In the midst of full-field drills during the first practice of the season, head coach Bob Lilley centered himself in the action.
As players battled to advance the ball down the pitch, he shouted commands while coaching his team – even stopping play on occasion to further demonstrate body positioning and the style of soccer he envisions.
“We’re going to push them every day,” Lilley said. “I think they responded today.”
Opening camp on Feb. 5, the Riverhounds featured a mix of new and familiar faces. Returners from last year included Kevin Kerr, Tobi Adewole and Romeo Parkes, among others. As for athletes preparing for their first season with Pittsburgh, Lilley already has a familiarity with a number of them.
After spending time with the Rochester Rhinos in 2017, six players followed Lilley to Pittsburgh, and one is already accustomed to life in the Steel City.
“I’m really excited to be back,” Dan Lynd said. “I love it down here. It’s been a lot of fun being back in the city.”
Before beginning his professional career with Rochester in 2016, Lynd competed collegiately at the University of Pittsburgh and for the Riverhounds U-23 team of the Premier Development League. While he played for the Panthers and the U-23 team, the goalkeeper worked with current Hounds goalkeeping coach Hunter Gilstrap, which further helps his rapport with the existing Hounds coaching staff.
“You know what to expect,” Lynd said. “You have a clear idea what [Lilley] wants and how he wants to play, so I feel like some of the Rochester guys will be able to help out the rest of the group so we’re all on the same page.”
The keeper said it will take time to build chemistry on the field with the backline and expects it to evolve as training camp progresses. But for now, he and the coaching staff aims to build off of a successful first practice while the team is eager for the 2018 season to begin.
“They’re getting used to me and they’re getting used to each other,” Lilley said. “The demands and the urgency we put on them will be a little bit of an adjustment, but for the first day we’re happy.”
