(Aug. 26, 2026) — Noah Dollenmayer scored a stoppage-time header for El Paso Locomotive FC to send the Pittsburgh Riverhounds to a 2-1 defeat tonight at Southwest University Park in El Paso, Texas.
Robbie Mertz — playing his 200th match for the team — scored to put the Hounds (10-9-3) ahead early in the second half, but El Paso (11-7-4), the Western Conference co-leaders, quickly responded with a deflected goal by Eric Calvillo to tie the match.
The loss ends the Hounds’ two-match win streak and extends the Locomotive’s current form to five wins in a row.
First half
Both teams built into the match slowly on a hot night in West Texas, and Hounds goalkeeper Mike Sheridan was the first player forced into a big play in the 27th minute. El Paso sent a high, diagonal pass to the back post that Amando Moreno thought he had turned into the goal, only for a retreating Sheridan to get a hand to the ball and push it away from over the goal line.
The Hounds sought a penalty in the 38th minute after Mertz was tripped up at the top of the box, but play continued, and the Locomotive countered through Moreno. The forward got free on the left side and carried the ball into the box, but Sheridan dove to his left to make the save and keep the match scoreless at the break.
Second half
The Hounds put together an exceptional passing sequence in the 53rd minute to pull in front with Mertz’s goal. Six different Hounds touched the ball after Jackson Walti won it at midfield, including Mertz touching it wide to Perrin Barnes. Barnes fed Charles Ahl in the top corner of the box, who then found Mertz arriving late and worked another give-and-go to give Mertz an open shot from 11 yards away.
The finish was Mertz’s 24th goal for the Hounds, tying him with José Angulo in the No. 10 spot on the club’s all-time list on the same night he became the only third player to reach 200 matches played for the team.
The lead was short-lived, however, as an unlucky deflection tied the match in the 57th minute. Arturo Ortíz struck a hard, waist-high shot from nearly 30 yards out for El Paso, and the ball clipped the backside of Calvillo, which changed the course of the shot to put it behind Sheridan.
Both teams battled to regain the advantage, and El Paso’s Gabi Torres hit the outside of the post with a shot from distance in the 86th minute. The Hounds also had a chance as stoppage time began when a Jorge Garcia free kick was misplayed, allowing Yu Tsukanome to hit a shot that was saved at the near post by Pedro Cruz.
The Locomotive got the winner in the third minute of stoppage time when Zyen Jones had time to chip a pass into the box from the right side. Dollenmeyer had leaked forward from his defensive position for El Paso, and he headed the ball into the net from just inside 10 yards to snatch the win for the home side.
Modelo Man of the Match
Robbie Mertz had the headline play with his goal, but he was a two-way performer on the night by winning 7 of 9 duels — including winning all three of his tackles. On a night when the Hounds had less of the ball, he also connected on 7 of 9 passes in the final third, leading the team in link-ups in the attacking area.
What’s next?
The Hounds return home to F.N.B. Stadium for a showdown with the league-leading Tampa Bay Rowdies in a 5 p.m. kickoff Saturday, Aug. 29. The Rowdies (13-3-5) won the teams’ first matchup of the season, 3-0 in St. Petersburg, back in the third match of the season on March 21.
Riverhounds SC lineup (4-5-1) — Mike Sheridan; Guillaume Vacter (Beto Ydrach 58’), Owen Mikoy, Victor Souza, Perrin Barnes (Eliot Goldthorp 70’); Charles Ahl (Junior Etou 70’), Danny Griffin, Jackson Walti, Sam Bassett (Jorge Garcia 84’), Robbie Mertz; Trevor Amann (Yu Tsukanome 46’)
El Paso Locomotive FC lineup (3-4-3) — Pedro Cruz; Tony Alfaro, Arturo Ortíz, Noah Dollenmayer; Gabi Torres, Eric Calvillo, Daniel Gomez (Robert Coronado 60’), Nicolás Cardona (Bryant Farkalun 73’); Amando Moreno (Zyen Jones 73’), Rubio Rubín (Ricky Ruiz 90+1’), Alex Méndez (Roberto Avila 60’)
Scoring summary
PIT — Robbie Mertz 53’ (Charles Ahl)
ELP — Eric Calvillo 57’ (Arturo Ortíz)
ELP — Noah Dollenmayer 90+3’ (Zyen Jones)
Discipline summary
PIT — Eliot Goldthorp 85’ (caution – reckless foul)
