HARRISBURG, Pa. – Friday night will see the return to Al Lang Stadium of some notable names to Tampa Bay Rowdies fans, with Penn FC Head Coach Raoul Voss and forwards Tommy Heinemann and Lucky Mkosana all potentially set to face their former club in the opening game of the weekend’s action (7:30 p.m. ET | Match Center | ESPN+).

For Voss, who served as an assistant coach in Tampa Bay prior to accepting his first head coaching position with Penn this offseason, the trip to Florida’s Gulf Coast is one he’s been looking forward to since the schedule was announced. Given the position of both clubs in the Eastern Conference standings, though, it’s also one he’s keen to get a positive result from.

“It’s going to be nice to see old friends, and it is a great city with great people, but for us it’s all about the game really,” said Voss. “It’s all about building from the momentum and trying to get the result – hopefully three points.”

Penn has moved level with the Rowdies on 18 points this season after picking up seven points from its last three games, a run that included a dramatic 3-3 draw against defending USL Cup champion Louisville City FC last Saturday night that saw Mkosana strike twice for the visitors at Slugger Field. Both teams are now three points out of the eighth and final playoff berth currently held by the Charleston Battery, meaning victory on Friday night would be a major boost.

That could be a tricky proposition for Penn, with the Rowdies both undefeated at Al Lang Stadium this season and under the guidance of Neill Collins, who has posted a 1-0-3 record as a Head Coach since his appointment last month.

“They are very good at home,” said Voss. “They, I think, haven’t lost a game at home so far, and last year I celieve they only lost one. So historically they are very strong at home. They have a new coach now and I’ve seen their past few games and they are a very strong team.”

If there’s something Penn can try to draw from, however, it is the 3-0 victory it claimed when the sides met at FNB Field earlier this season. Heinemann scored twice that night against his former club, and with the club in the middle of its best form of the season currently there’s

“I think, mentally, winning 3-0 shows we can beat them regardless of whether it’s home or away,” said Penn midfielder Saalih Muhammad. “We have the ability to beat them and go to their place knowing that we’ve done it before and can do it again – regardless of the weather or conditions.”

Having helped guide both Collins and the rest of the Rowdies’ returnees this season in prior seasons, Voss certainly has a measure of what can be expected when he’s stationed in the opposition technical area, and what his side will need to do to earn a second road win of the season.

“The keys for us would really be to make sure we limit their offense because their offense is really strong,” said Voss. “We have to make sure we are set there and then be a little more efficient with our scoring opportunities.”