Dillon Stadium will be the meeting place of two Group F leaders battling for dominance as the season dwindles down.
The Hartford, Connecticut venue also holds some prominence in rookie Danny Griffin’s life, being that it is a 10-minute drive from where he grew up.
The midfielder has played on the turf there before, as a member of Providence College, and knows some of Hartford’s players through collegiate games.
“They’re allowing friends, so my family and friends from high school and everything will be there,” Griffin said. “So, it’s exciting for me to get to go there. It’s been a while since I’ve seen them.”
Friday’s matchup, which will kick off at 7 p.m., marks the first of three showdowns against Hartford in the Hounds’ seven remaining regular season games.
Head coach Bob Lilley spoke highly of Hartford’s team dynamic this season, as well as its goalscoring and defensive skills.
“I’ve seen tape on them,” Lilley said. “They’ve got better as the season has progressed. They’re confidence has grown. They do have good personnel.
“We’re going to have to disrupt some of those things and get our quality players into good spaces so we can take advantage of some of the areas we think we can exploit.”
With both Hartford and the Hounds having a 3-1-1 record in their past five games, the match will play much like a preview in what is to come for the remainder of the season.
Last season, the Hounds defeated Hartford, 4-2, at Dillon Stadium, while adding another win at home against the foe.
“We’re not trying to just make the playoffs, we’re trying to end the season strongly so we have momentum,” Lilley said. “I think playing Hartford in the last three games of seven, they’re going to be important games for us, not only in our division, but in the lead-up to playoffs.”
The Hounds currently hold the first spot with 16 points, with a goal differential tiebreaker putting them ahead Hartford’s 16 points.
Pittsburgh’s remaining schedule consists of games only against the other teams in Group F, with the team facing off against many of them already.
“I think we have the personnel to go there and get a result, but we’ve got to take care of the ball and slow them down,” Lilley said. “We want to be on the front foot, it’s a road game.”
Midfielder Kenardo Forbes also mentioned skill as an important training aspect heading into the home stretch of the season.
“We need to keep the ball better and be more dangerous,” Forbes said. “It’s a big game, just trying to take the next step.”
Health will play a big role in the remainder of season and ensuring all players have the stamina to compete at the highest level, with players like Kenardo Forbes, Thomas Vancaeyezeele and Robbie Mertz playing the most minutes this season.
Friday’s Hartford match will mark the first of a three-game-in-nine-day stretch.
“We try to get our squad as best we can healthy through these next three games,” Lilley said. “Then it’s one game a week for the rest of the season.”
