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Best of 2021: No. 5 Youth is served

This article is the first in a series this week recapping the biggest moments — on and off the field — for Riverhounds SC in 2021. A new moment will be revealed each day until we hit No. 1 on New Year’s Eve.

The first moment on our countdown to the end of 2021 might have gone a bit unnoticed by fans when it actually happened, considering the Hounds were late in a match and chasing a tying goal on Aug. 11 in a 3-2 loss against Miami FC. But with coach Bob Lilley chasing a result, he threw each and every attacking option on his bench into the fray, allowing some club history to be made.

In the 83rd minute, 17-year-old striker Wyatt Borso made his first-team debut when he entered the game in place of Anthony Velarde, and by doing so, made a fair bit of team history.

Borso became the first player to join the Hounds on a USL Academy amateur contract at the start of the season, and by taking the field in a match with the Pro Team, he became the first active Academy player to appear in a competitive match for the Hounds — not to mention the youngest-ever Hounds player at 17 years, 156 days, and the first Hounds player born in the 21st century.

The moment was a big step for the club as a whole, as it completed the pathway from the Riverhounds Development Academy to the Pro Team. But there was no guarantee it would happen, even after Borso arrived in Pittsburgh from the Chicago Fire Academy seeking a first-team opportunity.

The young player trained with the Pro Team throughout the year, but with a gap to close from the youth to pro level, Borso remained match fit during the spring and summer by excelling with the RDA’s 2002/03 Boys team and first-year USL Academy League side.

A minor foot injury slowed his progress in the summer, but his hard work paid off as he made his way back into Lilley’s 18. Borso would make three more Pro Team appearances in 2021, including a start Sept. 4 at San Antonio.

While the jump from the Academy to the Pro Team remains a big one, Lilley continues to monitor the development of the RDA’s top players in conjunction with RDA Director Scott Gibson and his staff. At times, some of the RDA’s best players and recent graduates are invited to join the Pro Team in training, as the RDA continues to develop players capable of making the jump to the next level, whether that be college or straight to a pro setting.

But Borso’s debut marked the first time that final step from academy to first team was completed within the Hounds organization — rather than going from the RDA to another pro team or first playing in college. By making that jump, Borso achieved a special first in team history.

More of the Best of 2021 series:

No. 5: Youth Is Served — Borso makes Pro Team debut under Academy contract
No. 4: Hats off for Russell — Cicerone nets first career hat trick in win over Atlanta
No. 3: It’s good to be King (Kenny) — Forbes claims club’s all-time assists record
No. 2: New home sweet home — Construction nears completion on new AHN Montour facility
No. 1: Hounds clinch on one Rowdy night — Victory over Tampa Bay solidifies playoff berth

Bob Lilley agrees to new multi-year deal; coaching staff remains intact for 2022

PITTSBURGH (December 23, 2021) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC and head coach Bob Lilley have agreed to a new, three-year contract that will keep the USL Hall of Famer in charge of the Hounds through the 2024 season.

Lilley, 55, has led the Riverhounds since 2018, and in his four seasons in Pittsburgh, he has become the club’s all-time leader in wins and games coached with a 66-25-34 record across 125 matches in all competitions. The Hounds have qualified for the USL Championship playoffs in all four seasons under Lilley — the first time the club has reached four straight postseasons — and, in 2019, finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference.

“Since Bob came to Pittsburgh, he has turned the Hounds into a winning team that can compete with anyone in the league,” Riverhounds SC owner Tuffy Shallenberger said. “Keeping a coach of his caliber here is important for our team, as we’re ready to take that next step and start bringing championships back to Pittsburgh.”

In 21 years as a head coach at the pro level, Lilley has accumulated a 317-149-130 record with the Hershey Wildcats, Montreal Impact, Vancouver Whitecaps, Detroit Ignition (indoor), Rochester Rhinos and the Riverhounds. He is a five-time Coach of the Year winner, won USL championships with the Whitecaps (2006) and Rhinos (2015), and has qualified his team for the playoffs in all 21 seasons.

Lilley is currently the longest-tenured coach in the USL Championship with the same club. His tenure slightly outpaces Tampa Bay’s Neill Collins and Tulsa’s Michael Nsien, both of whom took over their respective teams during the 2018 season, Lilley’s first year in Pittsburgh.

Visser, rest of pro staff returning in 2022

Along with Lilley, the remainder of the Hounds’ pro team staff remains intact for the upcoming season, led by top assistant Dan Visser.

Visser, 35, is the longest-tenured member of the pro team — player or coach — having joined the Hounds midway through the 2016 season under previous head coach Dave Brandt. Visser joined the Hounds with experience as both a head coach and assistant at the college level, most recently at the U.S. Naval Academy under Brandt.

Lilley kept Visser on his staff after he arrived in 2018, and in 2019, Visser moved into the top assistant role he holds now, a multi-faceted role that ranges from leading training sessions to new player recruitment to scheduling and operational duties with the pro team.

“What Dan does for the team is really important, and sometimes I don’t think he gets the credit he deserves,” Shallenberger said. “Having Bob and Dan back together brings a lot of stability to this team, and that’s going to let us keep building forward.”

Also rejoining the staff for a second year is assistant coach Michael Behonick, who will work primarily with goalkeepers as he serves on the staff of both the Hounds and University of Pittsburgh. Will Marshall, who is the Riverhounds Development Academy’s Director of Goalkeeping, will also serve as an assistant with the pro team for a second year.

RDA Weekend Recap – Dec. 17-19

The final weekend before Christmas brought the first-ever Riverhounds SC Three Rivers College Showcase to a close, as this time it was the boys’ turn with teams from around the region showing their best for college coaches in attendance.

The two-weekend event — the girls’ weekend was held Dec. 4-5 — was the first of its kind hosted by the RDA and the second event held in the growing RDA Tournament Series. Many of the Hounds teams were able to rack up wins with a few goal-scoring standouts in fine holiday form. Both the 2005 Boys and 2006 Boys went unbeaten with records of 2-0-0 and 3-0-0, respectively.

For the 05s, Milo Larson opened the weekend with a hat trick, Alex Hauskrecht had two goals in each match, and Oliver Daboo scored twice as the team won by scores of 9-0 and 5-0.

The 06 Boys got to test themselves against some older age group sides, and they passed the test with flying colors. The team snagged a hard-fought 3-1 win over FC Pittsburgh before winning 9-0 over AVO SC (Md.) and 4-0 over Hotspurs. In three good team performances, Davi Jansson was the finisher with multiple goals in all three matches.

The 07 Boys didn’t quite get a perfect weekend, through wins of 2-0 and 4-0 over two sides from Canton Akron United (Ohio) let the defense of Justin Walsh, Daniel Moya-Gibbons, Michael Miller and Will Healy shine in front of goalkeeper Sam Wessel. Their chance at a perfect weekend was halted by the 07 RDA II Boys side, who put in a spirited effort with two goals by John Garcia to offset goals by Nathan Katari and Jacek Piekut in a 2-2 draw.

That 07 RDA II side also dealt a 1-0 loss to the 07 East Boys on a Max Davis goal, as they finished their weekend 2-1-0. The 07 East Boys weren’t shut out of the win column, either, as they opened the weekend with a 2-1 win over Canton Akron United on goals by Bryson Luther and Colton Payne.

All of the Hounds’ results from last weekend, including some tight, highly-competitive matches for the 03/04 ECNL and RDA II sides, can be found on the Results page at www.riverhounds.com.

USL Championship announces alignment, start date for 2022 season

PITTSBURGH (December 21, 2021) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC will play a 34-game USL Championship schedule in 2022, which will include a return to home-and-away matches against the entire Eastern Conference, the USL announced this afternoon.

The upcoming season will begin on March 11, and the regular season will end on Oct. 15. The USL Championship final will be played on a date to be determined from Nov. 10-14, bringing the season to a close at least a week before the start of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The biggest change announced to the format is the abolition of division play, which came to the league in 2020 as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The new year brings a return to a single set of standings for the 14-team Eastern Conference and 13-team Western Conference. The Hounds will play all 13 of their conference foes twice — once at home and once on the road — and their remaining eight games will be against Western Conference opposition with four home and four road games.

Only the top seven teams in each conference will make next year’s USL Championship Playoffs, and the top seed will receive a bye into each conference’s semifinals.

Joining the Hounds in the Eastern Conference are six of their Atlantic Division opponents from a year ago: the Charleston Battery, Hartford Athletic, Loudoun United FC, Miami FC, New York Red Bulls II and the Tampa Bay Rowdies. USL Championship newcomer Detroit City FC joins the Eastern Conference, and the remaining six teams played last year in the old Central Division: Atlanta United 2, Birmingham Legion, Indy Eleven, Louisville City FC, Memphis 901 FC and FC Tulsa.

The Hounds have faced every current Eastern Conference team in the regular season except for two: Detroit and Tulsa. Detroit and the Hounds played to a 0-0 draw in a preseason match in 2021 when DCFC was a member of NISA, the U.S. fourth division, while Tulsa and the Hounds have never met.

In addition to their USL Championship schedule, the Hounds will compete in the 2022 U.S. Open Cup, as the U.S. Soccer Federation’s national championship tournament returns after a two-year hiatus caused by the pandemic.

The USL’s complete announcement about the competition format for 2022 can be found here. The full USL Championship schedule is expected to be announced in January.

New 2022 Hounds black-and-yellow jerseys available for pre-sale

PITTSBURGH (December 17, 2021) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC’s new primary jerseys for the 2022 season are available through a limited pre-sale running through Dec. 31.

The new season’s Adidas shirts — Adidas’ mi Competition 21 tops — will feature yellow front stripes over a black body and fully black sleeves. The front features the Adidas and Hounds logos across the chest above the logo of returning primary sponsor Allegheny Health Network.

By pre-ordering through the Team Store online from now until Dec. 31, customers will get a 10% discount on the $90 list price. (Youth sizes $80.) Pre-ordering is the only way to guarantee your 2022 jersey when supplies first arrive in stock, expected in early-to-mid-February.

The Hounds’ alternate jerseys, full kits and goalkeeper kits for 2022 will be revealed at a later date. To go directly to the 2022 jersey pre-sale, CLICK HERE.

Hounds pick up options on nine players to return for 2022 season

PITTSBURGH (December 6, 2021) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC has kicked off its preparations for 2022 by picking up contract options on nine players who will return next season.

Headlining the group locked in for next year is Kenardo Forbes, an All-USL Second Team selection and the team’s longest-tenured player, who will be back for a fifth season in the Pittsburgh midfield. Forwards Russell Cicerone and Alex Dixon, the team’s top two scorers from a season ago, also will return for a second season in the Steel City.

The center of the defense will remain stable with second years secured for former Pitt defender Shane Weidt and Trinidad and Tobago internationals Mekeil Williams and Jelani Peters. Midfield staple Todd Wharton and speedy wing back Ezra Armstrong also return for another year with the Hounds, while versatile and energetic defender/midfielder Dani Rovira will return for his fourth season with the club.

The Hounds and coach Bob Lilley are negotiating with other players whose contracts with the Hounds ended in 2021, as the team seeks to keep building upon a group that went 17-8-7 this season and qualified for a club-record fourth consecutive USL Championship playoff berth.

With the nine players already slated to return, a good foundation is already set in place for 2022.

Much of last season’s scoring punch remains, led by Cicerone, who had a career-best 16 goals last season. Dixon had nine goals and a team-best nine assists in 2021, and Forbes, the club’s all-time assists leader, finished with a personal best of five goals to go with six assists. Led by those three, the nine optioned players accounted for 36 of the team’s 52 goals — 69.2 percent — a season ago.

Wiedt and Wharton were ever-present in their first seasons with the Hounds, as both appeared in all 32 games in 2021 while recording 29 and 24 starts, respectively. Williams and Peters also were regular starters on defense, though both missed time with the Hounds after they were called up for international duty with Trinidad during last summer’s CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Rovira had a breakout year in his own right in 2021. The Colombian went from a part-time role in his first two seasons with the Hounds to playing 29 of 32 games and logging a career-high in minutes as a wing back, holding midfielder and occasional outside midfielder. Armstrong also grew into his role during his first year with the Hounds, providing a speedy two-way threat on the flank and making 11 of his 14 appearances in the second half of the season.

Twin Spires offers Hounds sign-up promo as part of USL Playoff partnership

Twin Spires Sportsbook, the presenting sponsor of the USL Playoffs, is offering a special Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC free bet promotion for new users.

Pennsylvania residents can sign up on Twin Spires using promo code “PIT250” and receive a $250 free bet after they make an initial $5 sports bet. To sign up with Twin Spires, click HERE.

The offer is only available to new users, and players must be 21 years or older. Visit the promotional page for a complete list of terms and conditions.

RDA Weekend Recap – Dec. 3-5

The start of the holiday season is also the start of showcase season for soccer clubs, and it was a busy weekend for the RDA with college coaches out shopping for their next classes of players.

Boys teams traveled to South Carolina and Eastern Pa. last weekend, while back home, the girls weekend of the inaugural Riverhounds SC Three Rivers College Showcase was a success with games at Highmark, Montour Junction and sites around the Pittsburgh area.

The big travelers of the weekend were the 2003/04 Boys, who went to Greer, S.C. for the ECNL South Carolina weekend. Sam Farner and Caden Carpenter fired the Hounds to a 2-1 win over Loudoun SC (Va.), and Carpenter, Anders Bordoy, Ethan Gregory, Luke Lenz and Bubby Towns blistered the net in a 5-0 win over Skyline Elite (Va.). Though the weekend ended with a 1-0 loss to Tulsa SC (Okla.), it was a strong overall weekend for the team against tough, out-of-conference ECNL opposition.

The Hounds also were represented in the ECNL National Selection game by defender Matt Lucas, who suited up for the East in the all-star contest last Friday night. Lucas and the East nearly posted a clean sheet but conceded a late equalizer, yet they came out victorious on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

Out in Eastern Pa., the Hounds were piling up wins at the PA Classics Winter College Showcase. All three teams that traveled — the 05, 06 and 07 Boys — finished atop their division by combining for an unbeaten 5-0-4 record.

Among the weekend’s highlights were a four-goal haul by Alex Hauskrecht in the 05 Boys’ final match — a 6-0 win over BRYC Elite Academy (Va.) — complete clean sheets on the weekend by both the 05 and 06 sides, and a resounding 5-1 win over Yardley Makefield (Pa.) in the finale for the 07 Boys, which was enough to swing goal difference in their favor to clinch the top spot.

The Three Rivers College Showcase, the second event in the Riverhounds SC Tournament Series, got rolling with girls teams representing five states descending upon Western Pa. Plenty of talent was on display from all the participating clubs, and many of the RDA sides posted impressive team results in the two-day event.

The 03/04, 05 and 07 Girls ECNL sides, as well as the 03/04 Regional League Girls team, won every match to give the RDA four division winners out of the 12 contested. The 03/04 ECNL side was arguably the most dominant of the bunch, outscoring their three opponents 16-1, as Jessica Molitoris led the squad with six goals.

The 03/04 Regional League side was tested in their opening match by Greater Toledo (Ohio), as Londynn Gonzalez’s strike was the difference in a 1-0 win, but their defensive effort continued to be at a high level. The team now hasn’t given up a goal in five matches — now more than 420 minutes — as goalkeepers Ava Wert and Kameryn Nelson split the shutout-producing work.

The 05 Girls took top honors with a 2-1 win in their finale against Bridge City behind goals by Julia Lozowski and Lola Abraham, the latter of whom posted five goals for the weekend. The 07 Girls had to do their hardest work early, earning a 3-1 win over Kings Hammer (Ohio) on goals by Robin Reilly, Maddie Barr and Sierra Dupre before Reilly tallied the lone goal in a 1-0 win over Cleveland Force.

Also notable was the play of the 06 ECNL Girls, who finished unbeaten but out of the top spot with a 2-0-2 record, while the 06 East Girls (1-0-2) and the 06 Regional League Girls (1-1-1) hurt each other’s bid for the top spot by playing out a highly competitive 0-0 draw.

Showcase season will continue through the winter, and more games from across the RDA can be found each week on the Results page at www.riverhounds.com.

Kenardo Forbes named to USL Championship All-League Second Team

PITTSBURGH (November 22, 2021) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC midfielder Kenardo Forbes was named to the USL Championship All-League Second Team for the 2021 season, the league announced this afternoon.

Forbes, a native of Kingston, Jamaica, is the all-time assists leader in both USL Championship and Riverhounds history, and this is the fifth time in the past six seasons that he has been named an All-USL player after making the First Team in 2019 and 2020 and the Second Team in 2016 (with Rochester) and 2018. He has been an All-USL player in all four of his seasons in Pittsburgh.

This year, Forbes finished with six assists and five goals, the latter of which was a career-best for a single season. The man known as “King Kenny” to both teammates and fans was also tied for fourth in the league with 63 chances created, and his 7.56 xA (expected assists) was third in the league.

Forbes was always a factor on the ball for the Hounds, as he completed 1,163 of 1,414 passes (an 82.2 percent rate that was second on the team. Playing in 31 of 32 games (starting 28), Forbes ranked in the top five on the team of virtually every statistic — offensive and defensive — including minutes, touches, tackles won, duels won, crosses and shots on goal.

This is the seventh consecutive year the Riverhounds have placed at least one player on either the All-League First Team or Second Team, the longest such active streak in the USL. In four years under coach Bob Lilley, the Hounds have had nine All-USL selections, four of them belonging to Forbes.

RDA Weekend Recap – Nov. 19-21

The weekend before Thanksgiving turned into busiest weekend of the fall — at least by total number of games played — for the Riverhounds Development Academy.

ECNL play kicked off in the oldest age groups as high school soccer wrapped up in most states, while boys teams both young and old, City and East hit the road for their weekend at the Bethesda Premier Cup in Bethesda, Md. and the Nation’s Capital Cup in McLean, Va.

League play got off to a good start for the RDA Boys, who traveled to Ohio for a road ECNL weekend and brought home at least three points in all of the age groups starting play. The 2007 Boys led the way with a 3-0 win over Ohio Premier — getting two goals by Jacek Piekut and a penalty by Danny Moya-Gibbons — and a 0-0 draw with Pacesetter SC for a four-point haul.

The other Sunday matches at Pacesetter all went the Hounds way, as Zach Nash scored for the 06 Boys in a 1-0 win, James Ivanov and Nick Allan scored for the 05 Boys in a 2-0 win, and the 03/04 Boys put up the biggest number of all, 5-0, with five different scorers.

Not to be outdone, the RDA Girls sides also scored some ECNL results. With tough home games and heavy legs coming off high school season, some teams struggled, but the 07 Girls nicked a 2-1 win over Internationals SC behind goals from Mia Deramo and Simone Sharpless, and the 03/04 girls got a hard-fought 2-2 draw with Cleveland Force with Mary Kate Lape scoring both goals on assists from Azalea Mihailovich.

The 03/04 Regional League Girls had the best weekend of all, going on the road to win over Cleveland Force and Internationals, both 2-0. Halle Marsalis’ brace put away the force, and Sara Powell and Rachel Mamula secured the six-point weekend on Sunday. The 07 RL Girls also had two good battles on the road, earning a 3-3 draw with the Force and a 1-1 draw with Internationals, as Riley White stood out all weekend along the back line.

Off at the weekend’s tournaments, the 10 East Boys added to the trophy case with a 2-0 win over Arundel SC (Md.) in the championship game at the Nation’s Capital Cup. Nolan Ptackiewics and Max Miller scored in the final, while Miller and Austyn Gross were the semifinal scorers in a 2-1 win over Premier AC (Va.).

The 04 East Boys, 09 East Boys and 11 Boys all reached the semifinals in their respective divisions, but each fell at the stage, including the 04 East Boys going out on penalty kicks after a 0-0 draw with Victory SC.

The resumption of ECNL play meant a smaller boys contingent made the trip to Bethesda, but the 09 Boys certainly acquitted themselves well by reaching the championship game with a 2-0-1 record before falling 3-0 against Loudoun SC (Va.). The 05 RDA II Boys also had a productive weekend, going 1-1-1 to finish second in their group, a showcase division with no knockout rounds.

With so many matches, there are plenty more results to be seen on the RDA Results page, which will get this coming weekend off along with our teams for the holiday weekend.

Happy Thanksgiving from the Riverhounds Development Academy!

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