Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (16-4-10) head to Leesburg, Virginia this Tuesday evening for a clash with Loudoun United FC (7-16-6) at Segra Field. As the Hounds ramp up for the final stretch of the regular season, here are a few things to keep in mind ahead of Tuesday’s match.
Shutout Streak
Riverhounds SC is undefeated in its last seven matches, thanks in large part to some tough defensive play and outstanding goalkeeping that has not surrendered a goal against since the 74th minute against North Carolina FC back on Aug. 17.
The current shutout streak of 646 minutes is the longest scoreless stretch for the club in its history. Keeper Kyle Morton has earned six of his 11 clean sheets this season during the current unbeaten streak, turning aside all 14 shots on target he has faced in that stretch.
Austin Pack has also contributed to the streak, posting a two-save shutout against Memphis on Sept. 24.
The Black and Gold are 5-0-2 and have outscored their opponents 10-0 during this current shutout streak.
Playoff Seeding
After earning a 3-0 win over Indy Eleven Saturday at Highmark Stadium, Riverhounds SC shot up to second place in the USL Championship Eastern Conference standings with 58 points. Despite having an identical number of points as Nashville SC, the foe owns the tiebreaker and first place by virtue of having one more win than the Hounds.
Nevertheless, Pittsburgh still has a conceivable path to earning the No. 1 overall seed, as it currently has a game in hand over every other team in the top four. Additionally, sixth-place Louisville City FC is the only other club in a playoff position that is unbeaten in their last five, as Pittsburgh appears to be firing on all cylinders at the perfect time.
With the top four seeds all earning homefield advantage for the first round, the Hounds have an excellent opportunity to take their unbeatable form at Highmark Stadium into the postseason. However, with just two points separating the top-five teams in the table, nothing is guaranteed yet.
Explosive Offense
Following Saturday’s win over Indy, the Riverhounds have now scored three or more goals in a match nine times this season, an improvement from last season’s total of five and triple 2017’s total of just three.
In the USL Championship, the Hounds are tied for 11th in total goals scored this season with 53, just one off from the four teams tied for seventh overall with 54 goals.
And while Neco Brett is the only Hound in the top 30 of the USL Championship individual goal-scorers, Pittsburgh boasts one of the most balanced attacks in the league.
The Black and Gold have gotten goals from 11 different players this season, led by Brett with 11. Four players have scored at least five goals, and eight players have scored at least three times. Steevan Dos Santos places second on the club with nine, while Robbie Mertz rounds out the top three with six.
