Trailing 1-0 to New York Red Bulls II in the 79th minute last time out, Matt Perrella took to the sky.
With the game and a needed three points on the line, the goalkeeper lifted off as a shot from Red Bulls II midfielder Dan Metzger screamed toward the net. The Riverhounds goalkeeper threw his right mitt at the ball, knocking it overtop to finish his diving effort.
Perrella stayed locked in and made another highlight reel save just two minutes later. This time, Vincent Bezecourt sent a shot on target from about 25 yards out. The ball stuck close to the ground, bouncing its way to the far post and causing Perrella to dive at it once again – this time using his left hand to make the stop.
“I think a lot of the things we’ve been working on have been getting settled in and being patient and relaxing in the goal,” Perrella said. “I think I just clicked this weekend with what I was doing. I was patient and comfortable.”
These two saves set up a golden opportunity for the Hounds to net the equalizer in the 84th minute. After Kevin Kerr launched a corner kick into the box, Chevaughn Walsh leapt into the air and headed it toward a vacated corner of the goal. The ball landed at the feet of Corey Hertzog, who just missed converting the chance as the ball glanced off the crossbar before being cleared out of danger.
Previously benefiting from a Hounds own goal, New York added another tally in extra time and went on to win the match, 2-0. With the loss, Pittsburgh remained at 35 points on the season and in 12th place in the Eastern Conference. The club was eliminated from playoff contention one day later, as Orlando City B defeated the Richmond Kickers, 1-0.
Recently, the Hounds have hit a rough stretch and hold a 0-3-2 record in their past five games. But despite these results, the Black and Gold aim for a strong finish to the 2017 campaign, one that has seen much improvement from the year before.
Cultivating a Culture
He had arrived in Pittsburgh during late August, but Perrella found his mark in just his sixth game with the Hounds.
Facing an onslaught from one of the premier offensive teams in the Eastern Conference, the New Brunswick, New Jersey native tied Macklin Robinson with a club-high six saves in a single game against New York on Sept. 30. Perrella withstood a total of 27 shots and seven shots on goal in the contest.
“Doing the warmup, Hunter [Gilstrap] gives me the freedom to do what I want to do,” Perrella said. “I kind of had an idea on the goals that we gave up of what I wanted to do in the warmup. The warmups set me up well for having to be ready for the game.”
After goalkeepers Trey Mitchell and Keasel Broome underwent respective season-ending surgeries this summer, the Hounds’ goalmouth belonged to Perrella. Formerly playing for New Jersey Copa FC of the National Premier Soccer League, he found the win column in his first career Hounds start against Bethlehem Steel FC on Aug. 26.
“It’s always interesting coming in late in the season like this,” Perrella said. “Eight weeks left in the season when I came in, so just trying to join the group, not be over the top in any aspect and fit in the way that I could.”
Pittsburgh leaned on Perrella during perhaps its most difficult stretch of the season, playing four currently projected playoff teams within a five-game stretch this past September. Through the ups and downs of these matches, the goalkeeper was allowed to thrive in key situations thanks in part to the atmosphere that head coach Dave Brandt has created within the team.
For the team’s goalkeepers, this extension of the head coach lies in the hands of Gilstrap, the club’s goalkeeping coach. Perrella had not played in a system like Brandt’s before in his career, and the bond he formed with Gilstrap has helped his learning curve and progression during his time with the Hounds.
Often times, the two will break down different goals allowed and analyze different defensive formations together. Using this information, they will then incorporate necessary changes into their training sessions on the field.
“He’s been good at allowing me to assert my style and feed off of what he does and build off of that,” Perrella said.
One More Stand
The final homestand will be different for the Hounds.
When the team hosts the Rochester Rhinos and Ottawa Fury FC to complete the season, playoff berth will be out of reach for the first time this year. Even though the club has been eliminated from the postseason, 2017 has been a year of marked improvement.
Throughout this season, Pittsburgh had competed neck-and neck with the best teams of the Eastern Conference. From wins at Charleston (currently second place) and handling Tampa Bay (currently fourth place) at home, the team went on promising runs in the midst of cold spells – something that was lacking in 2016.
Last year, the Hounds had just one win against an opponent that finished among the top eight in the East. Through in-season coaching and scheme changes, it was difficult to build momentum and the Black and Gold finished 12th of 14 teams in goal differential.
But in their first-full season under Brandt, the Hounds made strides. Pittsburgh currently holds a goal differential of -7, but this statistic is leaps and bounds above the -19 goal differential the team carried in 2016.
The club remains poised to continue its climb in the East, and this ascension begins with finishing the 2017 campaign strong at Highmark Stadium.
“I think the last two games, personally for me, just be consistent and do the best I can to keep the ball out of the net,” Perrella said. “Our mindset for the last two games is to finish strong and get two wins.”
