Match info
Riverhounds vs. Orange County SC
Date: Saturday, March 16
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Highmark Stadium
Tickets: Ticketmaster
Odds: Hounds +125 / Draw +230 / Orange County +190 (FanDuel)
TV: KDKA+
Streaming: ESPN+
Live statistics: USL Championship Match Center
Live updates: @RiverhoundsSC on Twitter
Match hashtags: #PITvOC and #HOUNDTAHN
PITTSBURGH (March 15, 2024) — The Hounds are back in the friendly confines of Highmark Stadium for their 2024 home opener, and visiting Orange County SC will provide the opposition Saturday night.
One of the best crowds ever for a Hounds home opener is expected as the team looks to bounce back from a tough first outing at high elevation — a 1-0 defeat against New Mexico United. Now back home, the conditions should be more to the Hounds’ — and fans’ — liking with partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the high 50s in the forecast.
The Hounds will look to muster more in the attacking third this week after a game in which they won eight corner kicks but were otherwise not able to get into dangerous positions often enough around the New Mexico box. On the back end, goalkeeper Eric Dick was solid in his team debut with four saves, and the team did limit New Mexico to only five total shots while allowing less space as the game progressed.
Hounds midfielder Kenardo Forbes is expected to be in the lineup once again, and by doing so he would pull into a tie with his one-time teammate, Kevin Kerr, for second on the team’s all-time appearances list with 194. That would leave him one game away from equaling the top spot, and he could tie David Flavius with 195 appearances as early as next Saturday in Louisville.
On the opposite side, Orange County managed the most unlikely of 2-2 draws at Sacramento last week when goalkeeper Colin Shutler became only the third goalkeeper to score in USL Championship play since 2011. Shutler scored on the end of a final-minute corner kick, which stole a valuable point on the road.
The home opener kicks off the 12th season at Highmark Stadium, where the Hounds went 13-1-3 in the 2023 regular season, and there will be plenty for fans to take in, even before kickoff.
Visitors to the stadium will see new signage and banners, and prior to kickoff, the team will unveil the banner celebrating the Hounds winning the 2023 USL Championship Players’ Shield. Tied in with the ceremony, the first 1,000 fans in the gates will receive a mini Players’ Shield banner, and all fans in attendance will receive a set of light sticks.
Also new to the stadium is the 25th anniversary mural painted by well-known local artist Cody Sabol, which now occupies the exterior wall of the pub, facing the field. Another new feature to highlight is the lights themselves — new high-powered LED fixtures that will illuminate the action and enhance the in-game production. And, the Highmark Stadium stands have swapped the retro blue on the seats spelling “HOUNDS” for the iconic yellow of the Riverhounds and Pittsburgh in 2024.
The new season also brings new concessions items, and with it being St. Patrick’s Day weekend, Highmark Stadium is getting in the spirit with an Irish Whiskey Bacon Burger at the grill on the East End and Corned Beef Nachos at Nacho Junction beside the pub. Pizza logs are also back on the menu for the entire season, while the IC Light Grab ‘N Go in the grandstand concourse now offers vegan and gluten-free wraps, while supplies last.
Outside, the Tailgate Zone will open at 5 p.m. with music being played by DJ TJ Harris, drinks on sale and trucks from Bado’s and South Side BBQ serving up food. Back inside the stadium, special souvenir Riverhounds St. Patrick’s Day beer cups will be available with purchases in the pub and at the East End Bud Light cart.
Fans hoping to make the home opener can still get their tickets via Ticketmaster or at the Highmark Stadium Box Office, which opens at noon Saturday. Those who can’t will have plenty of viewing options, led by the local telecast on KDKA+. The match also will be streamed on the KDKA website for local viewers and nationally on ESPN+.
Downloadable game notes
