Pittsburgh (8-11-11) prepares to finish the 2017 campaign with a two-game homestand, starting with a clash against the Rochester Rhinos (11-7-11) at 7 p.m. this Saturday. This will be the third meeting between the Eastern Conference foes this season, as both previous matchups resulted in draws.
Upping His Game
Corey Hertzog sits at 13 goals on the season, which ties his total from his first year with the club in 2016. Currently, the striker ranks third in the Eastern Conference (trailing first place Enzo Martinez by three tallies) in the statistic and will look to add to his total during the season’s final two games.
Cream of the Crop
Tomas Gomez has held down the goalmouth for the Rhinos this season. The goalkeeper paces the Eastern Conference with 10 clean sheets, including one against the Hounds in a prior match on July 22. Gomez leads Rochester in saves (39), save percentage (.709) and goals against average (0.76). The keeper will be a tough one for the Hounds to crack this Saturday.
Turning the Tables
For the first time in the era of Highmark Stadium, the Hounds are on the verge of going unbeaten against the Rochester Rhinos, a team that has given them difficulty in years past. Having already tied the Rhinos twice this season, the Black and Gold hold a 6-23-6 all-time record against the Eastern Conference foe. Pittsburgh will look to stay out of the loss column once again this weekend.
Last time out against New York Red Bulls II, Matt Perrella tied a club-best in single game saves with six. The goalkeeper has started the past six games for the Hounds and has 15 saves on the season.
In each of their five games in September, the Hounds lost the corner battle. Most recently, New York outnumbered Pittsburgh 10-4 in corner opportunities. The Black and Gold will need to generate more chances against Rochester this Saturday.
