PITTSBURGH (March 2, 2018) – Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC notched their fourth shutout of the preseason with a 1-0 victory over the University of Pittsburgh at Ambrose Urbanic Field.
Braving a windy and chilly atmosphere on the road, the clean sheet was fueled by a Neco Brett tally off a feed from Christiano François late in the first half.
Dialing up consistent pressure in Pitt’s defensive third, François helped break the nil-nil deadlock with some nifty footwork in the right side of the box. After a soft first touch to settle possession, François worked enough space to poke a ball through to Brett. The Jamaican forward received and turned immediately to fire his shot through the Panther keeper charging off his line for the score in the 44th minute.
The goal marked Brett’s team-leading third score of the preseason.
Combining for the clean sheet were keepers Dan Lynd and Mike Kirk. Lynd notably made a key save early in the first half, as the match marked his return to Oakland after playing collegiately for Pitt from 2012-15.
Preseason action continues on the road this Sunday, March 4, as the Hounds face their first USL opponent in exhibition play in Bethlehem Steel FC. The match is scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m. at the Power Training Complex in Chester, Pennsylvania. For more information, visit www.riverhounds.com.
Lineups:
First Half – Dan Lynd – Jamie Thomas, Joe Greenspan, Tobi Adewole (Hugh Roberts), Ray Lee – Christiano François, Colin Stripling, Jordan Dover, Kevin Kerr – Romeo Parkes – Dennis Chin (Neco Brett)
Second Half – Dan Lynd (Mike Kirk) – Andrew Lubahn, Joe Greenspan (Tobi Adewole), Hugh Roberts, Ray Lee (Sui Dainkeh) – Christiano François (Bakie Goodman), Dom Oduro, Todd Pratzner, Joe Holland – Kay Banjo – Neco Brett
Scoring Summary:
PIT – Neco Brett 44’ (Christiano François)
