,” said Reno Head Coach Ian Russell. “The guys are excited for this long trip to wrap up against a really good opponent. This will be a good test for us.”

With 1868 FC having claimed the season series a year with a 2-0-1 record, Sacramento is looking for its first league victory against its rival, although Republic FC came out on top when the teams met in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup last year. One player who could help that happen is Cameron Iwasa, who returned for a second stint with the club this offseason after a year in Kansas City.

Iwasa leads Republic FC with three goals this season and would score his 20th USL goal for the club with his next tally. The Sacramento native is looking forward to getting his first taste of the rivalry on Saturday night.

“They are the closest team to us so there’s always going to be a little something extra to it,” said Iwasa. “I know the fans don't quite get along, so I'm sure they'll be bringing it a little extra for us. I'm sure they'll have some supporters that travel, and it should make for a great atmosphere. It should be a good one.”

While Reno is coming in off an arduous road trip, those in Republic FC’s squad that faced 1868 FC a season aren’t expecting anything but the best from their visitors.

“It’s always going to be a tough matchup,” said Republic FC midfielder Adam Moffatt. “Obviously they've picked up and the results have been a little bit better as of late. They look like they're heading in a good direction, so we want to slow that down.”

As the last of three big rivalry games set for Saturday night’s slate in the USL, both sets of players are eager for the added spotlight that comes from a matchup like this.

“It’s definitely a game the guys look forward to than the other ones. It will have some added fire to the game,” said Carroll. “We can’t make any excuses with the away trip and have to finish off strong.”