PITTSBURGH (March 2, 2026) — The Pittsburgh Riverhounds have signed former University of Akron goalkeeper Mitch Budler for the 2026 season with a team option for 2027, pending USL and U.S. Soccer approval.
Budler, 23, was a four-year starter for the Zips, recording 36 clean sheets and allowing only 65 goals across 76 starts on his way to being a two-time Big East Goalkeeper of the Year and a Third Team All-American as a junior in 2024. With Budler in goal, the Zips won the 2022 Mid-American Conference regular season title and reached the NCAA Tournament three times, advancing all the way to the Elite Eight last fall.
“Mitch is a first-year pro out of the University of Akron with tremendous upside, and we believe he’ll make significant strides this year working under goalkeeper coach Jon Busch,” Sporting Director Dan Visser said.
While this is the first pro deal for Budler, a Lincoln, Neb. native, he previously appeared in the USL Championship as an academy player with Philadelphia Union II in 2020. Budler made six appearances that year, including one start at Highmark Stadium against the Riverhounds on Aug. 1 of that season.
The Hounds are scheduled to kick off their USL Championship title defense this Saturday, March 7, when they travel to face the Charleston Battery in a 6 p.m. kickoff.
