The recent heroics at Highmark Stadium are undeniable.
From Neco Brett’s hat trick against Toronto FC II last year to a Danny Earls brace in 2015 to fuel a miracle along the Monongahela River, these are the things that remain fresh, top of mind.
But before Highmark Stadium graced the banks of the South Shore, other star-studded performances crashed onto the Pittsburgh soccer scene. Take a trip back through time and uncover the lost ones.
May 20, 1999 – Blockbuster Video Half-Price Night scoring outburst
Returning to Bethel Park High School Stadium following a road loss to the Boston Bulldogs, which defeated the Hounds without their player-coach John Kerr Jr. (who was out because of the chicken pox), Pittsburgh put together an explosive, bounce-back performance on the pitch.
In the 12th minute, Justin Evans started the barrage. Later, Michael Apple and Michael Butler both added braces before Jaman Tripoli and Phil Karn capped off the seven-goal performance.
Just when the night couldn’t have been better, fans purchased tickets for half price thanks to a Blockbuster Video Night special.
“I don’t think this is going to be the norm,” head coach John Kowalski said after this match. “But when you have this kind of day, you have to enjoy it while you can.”
June 13, 1999 – Randy Dedini
A clean sheet is great to have on the stat sheet, but it becomes a gem when paired with a six-save performance. On the road against the Richmond Kickers at University of Richmond Stadium, the Hounds needed each and every save from goalkeeper Randy Dedini in a 1-0 win.
From a kick-save in the 13th minute to a diving, outstretched stop of a Richmond free kick in the second half, Dedini kept the Kickers off the board for the entirety of the match.
With this effort, Pittsburgh secured its first road win in club history.
August 1, 1999 – Phil Karn
Suiting up for their 19th all-time match, the Hounds still were in search of their first hat trick. So, cue in striker Phil Karn.
Going toe-to-toe with the Maryland Mania at Anne Arundel Community College, Pittsburgh was in a dog fight for much of the game. Karn made his presence felt early with a tally in the 3rd minute. He later struck in the 48th and 59th minutes to secure the first hat trick in team history.
The Hounds ultimately needed all three of these tallies, winning 5-4.
September 1, 2002 – Thiago Martins
In two seasons played for the Hounds, striker Thiago Martins made the most of his time in Pittsburgh and notched 30 career goals, which ranks second to only David Flavius in team history.
Perhaps his most impressive feat came in the season finale of the 2002 season. The Brazilian ravaged against the Cincinnati Riverhawks at Bethel Park High School Stadium in Pittsburgh’s 7-0 victory. Seemingly with ease, he scored in the 3rd minute… then the 7th minute… and turned the brace into a hat trick in the 14th minute.
As if scoring three goals in the match’s first 14 minutes wasn’t impressive enough, he added one more before the half in the 42nd minute. No one else in team history has scored at least four goals in a single match. And posting all four goals before the halftime whistle truly makes for a one-of-a-kind feat.
July 10, 2004 – Said Ali
No Hound had ever won the league’s Rookie of the Year Award before Said Ali earned the honor following the 2004 season. Helping pave the way to this achievement was a hat-trick performance against the Westchester Flames at City Park Stadium in New Rochelle, New York.
As the team worked on its seven-game winning streak at the time, it found itself in a hole when the halftime whistle approached. Being down 1-0, Ali posted a tally at the 42nd-minute mark to draw even at the break. The striker’s feet remained hot, as he recorded the next two goals in the 49th and 64th minutes to clinch the hat trick and fuel the squad to a 6-2 victory.
July 23, 2010 – Chad Severs
Since the team returned from the one-season hiatus it took in 2007, it remained in search of a playoff berth. In 2010, the Hounds fought their way back to the postseason.
Leading the team throughout much of the season, Chad Severs earned All-League Second Team honors while pacing the club with six goals. One of these provided the organization with a key win late in the season in the midst of the playoff hunt.
On the road against the Charlotte Eagles, the score was knotted at 1-1 as the match crept into its 90th minute. It was then Severs scored the game-winning goal to provide the squad with a much-needed victory. With this result, the Hounds put distance between them and the Eagles in the standings en route to earning postseason berth for the first time since 2006
