The last time the Riverhounds stepped off a field, they did so as newly crowned champions.
But apart from a star above the team’s logo, that historic result has minimal bearing on what will transpire when the team steps back onto the field this weekend.
The 27th season of Riverhounds soccer is the team’s first as the reigning USL Championship title holders, but every team is back to zero in the standings as the 2026 season kicks off at 6 p.m. Saturday on the road against the Charleston Battery.
While last year’s victory in now in the past, the Hounds return 12 players from that team, which provides a solid foundation for head coach Rob Vincent, who shed the “acting” designation from his title during the offseason.
“I feel like we kept the group together overall, and we have some new players,” veteran wing back Junior Etou said. “(Albert) Dikwa is back, which is a big attacking piece for us, and we have some new guys who have played in the league, like Trevor (Amann) and Eliot (Goldthorp), and then we have some good rookies. I think it’s a good mix, and we just have work as a team, and I think it’s going to be a good season.”
Maintaining continuity from a season ago is important after reaching the top of the mountain in 2025. And while the Hounds don’t expect to have a radically different identity — both in formation and tactics — from the formula that worked so well last November, the players know the perception of the Hounds has changed with a trophy in hand.
“We know that we’re defending the title, and we want to do it again. We know we’re going to get every team’s best shot, but that’s a good thing. As a competitor, that’s what you want every game, game-in and game-out, you know you have to be better than the other team to get three points. It’s a challenge we certainly look forward to,” said Danny Griffin, now entering his seventh season in the midfield and his third as captain.
Griffin has seen the highs and lows for the team during the current decade as he closes in on being only the second player to suit up 200 times for the Hounds — a mark he could reach as soon as this summer. During that time, an expectation for success has been set within the team, and the pressure to maintain that level has only increased with the team’s first championship.
“I think the guys we brought in are learning exactly what the coaches want. When you have that many returners, there’s a lot of guys who can give the example and help explain what the coaches want,” Griffin said. “There’s obviously things to work on, and that’s what preseason is for, to iron out some of those glitches and get ready for this game.”
Griffin is certainly one of the players who can set that example, but he’s far from the only one able to set a tone.
Robbie Mertz, who like Griffin is in his seventh season with the Hounds, has been a constant presence on the training ground even as he recovers from an injury that has kept him out of preseason. Players such as Bradley Sample, Jackson Walti and Illal Osumanu — all on their second contract with the Hounds — also have a track record to draw from.
Younger players, such as second-year Hounds Beto Ydrach, Perrin Barnes and Guillaume Vacter, are seasoned beyond their years after navigating a high-stress playoff run. And even players who were not part of the title team come to the squad with impressive resumés; Dikwa and Amann both were 2023 Golden Boot winners — Dikwa in the Championship and Amann in USL League One.
Etou is another of those seasoned veterans, and his first appearance of 2026 will make him the 19th player to log 100 appearances with the Hounds. While the personal milestone is special, it’s the accomplishments of the team as he reached that number which are most meaningful to him.
“I’m so happy for that. My first year, in 2023, I was saying to the staff that I’m here for the long time. I want to play so many games for this team, because I like this club, I like the badge,” Etou said. “I’m so excited, but hopefully we can win the first game and make my 100th game even better.”
Etou’s comments underline the attitude shared across the team with the start of the season only days away. The star above the logo represents wonderful memories and a historic first, but what matters to the Hounds now is the 2026 season.
