Match Recaps

CORAOPOLIS, Pa. (February. 13, 2026) — The Pittsburgh Riverhounds continued their winning ways this preseason by coming out on top of a stern test from fellow USL Championship team Loudoun United FC, 2-1, this afternoon on the indoor field at the AHN Montour Sports Complex.

Trevor Amann netted his first goal of the preseason for the Hounds (3-0-0), and a second-half own goal turned out to be the final margin. Arquimides Ordóñez scored the lone goal for Loudoun, which was the first conceded by the Hounds this preseason.

The first stages of the contest featured both teams trying to possess but little in the way of chances, but the Hounds got themselves in front in the 24th minute. Loudoun turned the ball over deep in their own half of the field, allowing Jorge Garcia to dribble toward goal in the right side of the box. As the defense attempted to recover, Garcia played a low pass across goal for Amann, who calmly finished into the open part of the net.

Garcia nearly doubled the lead on the half-hour mark with a powerful long-range drive that forced a strong save by Loudoun goalkeeper Adam Beaudry. Amann had a chance for a second goal minutes before halftime, as well, but the teams went to the break at 1-0.

Four minutes into the second half, the match was level after Loudoun’s Jack Panayotou turned the corner along the goal line and into the right side of the box. Panayotou found Ordóñez arriving late to the front of goal, and the Guatemalan international scored with a rising shot under the crossbar.

The Hounds pulled ahead for good in the 66th minute when Eliot Goldthorp whipped a waist-high cross into the box from the left side. Albert Dikwa and Brigham Larsen both made runs to get on the end of the pass, but it was the leg of a Loudoun defender that turned the ball into the goal for a 2-1 Hounds lead.

Dikwa, who earlier was fouled on a breakaway opportunity, nearly added another goal when he got behind the defense and attempted to chip the goalkeeper, but his effort from just outside of the box bounced off the top of the crossbar and out of play.

One again, the Hounds utilized a large portion of their bench, with 16 of their 18 signed players appearing, along with seven players in camp as non-roster trialists.

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What’s next?

The Hounds will face their first college team of the preseason when Duquesne University makes the short trip across the Monongahela River for a 7 p.m. match Wednesday, Feb. 18 at Highmark Stadium.

Scoring summary

PIT — Trevor Amann 24’ (Jorge Garcia)
LDN — Arquimides Ordóñez 49’ (Jack Panayotou)
PIT — Own goal 66’

(Feb. 6, 2026) — The Pittsburgh Riverhounds made it two wins from two preseason matches with a strong first performance on the road to defeat fellow USL Championship team Indy Eleven, 3-0, this afternoon at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind.

Albert Dikwa, Eliot Goldthorp and one of the team’s non-roster trialists provided the scoring, while the Hounds utilized multiple goalkeepers and rotated defenders while keeping their second straight clean sheet.

“We moved the ball well, particularly in the first half, and we got into their box a good number of times,” Riverhounds head coach Rob Vincent said. “We possessed the ball and broke some lines through the middle, so I think there were quite a few positives to take from it.”

Dikwa’s goal in the 17th minute — his first preseason strike since rejoining the club after two years with Rhode Island FC — was a headed finish after a scramble in front of goal. The Hounds worked the ball down the left before Goldthorp tried putting the ball back across goal. Brigham Larsen was able to get a head to the ball and keep it alive for Dikwa, who finished five yards from the net.

New signing Goldthorp was on the scoresheet three minutes late after he found himself one-on-one with a defender on the left. The attacking midfielder cut inside to his right foot, and he curled a finish inside the far post from just inside the top of the box.

After returning from halftime ahead 2-0, the Hounds got their last goal in the 48th minute. Bradley Sample picked out a pass that split a pair of defenders to find a teammate running, and the trialist got on the end of the pass and smashed a shot inside the near post.

Once again, the Hounds rotated much of their lineup between halves — only three players played more than 45 minutes — as the team continues to work toward its March 7 season opener.

“The second half was a little more even. I think (Indy’s) lineup was more of their starters, but we got the early goal and played evenly,” Vincent said. “We trained before we left yesterday, and I think the team adapted well (to traveling). We started quite quickly, so I don’t think there was any hangover from the travel.”

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What’s next?

The Hounds have the weekend off before returning to training ahead of their next preseason match on Friday, Feb. 13 against Loudoun United FC at the AHN Montour Sports Complex.

Scoring summary

PIT — Albert Dikwa 17’ (Brigham Larsen)
PIT — Eliot Goldthorp 20’
PIT — Trialist 48’ (Bradley Sample)

CORAOPOLIS, Pa. (Feb. 2, 2026) — The Pittsburgh Riverhounds kicked off their 2026 preseason schedule in winning fashion with a pair of second-half goals to defeat the Richmond Kickers out of USL League One, 2-0, this afternoon on the indoor field at the AHN Montour Sports Complex.

Brigham Larsen and one of the team’s non-roster trialists combined on the two goals, with Larsen netting the opening tally in the 72nd minute before picking up the assist on the second goal only six minutes later.

The first half saw Albert Dikwa leading the Hounds line for the first time since he departed Pittsburgh after his 2023 Golden Boot-winning season, while it provided a first look at new Hounds Victor Souza, Eliot Goldthorp and USL Academy signee Warren Agostoni. Chances were sparse both ways, as captain Danny Griffin and Agostoni both came close but missed wide from distance, while the Kickers forced one first-half save on the Hounds’ end.

An almost entirely new 11 took the field for the second half — in total, 22 players saw action for the Hounds — and newcomer Trevor Amann looked the most dangerous early with a headed chance that flashed just wide right of the post.

Larsen, the second-year pro, put the Hounds on the board with a strong run to the near post and being first to the ball on a low cross from one of the team’s trialists. The roles reversed for the second goal, when Larsen got down near the goal line on the right said and sent a low ball back across the front of goal to set up a finish off the underside of the crossbar.

The Kickers nearly ended the shutout bid with seven minutes to play, as an outward curling volley from outside the box struck the crossbar, which denied what would have been a spectacular finish.

The preseason contest was the first meeting of any sort between the Hounds and the Kickers since Richmond left the USL Championship after the 2018 season, and it gives the Hounds wins in four of their past five preseason home openers.

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What’s next?

The Hounds will face fellow USL Championship side Indy Eleven at 2 p.m. Friday, Feb. 6, at the Eleven’s Grand Park training venue.

Scoring summary

PIT — Brigham Larsen 72’ (Trialist)
PIT — Trialist 78’ (Brigham Larsen)

TULSA, Okla. (Nov. 22, 2025) — The Pittsburgh Riverhounds are the champions of the USL Championship, winning the first league title in their 26-year history by defeating FC Tulsa on penalties, 5-3, after playing to a 0-0 draw in the USL Championship Final this afternoon at ONEOK Field.

Goalkeeper Eric Dick was named Most Valuable Player of the final after making five saves in the match and making a save to deny Tulsa’s Stefan Lukic in the shootout. It was his 16th shutout of the season and 30th as a member of the Hounds, both team records.

Bertin Jacquesson, Robbie Mertz, Chase Boone, Sean Suber and Beto Ydrach all converted their penalties for the Hounds. The Hounds became the first team in Championship history to win the title without conceding a single goal in the playoffs, as they end the year on a streak of 632 minutes without allowing a goal, dating back to the regular season.

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First half

The match opened up more end-to-end than the Hounds’ earlier playoff matches, and Luke Biasi nearly put the Hounds on the board with a curling right-footed ball that struck the crossbar from 30 yards away.

In the 22nd minute, Charles Ahl sent Augi Williams toward goal on the right with a long ball over the top, and Williams forced a good diving stop by Tulsa goalkeeper Tyler Deric.

Tulsa had a number of chances of their own, outshooting the Hounds 17-6 on the day. Dick made his biggest first-half stop in the 40th minute, as he leaped to tip a close-range headed attempt by Kalil ElMedkhar over the bar.

Williams had one more golden chance to score a minute before halftime after Danny Griffin played the ball back into the box with an overhead kick. The Hounds’ striker kept himself onside, but Williams’ effort to strike the ball coming from over his should was lashed wide across the goal.

Second half

Tulsa turned up the heat after the break, creating problems with their forward pressure. A turnover in their own half in the 59th minute put the Hounds in danger, but Griffin made a late sliding intervention to deny a pass from ElMedkhar to prevent Tulsa top scorer Taylor Calheira from getting a chance in front.

In the 74th minute, the Hounds again scrambled defensively to clear danger. Travian Sousa curled a cross in from the left side that skimmed off the head of Lukic in front, but the ball stayed in play for Tulsa, allowing them to cycle the ball back to Giordano Colli for a shot just inside the box. Suber, Griffin and Bradley Sample all combined to slide in for the block, popping the ball into the air for Dick to collect.

Two minutes later, Tulsa again threatened from a corner kick, one of the few not corralled by Dick immediately. The ball popped around the box, but Ian couldn’t turn it on goal, as the defender lifted his effort over the bar.

Extra time and penalties

Tulsa got an early chance in the extra time period on a ball chipped forward for Lukic, but Dick again was quick off his line to palm the ball away. Tulsa tried lifting a second effort toward goal, but Dick caught the return ball easily to end the threat.

Neither team yielded much in the extra 30, though an early ball into the box by Jackson Walti caused nervous moments for Tulsa, as Deric bumped in to one of his defenders before corralling the loose ball under pressure from Jacquesson.

In penalties, the decisive moment came on the second kick, with the Hounds ahead 2-1 after kicking first. Lukic attempted to go low and to the right side with his shot, but the effort was too close to Dick, who dove low to make the stop.

Both teams were clinical the rest of the way, but the one save allowed Ydrach to end it with a shot right down the middle as Deric dove to his right.

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Modelo Man of the Match

Eric Dick posted his second straight five-save clean sheet, and he did one better than the Eastern Conference Final by adding the crucial penalty kick save on Stefan Lukic in the shootout.

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Riverhounds SC lineup (3-4-2-1) — Eric Dick; Luke Biasi (Illal Osumanu 80’), Sean Suber, Beto Ydrach; Junior Etou, Bradley Sample (Jackson Walti 80’), Danny Griffin, Perrin Barnes; Robbie Mertz, Charles Ahl (Chase Boone 89’); Augi Williams (Bertin Jacquesson 106’)

FC Tulsa lineup (3-4-3) — Tyler Deric; Lamar Batista, Delentz Pierre, Ian; Travian Sousa (Abdoulaye Cissoko 91’), Giordano Colli, Jamie Webber (Trevor Amann 113’), Lucas Stauffer (Harvey St. Clair 91’); Kalin ElMedkhar (Stefan Lukic 70’), Taylor Calheira, Alex Dalou (Owen Damm 70’)

Scoring summary

None

Discipline summary

TUL — Alex Dalou 57’ (caution – persistent infringement)
TUL — Ian 69’ (caution – reckless foul)
TUL — Jamie Webber 74’ (caution – tactical foul)
PIT — Danny Griffin 94’ (caution – tactical foul)

Penalty kick shootout summary

PIT (Goalkeeper: Dick) — Jacquesson, Mertz, Boone, Suber, Ydrach

TUL (Goalkeeper: Deric) — Calheira, Lukic (saved), Colli, Batista

PITTSBURGH (Nov. 15, 2025) — For the first time in the club’s 26-year history, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds will play in a league final after winning the USL Championship Eastern Conference Final, 1-0, over Rhode Island FC tonight at Highmark Stadium.

Pittsburgh native Robbie Mertz scored the only goal 10 minutes into the second half, sending the record-setting crowd of 6,745 into a frenzy. Goalkeeper Eric Dick matched a season high with five saves to record his 15th shutout in all competitions, a new Hounds single-season record.

The Hounds will travel to face FC Tulsa in the USL Championship Final on Saturday, Nov. 22 in a noon kickoff on CBS.

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First half

Rhode Island, which already had won two road playoff matches, created the match’s first chance when Noah Fuson received the ball on the right side and struck a firm drive that made Dick dive for a save at the near post. The ensuing corner say Hugo Bacharch turn another effort toward goal, but his header missed high.

The Hounds began to work their way forward in transition in the 30th minute, which forced former Hound Marc Ybarra to pull back on the jersey of Perrin Barnes and pick up a yellow card that would prove consequential later.

Danny Griffin had the Hounds’ best chance in the 36th minute after Mertz chipped a ball to send him into the box on goal. Griffin was first to the bouncing ball, but his effort was batted away by onrushing goalkeeper Koke Vegas.

Second half

Augi Williams nearly got the Hounds on the board in the 51st minute when Griffin played him into the right side of the box. Rather than crossing, he lashed a shot across goal from a tough angle that missed barely wide and had Vegas diving to try and reach it.

The breakthrough finally came in the 55th minute, when Griffin rose to meet a high ball from Luke Biasi at the top of the box. Griffin nodded it onward to Mertz on the right, and Mertz did the rest, cutting inside and then back to his right to shake Bacharach and create room to fire a shot under the crossbar.

Five minutes later, Rhode Island was reduced to 10 men when Ybarra was whistled for a reckless foul on Bradley Sample. But the visitors shook off the moment and continued to press forward for a tying goal.

Dick had his biggest moment of the match in the 74th minute when another ex-Hound, Albert Dikwa, sprung JJ Williams on a breakaway. Williams tried to shoot high, but Dick leaped to tip the ball over the bar and preserved the clean sheet.

Dick made one more save minutes later to deny a Hamady Diop free kick, but the Hounds defense was able to navigate the remainder of the match, including seven minutes of stoppage time, without allowing another shot on goal.

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Modelo Man of the Match

A special night deserves a special dual honor, as Robbie Mertz and Eric Dick share the accolade. Dick’s five saves, including a pair in the final 20 minutes, sealed the deal, while Mertz had the game-winning goal and team leading totals of six recoveries and 89.5 percent pass completion (34 of 38).

What’s next?

The Hounds will play for their first league championship at noon Saturday against FC Tulsa, which won the Western Conference Championship by defeating New Mexico United at home, 3-0. The Hounds and Tulsa did not meet in the regular season.

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Riverhounds SC lineup (3-4-2-1) — Eric Dick; Luke Biasi, Sean Suber, Beto Ydrach (Illal Osumanu 84’); Junior Etou, Bradley Sample, Danny Griffin, Perrin Barnes; Robbie Mertz, Charles Ahl (Jackson Walti 79’); Augi Williams (Brigham Larsen 88’)

Rhode Island FC lineup (3-4-3) — Koke Vegas; Hamady Diop (Clay Holstad 88’), Karifa Yao (Maxi Rodriguez 82’), Frank Nodarse; Aldair Sanchez (Albert Dikwa 68’), Hugo Bacharach, Marc Ybarra (sent off 60’), Amos Shapiro-Thompson (Zach Herivaux 68’); Jojea Kwizera (Dwayne Atkinson 81’), JJ Williams, Noah Fuson

Scoring summary

PIT — Robbie Mertz 55’ (Danny Griffin)

Discipline summary

RI — Marc Ybarra 30’ (caution – tactical foul)
RI — JJ Williams 42’ (caution – reckless foul)
PIT — Danny Griffin 59’ (caution – reckless foul)
RI — Marc Ybarra 60’ (caution – reckless foul)
RI — Marc Ybarra 60’ (sent off – second yellow card)
RI — Hugo Bacharach 72’ (caution – reckless foul)
PIT — Junior Etou 75’ (caution – tactical foul)
PIT — Perrin Barnes 90+7’ (caution – reckless foul) 

PITTSBURGH (Nov. 8, 2025) — The Pittsburgh Riverhounds are through to the USL Championship Eastern Conference Final after advancing past Detroit City FC on penalties, 4-3, after a second consecutive 0-0 playoff match tonight at Highmark Stadium.

The stadium-record crowd of 6,220 saw Bertin Jacquesson, Augi Williams, Sean Suber and Beto Ydrach all convert from the spot, the last three scoring in sequence as Detroit’s Devon Amoo-Mensah and Ryan Williams hit posts on consecutive kicks for the No. 8 seed.

The Hounds, the fourth seed, are appearing in their first conference final since the Championship adopted its current format in 2016. They will host the match next Saturday against the reigning Eastern Conference champion, seventh-seeded Rhode Island FC.

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First half

Bradley Sample nearly sent the crowd into an early frenzy after some build-up play on the right. He cut quickly across the top of the box and fired a low shot through traffic that forced one of three saves on the night by Carlos Saldaña.

The Hounds’ forward pressure created chances throughout the night, and Augi Williams had an open look at goal but missed just wide from 20 yards in a quick transition moment after 25 minutes. For the match, the Hounds had 58 percent of possession and outshot Detroit, 18-5.

Hounds goalkeeper Eric Dick, who equaled his own team record with his 14th shutout in all competitions this season, ended the half with a bang, knocking over bodies to catch a late Detroit free kick from a dangerous area.

Second half

Charles Ahl had a chance in the opening minute after another Detroit turnover, but his hurried shot sailed high and wide of the goal. The Hounds kept the pressure on, winning an early corner kick, and Robbie Mertz’s delivery found the head of Ydrach, whose headed effort also went high.

Danny Griffin had a golden chance in the 67th minute when Mertz’s free kick was sent back across goal by Ydrach, but the captain’s header bounced wide of the left post.

Williams thought he had put the home team ahead in the 71st minute, heading home a long diagonal ball served into the box by Luke Biasi, but referee Natalie Simon disallowed the goal for a push by Augi Williams against former Hounds defender Shane Wiedt.

Sample had one final look at goal in stoppage time, but his well-struck effort off a second ball kept rising over the bar from the top of the box.

Extra time

Dick made his biggest play of the night — one of only two saves — in the 96th minute when he charged off his line, using his head and shoulder as he slid to block away the chance on a quick break by Detroit’s Jordan Adebayo-Smith.

In the second half of stoppage time, the Hounds had two near-winners. Jacquesson beat his man on a near-post run to meet a Junior Etou cross from the left, only for his header to smack off the left post. Then, with three minutes to play, Saldaña robbed Mertz with a full-extension dive to his right to deny the Hounds once more.

Saldaña had Mertz’s number on the night, getting him again in the shootout. Mertz was denied by another diving save to the goalkeeper’s right, giving Detroit a 2-1 advantage after two kicks each. But Amoo-Mensah hit the left post, and Ryan Williams struck the crossbar to allow the Hounds to take a 3-2 edge to the final kick.

Michael Bryant converted first for Detroit, but Ydrach put the match away with a shot high and to the right side of goal, striking it well enough to go in off the fingertips of Saldaña.

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Modelo Man of the Match

Bradley Sample put in a remarkable workmate in the middle of the field, going all 120 minutes. The second-year pro connected on 55 of 61 passes (90.2 percent), was second on the team winning possession eight times, and also connected on 22 of 26 passes in the attacking third.

What’s next?

The Hounds will host No. 7 Rhode Island FC, which advanced with a 2-0 win over North Carolina FC, at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 15 in the Eastern Conference Final. The Hounds won both regular-season matches with Rhode Island this season but were beaten in a USL Jägermeister Cup match by the same opponent.

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Riverhounds SC lineup (3-4-2-1) — Eric Dick; Luke Biasi, Sean Suber, Beto Ydrach; Junior Etou, Bradley Sample, Danny Griffin, Perrin Barnes (Jackson Walti 90’); Robbie Mertz, Charles Ahl (Bertin Jacquesson 88’); Augi Williams

Detroit City FC lineup (3-4-1-2) — Carlos Saldaña; Darren Amoo-Mensah, Michael Bryant, Shane Wiedt; Isaiah LeFlore (Alex Villanueva 105’), Ryan Williams, Jay Chapman (Stephen Carroll 82’), Haruki Yamazaki (Matt Sheldon 118’); Jeciel Cedeño (Kobe Hernandez-Foster 63’); Ates Diouf (Jordan Adebayor-Smith 82’), Darren Smith (Sebastián Guenzatti 110’)

Scoring summary

None

Discipline summary

PIT — Perrin Barnes 77’ (caution – reckless foul)
PIT — Augi Williams 86’ (caution – reckless foul)
DET — Michael Bryant 90+2’ (caution – dissent)

Penalty kick shootout summary

Detroit (Goalkeeper: Saldaña) — Guenzatti, Hernandez-Foster, Amoo-Mensah (miss), Williams (miss), Bryant
Pittsburgh (Goalkeeper: Dick) — Jacquesson, Mertz (saved), Williams, Suber, Ydrach

PITTSBURGH (Nov. 1, 2025) — The Pittsburgh Riverhounds advanced in the USL Championship Playoffs in dramatic fashion, winning a penalty kick shootout 4-2 over Hartford Athletic after playing to a 0-0 draw through 120 minutes of regulation and extra time tonight at Highmark Stadium.

Hounds goalkeeper Eric Dick saved the first penalty kick of the shootout, Hartford missed on their fourth attempt, and Bertin Jacquesson, Robbie Mertz, Augi Williams and Sean Suber made the Hounds a perfect 4-for-4 from the spot to advance in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal.

The fourth-seeded Hounds advance to host No. 8-seed Detroit City FC, which sprung a 1-0 upset over No. 1 Louisville City FC tonight. That Eastern Conference Semifinal will be Saturday, Nov. 8 at a time to be determined.

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First half

Hartford jumped out on the front foot and had the ball in the net on a rebound after just two minutes, only to have the goal disallowed for forward Kyle Edwards being offside on the initial shot.

Once the Hounds settled into play, chances began to come on their end. The best came in the 29th minute, when Beto Ydrach headed a free kick from Mertz on goal, but Hartford goalkeeper Antony Siaha got low to make the lunging save.

Siaha and Hounds goalkeeper Eric Dick each made three saves in the match to record the dual shutouts. The clean sheet is Dick’s 27th with the Hounds, moving him past Hunter Gilstrap for second in club history.

Second half

The Hounds looked to create more after the break, and Junior Etou hit a good early cross to Danny Griffin that forced a save two minutes after halftime. Hartford mostly operated on the counter, though Michee Ngalina got an early open look from the top of the box, only to curl his shot wide of the right post.

Griffin slipped Mertz through toward goal in the 68th minute, but a sliding block kept him from hitting the target. 

Mertz had one more chance in stoppage time on a cross from Ydrach. Players from both teams dove and threw their bodies to get the ball, and Mertz was barely beaten to the crucial touch at the top of the 6-yard box.

Extra time

Set pieces provided most of the chances in extra time, with Hartford needed to scramble away multiple corners and Suber missing the mark on a header just before the midway point.

Jacquesson slipped a ball through through to Mertz in the box late in stoppage time, but it was a sliding block by former Hounds defender Joe Farrell that again kept the Hounds’ man from testing Siaha.

Once the match reached the shootout, Dick stopped the first shot by Hartford’s Hadji Barry with his trailing leg. Both teams converted until Hartford’s fourth kick, which Samuel Careaga put over the crossbar. That meant Suber was able to put the match away with his low conversion, as the Hounds advanced in the playoffs for the first time since 2022.

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Modelo Man of the Match

Robbie Mertz was ever-present in the match, playing all 120 minutes and converting in the shootout. The Pittsburgh native also connected on 46 of 51 passes (90.2 percent), had a team-leading seven recoveries of possession and won a trio of free kicks. 

What’s next?

After improving to 3-4 all-time in penalty kick shootouts, the Hounds are set to host Detroit City FC at a time to be determined on Saturday, Nov. 8. The teams met once before in the postseason, when Detroit scored a 1-0 upset over the Hounds to open the 2023 USL Championship Playoffs.

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Riverhounds SC lineup (3-4-2-1) — Eric Dick; Guillaume Vacter (Illal Osumanu 88’), Sean Suber, Beto Ydrach; Junior Etou, Bradley Sample (Bertin Jacquesson 91’), Danny Griffin, Luke Biasi (Perrin Barnes 62’); Robbie Mertz, Charles Ahl (Jackson Walti 78’); Augi Williams

Hartford Athletic lineup (3-4-3) — Antony Siaha; TJ Presthus, Joe Farrell, Adrián Diz Pe (Owen Presthus 80’); Emmanuel Samadia, Beverly Makangila (Junior Moreira 45’), Marlon Hairston (Jack Panayotou 117’), Sebastian Anderson; Michee Ngalina (Josh Belluz 90+3’), Kyle Edwards (Jonathan Jiménez 60’, Hadji Barry 117’), Samuel Careaga

Scoring summary

None

Discipline summary

PIT — Luke Biasi 8’ (caution – tactical foul)
HFD — Beverly Makangila 43’ (caution – reckless foul)
PIT — Robbie Mertz 58’ (caution – unsporting behavior)
HFD — Antony Siaha 58’ (caution – unsporting behavior)
HFD — Marlon Hairston 90’ (caution – reckless foul)
HFD — Head coach Brendan Burke 90’ (caution – dissent)
HFD — Junior Moreira 90+8’ (caution – tactical foul)
HFD — Josh Belluz 109’ (caution – reckless foul)

Penalty kick shootout summary

Hartford (Goalkeeper: Siaha) — Barry (saved), Farrell, Panayotou, Careaga (miss)
Pittsburgh (Goalkeeper: Dick) — Jacquesson, Mertz, Williams, Suber

PITTSBURGH (Oct. 25, 2025) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC battled to a 0-0 draw with Phoenix Rising FC to close the regular season tonight at Highmark Stadium, and the result was enough to secure a fourth-place finish in the Eastern Conference and a home match to open the USL Championship Playoffs next Saturday.

The Hounds (12-10-8) were on the front foot for the majority of the match, holding a 17-8 edge in shots, a 10-0 advantage in corner kicks and holding 63.1 percent of possession against Phoenix (9-8-13), which clinched its playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Eric Dick needed to make only one save for the shutout, his 12th in all competitions this season and his 26th with the Hounds, which ties him with Hunter Gilstrap for the second-most in team history.

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First half

The Hounds began pushing forward from the opening whistle, and in the fourth minute, the team made a claim for a penalty kick for handling when Augi Williams’ header was blocked behind in close quarters by Phoenix’s Carl Sainté.

Undeterred, the Hounds continued to attack, and in the 20th minute, Luke Biasi lashed a shot across goal after getting into the right side of the box to receive a long, diagonal pass forward. Phoenix largely settled for long-range efforts, and Dick made his only save of the match only 11 minutes into play.

Phoenix goalie Patrick Rakovsky made four saves for his clean sheet, and in the 38th minute, he stood tall to deny Williams at close range as the striker tried to poke a high-bouncing ball around the keeper.

Biasi came closest to scoring in the 41st minute, when he again gained the right side of the box. Rather than crossing, he took a near-post effort on goal that struck the right post and bounced to safety for Phoenix.

Second half

Phoenix adjusted and saw more of the ball early in the second half, but the Hounds began to fire toward goal again with a rising volley by Bradley Sample in the 61st minute.

A few minutes later, Junior Etou curled a cross behind the back line for Williams, but the striker didn’t make clean contact on the ball, which allowed the Phoenix defense to scramble the chance clear of the goal line.

Phoenix’s best chance of the match came in the 79th minute when Ihsan Sacko got behind the defense on a long ball down the right side, but Guillaume Vacter tracked back with speed to make a last-ditch block on the shot, snuffing out the chance.

Sample had one final chance for the Hounds, getting on the end of a cross by Robbie Mertz, but his header took a deflection off the back of a defender and ricocheted into the arms of Rakovsky. As the final whistle blew, it secured a milestone for center back Sean Suber, who became only the fourth Riverhounds player to play every minute of a regular season, logging all 2,700 minutes of the 2025 campaign.

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Modelo Man of the Match

Guillaume Vacter was a ball winner extraordinaire, winning 16 of 19 duels and adding four clearances. He also contributed 15 final third entries, a shot on goal and an exceptional blocked shot to deny Ihsan Sacko’s clear chance in the 79th minute.

What’s next?

The Hounds will host Hartford Athletic (13-12-5) in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals next Saturday at Highmark Stadium, time and TV listings to be announced. The Hounds swept both meetings with Hartford this season, winning 1-0 at home on March 22 and taking a 2-1 win in Connecticut on Sept. 20.

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Riverhounds SC lineup (3-4-2-1) — Eric Dick; Guillaume Vacter, Sean Suber, Beto Ydrach; Junior Etou, Bradley Sample, Danny Griffin, Luke Biasi (Perrin Barnes 79’); Robbie Mertz, Charles Ahl (Jackson Walti 73’); Augi Williams (Bertin Jacquesson 79’)

Phoenix Rising FC lineup (3-4-3) — Patrick Rakovsky; Carle Sainté, Rafael Czichos, Pape Boye; Ryan Flood, John Scearce, Jean Moursou, Ascel Essengue; Darius Johnson (Rémi Cabral 77’), Hope Avayevu (Ihsan Sacko 77’), Charlie Dennis

Scoring summary

None

Discipline summary

None

(Oct. 18, 2025) — The Pittsburgh Riverhounds turned on an offensive onslaught on the West Coast, as Sean Suber, Augi Williams and Jackson Walti all found the net in a 3-0 win tonight over Monterey Bay FC at Cardinale Stadium in Seaside, Calif.

Suber had the Hounds (12-10-7) ahead before halftime, before the team struck twice in the second half to produce its first three-goal outing of the season. The Hounds also held 58 percent of possession and matched their season high of seven shots on goal on 12 total shots at the Monterey Bay (7-15-7) net.

The win propels the Hounds into fourth place in the Eastern Conference with one match to play, meaning the team would secure a home playoff match with a win next week.

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First half

Though the Hounds were able to manufacture a pair of early corner kicks, it was the home side that had the game’s first good look at goal in the 23rd minute. Johnny Klein one-touched a high ball down into the path of Xavi Gnaulati, and the young midfielder cut onto his right foot and hit a shot from the top of the box that curled just wide of the left post.

The Hounds would break through in the 27th minute after cycling the ball in the attacking half when Monterey Bay only partly cleared a corner kick. Williams received a pass on the ground into the box and played the ball wide to Danny Griffin on the right. Griffin’s low cross took a glancing touch off Guillaume Vacter that redirected the ball to an unmarked Suber for a tap-in at the back post. It was the second goal in as many matches for Suber, who had not scored this season before last week.

Less than a minute later, Charles Ahl had a shot to double the lead when Robbie Mertz picked him out alone on the left side. Ahl cut the ball onto his right foot, but his shot was too close to goalkeeper Nico Campuzano — a former University of Pittsburgh standout — who made one of his four saves.

Second half

The home team again produced the first chance of the half, as Klein put a shot into the breadbasket of goalkeeper Eric Dick less than 60 seconds after play resumed. Dick made two saves on the night for his 11th shutout of the season across all competitions.

Though the Hounds continued to press forward — both Luke Biasi and Mertz had chances in the box — it was in the 73rd minute that Williams doubled the lead. 

Walti, who entered the match only four minutes earlier, won the ball and rolled a perfectly weighted pass that found Williams’ right foot while curling away from the defender to his teammate’s right. Williams took one touch to accelerate into the box and ripped a shot over the arm of the goalkeeper for his team-leading ninth goal of the season.

Walti would apply the finishing touch to the match in the 86th minute after Williams created with a low cross that found its way all the way across the box. The Hounds continued to move the ball with Monterey Bay’s defense stretched, and Griffin knocked the ball onto the feet of Walti, who lifted a shot under the crossbar from inside the box.

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Modelo Man of the Match

Jackson Walti played a 21-minute shift off the bench, and his impact was immediate with an assist after four minutes, followed by the game-sealing goal. He also connected on 13 of 14 passes while in the match and won possession twice, with one of those turnovers created leading to his assist.

What’s next?

Home playoff matches are on the line when the Hounds play their regular-season finale against Phoenix Rising FC on Saturday, Oct. 25 at Highmark Stadium. The Hounds will host their opening playoff match if they win, while Phoenix (9-8-12) would do the same out West with a win and a loss by El Paso.

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Riverhounds SC lineup (3-4-2-1) — Eric Dick; Guillaume Vacter, Sean Suber, Beto Ydrach (Illal Osumanu 68’); Junior Etou (Perrin Barnes 76’), Bradley Sample, Danny Griffin, Luke Biasi; Robbie Mertz (Jorge Garcia 89’), Charles Ahl (Jackson Walti 68’); Augi Williams (Brigham Larsen 89’)

Monterey Bay FC lineup (5-4-1) — Nico Campuzano; Grant Robinson, Alex Lara, Nicholas Gordon, Pierce Gallaway (Mobi Fehr 57’), Joel Garcia Jr. (Miles Lyons 69’); Johnny Klein (Luke Ivanovic 74’), Wes Fonguck, Xavi Gnaulati, Diego Gutiérrez (Mayele Malango 57’); Tarik Scott (Anton Søjberg 57’)

Scoring summary

PIT — Sean Suber 27’ (Guillaume Vacter)
PIT — Augi Williams 73’ (Jackson Walti)
PIT — Jackson Walti 86’ (Danny Griffin)

Discipline summary

PIT — Guillaume Vacter 5’ (caution – tactical foul)
MB — Joel Garcia Jr. 20’ (caution – reckless foul)
MB — Pierce Gallaway 37’ (caution – reckless foul)
PIT — Augi Williams 47’ (caution – tactical foul)

PITTSBURGH (Oct. 11, 2025) — The Pittsburgh Riverhounds have qualified for the postseason for the eighth consecutive year — extending a team record — with a 2-1 win over Indy Eleven tonight at Highmark Stadium.

Danny Griffin and Sean Suber scored for the Hounds (11-10-7), who snapped a five-match winless run when facing Indy (9-14-5). James Musa scored in the 88th minute for the visitors, but the Hounds navigated five minutes of stoppage time to send the sellout crowd of 5,618 home happy.

The streak of eight consecutive playoff berths is the second-longest active streak in the USL Championship behind Louisville City FC, and it is the longest current streak among Pittsburgh’s four professional teams.

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First half

Indy, which entered the match as the first team on the wrong side of the playoff line in the Eastern Conference, came out pressing from the start, and Hounds goalkeeper Eric Dick made the first of his three saves in the seventh minute to smother a free kick by Aodhan Quinn.

Quinn nearly put the Eleven ahead on a counter-attack chance in the 22nd minute. The veteran found space alone in the left side of the box, but Dick again came up with a stop by getting his fingertips to a low shot, redirecting the ball around the far post.

But in the 38th minute, the Hounds put themselves in front on a play that began with a long cross snapped across goal by Robbie Mertz from the left sideline. The ball carried over the Indy defense to Augi Williams at the back post, and the striker hit a low, hard ball back across goal for a sliding Griffin to turn home for his sixth goal in all competitions this year, a career high.

Second half

Indy goalkeeper Hunter Sulte finished with five saves in the match, largely on a spectacular flurry early after the break.

Sulte denied Williams in the 58th minute with a kick save at point-blank range after a rambling run by Junior Etou to get into the left side of the box. One minute later, he dove to his right to deny Bradley Sample’s hard-hit half-volley. He ended the sequence with a third save shortly afterward, pushing Charles Ahl’s near-post attempt wide of the goal.

Suber finally increased the Hounds’ lead to two in the 76th minute by rising at the near post to meet a Sample corner kick and turning the ball into the far side of the net with his head. It was the center back’s first goal of 2025.

Indy pulled the goal back in the 88th minute with the Hounds defending a long throw-in. The defense headed the ball clear to Jack Blake, whose volley attempt from outside of the box spun off the outside of his foot. The awkward delivery fell perfectly at the back post for Musa, who finished unmarked on the spinning ball.

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Modelo Man of the Match

Danny Griffin put in a two-way shift with the goal being the highlight. But the captain also won possession a team-leading five times, won 4 of 7 aerial duels against a bigger Indy side and had five touches in the Indy box.

What’s next?

With playoffs confirmed, the Hounds have two matches left to try and move into the top four in the East and earn the right to host in the playoffs. The first of those is a cross-country trip to face a Monterey Bay FC (7-14-7) team that must win its final two chances to have any shot at the postseason. That match will be a 10 p.m. start Saturday, Oct. 18 in Seaside, Calif. 

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Riverhounds SC lineup (3-4-2-1) — Eric Dick; Guillaume Vacter, Sean Suber, Beto Ydrach; Junior Etou (Perrin Barnes 74’), Bradley Sample, Danny Griffin, Luke Biasi (Illal Osumanu 87’); Robbie Mertz (Jackson Walti 73’), Charles Ahl (Brigham Larsen 87’); Augi Williams (Bertin Jacquesson 83’)

Indy Eleven lineup (4-2-3-1) — Hunter Sulte; James Musa, Brian Schaefer, Ben Ofeimu (Josh O’Brien 83’), Joseph Zalinsky (Hayden White 62’); James Murphy (Oliver Brynéus 62’), Cam Lindley; Aodhan Quinn (Edward Kizza 62’), Jack Blake, Bruno Rendón; Romario Williams (Elvis Amoh 77’)

Scoring summary

PIT — Danny Griffin 38’ (Augi Williams)
PIT — Sean Suber 76’ (Bradley Sample)
IND — James Musa 88’ (Jack Blake)

Discipline summary

IND — Brian Schaefer 18’ (caution – reckless foul)
IND — Cam Lindley 63’ (caution – tactical foul)
PIT — Perrin Barnes 86’ (caution – reckless foul)