Match Recaps

PITTSBURGH (June 4, 2016) – The Pittsburgh Riverhounds (1-6-3) could not overcome two first half goals by the Charleston Battery (6-3-3), falling, 2-1, at Highmark Stadium. Despite outshooting their opponent 16-to-7 and dominating possession for the better part of the match, the two goals allowed in the span of five minutes in the first half proved to be too much.

Netting the tallies for Charleston were O’Brian Woodbine in the 37th minute and Taylor Mueller in the 42nd minute, while Rob Vincent, in his return to Pittsburgh on one-game loan from D.C. United, scored Pittsburgh’s lone goal in the 50th minute.

The Hounds got off to a fast start with Corey Hertzog netting multiple chances within the match’s first 35 minutes. Getting behind the defense in the 27th minute, Hertzog nearly put a ball past Charleston goalkeeper Alex Tambakis, but saw his shot get altered due to a tough challenge from behind by a Battery defender in the box. Hertzog would again almost strike in the 35th minute after defender Jordan Murrell kicked back a through-ball to him in the box, but the former’s shot found Tambakis in perfect position.

The Battery’s first score followed soon, as they forced a Murrell foul in the box on the counter. Woodbine would take the penalty, placing the shot upper-left corner out the grasp of an outstretched Mauricio Vargas. Five minutes later, Charleston extended its lead to two goals, as the Hounds were unable to clear a free kick out of the box and Mueller fired a shot off the bounce into the upper part of the goal.

Pittsburgh’s second half got off to a stellar start with Vincent cashing in on a seeing-eye shot from 32 yards out for the club’s first score of the game. A flurry by the Hounds would ensue, as Hertzog nearly hit the equalizer only three minutes later. The Hounds forward received a cross in the box, but saw his header saved by Tambakis.

Despite the tough result, the Hounds finished the match with season highs in shots (16) and shots on goal (5), but will also be without the services of Sergio Campbell next weekend in Richmond, Virginia, after the defender received a red card in the 90th minute.

Pittsburgh’s road date with the Richmond Kickers (4-4-4) is set for Saturday, June 11 and will kick off at 7 p.m. at City Stadium. For more information on the Hounds’ upcoming match, visit www.riverhounds.com.

Line-ups:

Riverhounds – Mauricio Vargas – Jordan Murrell, Sergio Campbell, Willie Hunt, Drew Russell – Lebo Moloto (Duwayne Ewart 80’), Stephen Okai (Zak Boggs 74’), Mike Green, Rob Vincent – Corey Hertzog, Kevin Kerr

Subs not used: Hunter Gilstrap, Conor Branson, Isaiah Schafer, Nick Kolarac, James Bissue

Charleston Battery – Alex Tambakis – O’Brian Woodbine, Taylor Mueller, Forrest Lasso, Emmanuel Adjetey – Maikel Chang (Dante Marini 46’), Neveal Hackshaw (Shawn Ferguson 82’), Ataullah Guerra (Jose Nazareno 88’), Zach Prince – Ricardo Garbanzo, Heviel Cordoves (Chris Tsonis 62’)

Subs not used: Odisnel Cooper, Justin Portillo

Scoring Summary:

CHS – O’Brian Woodbine 37’ (penalty)

CHS – Taylor Mueller 42’

PGH – Rob Vincent 50’ (Stephen Okai)

Misconduct Summary:

CHS – Chris Tsonis 66’ (caution)

CHS – Ricky Garbanzo 68’ (caution)

PGH – Sergio Campbell 90’ (red card)

Cleveland Brothers “Blue Collar Player of the Game” – Rob Vincent

Quote Sheet

Dave Brandt

Overall thoughts…

I thought we played a very good game. I was really pleased, but two bad defensive mistakes, one or two other lapses – no question about it – and four or five point blank chances missed. So, that’s the difficult thing about soccer, you can play a very good game, but it has to get done at both ends and it didn’t get done at both ends tonight.

On building momentum after Vincent’s goal…

The longer we don’t tie the game up, the better for Charleston. That being said, it’s fair game till the very end, we all know that, and so our guys kept pushing. I told the guys at halftime, my college coach years ago told me something that’s very true – 2-0 is the worst lead in soccer – and I said, “You get one and everything changes.” But right now, there’s not enough belief here and that’s the problem and so, they don’t dare to believe yet. They don’t want to go there. So, we got the one and we just don’t quite think we can do that again. When we do, I think it’s going to be a good team.

Rob Vincent

On being back in Pittsburgh…

It was really nice to see everyone again, to see this place. I literally haven’t been back since I left to go on trial at D.C. I went there and everything worked out well and I didn’t even need to get back to drive and pick up my stuff – my wife moved everything back to D.C. So, it’s great to see everyone again.

On tonight’s performance…

Obviously disappointed with the result, but I think there was a lot of positives tonight and I’ve watched the team a couple times this season – probably three or four times – and I think that was a huge improvement. I think bringing Danny [Earls] back is going to be huge. In the two weeks Dave has had, I think we have gone from strength to strength, so I think this team will be fine.

On his goal…

I think nine times out of 10 that gets deflected or the keeper saves it. I was looking to get shots, I hadn’t really had many, and it just kind of opened up – no one closed me down and I probably didn’t hit it as cleanly as I would have liked, but just the amount of bodies in there probably blinded the keeper and slipped through. I felt at that point we were going to come back and tie it up and maybe even go on and win it. It just wasn’t meant to be.

Corey Hertzog

On tonight’s performance…

We were just trying to get one, and figured once we got one they would just keep coming and coming. We had some chances later, but tonight was absolutely our best performance on the pitch all year and everybody saw that. If we keep playing like that and keep it at a shutout or one goal, we’ll starting winning games.

On playing with Kevin up top…

Changing up the lineup and everything, I think Kevin [Kerr] and I have a good relationship on and off the field. Tonight we were playing well together and unfortunately we didn’t get the goal, but, like I said before, best night we’ve played, most chances we’ve created and I think if we can keep teams off the scoreboard and make those chances go in, it’s a different story.

HARRISON, N.J. (May 28, 2016) – The Pittsburgh Riverhounds (1-5-3) could not overcome a slow start in head coach Dave Brandt’s debut, losing to the New York Red Bulls II (6-1-3), 1-0, at Red Bull Arena. Their second-straight loss on the road, the lone goal conceded by the Hounds came by way of Junior Flemmings in the eighth minute.

Brandt saw his team let up several early chances off set pieces by New York in the first 20 minutes. For the most part, goalkeeper Mauricio Vargas and company weathered the storm, but were unable to stop Flemmings at the eight-minute mark. Slicing through the middle of the defense, Flemmings received a through-ball from Brandon Allen, and tucked his shot right side of the goal past an aggressive pursuit by Vargas.

Despite New York’s tally, Vargas continued his strong play this season, finishing the match with six saves, while the defense faced 17 shots and nine corner kicks.

The Hounds nearly responded with an equalizer immediately off the ensuing change of possession from the goal, as Drew Russell streaked down the right side of the pitch, placing a perfect cross to the far post for Corey Hertzog. The latter though was unable to secure the goal, as he pushed his header directly into the post.

Pittsburgh recovered in the second half with sustained bouts of possession in the attacking third, but was stymied by a solid effort from New York goalkeeper Ryan Meara. Hertzog had multiple golden opportunities in the 46th minute, but was stopped by Meara on back-to-back chances off a breakaway into the box.

In the 57th minute, Jordan Murrell and Russell almost teamed up for a tally, but the latter pushed a beauty of a cross towards the back post wide. The Hounds would continue to try and push for offensive chances, but no goals were to be found.

Up next for Pittsburgh will be the Charleston Battery (5-2-3) at Highmark Stadium on Saturday, June 4. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. 

Line-ups:

Riverhounds – Mauricio Vargas – Jordan Murrell, Sergio Campbell (Conor Branson 90’+), Willie Hunt, Drew Russell (Isaiah Schafer 89’) – Kevin Kerr – Lebo Moloto, Stephen Okai (Zak Boggs 82’), Mike Green – Duwayne Ewart (James Bissue 60’), Corey Hertzog

Subs not used: Hunter Gilstrap, Karsten Smith, Ryan Dodson

New York Red Bulls II – Ryan Meara – Justin Bilyeu (Cheikh M’Baye 46’), Aaron Long, Zach Carroll, Konrad Plewa – Devon Williams, Sean Davis (Dan Metzger 46’), Noah Powder (Tim Schmoll 90’), Junior Flemmings, Brandon Allen (Zoumana Simpara 46’) – Stefano Bonomo (David Najem 74’)

Subs not used: Rafael Diaz

Scoring Summary:

NY – Junior Flemmings (Brandon Allen)

Misconduct Summary:

PGH – Lebo Moloto 16’ (caution)

PGH – Stephen Okai 31’ (caution)

NY – Dan Metzger 58’ (caution)

PITTSBURGH (May 21, 2016) – The Pittsburgh Riverhounds (1-4-3) nabbed their first win of the season with a 2-1 result over Toronto FC II at Highmark Stadium on Saturday, May 21. Scoring the tallies for Pittsburgh were Lebo Moloto and Corey Hertzog, while Malik Johnson for Toronto pitched in one late in the match.

After a first half of strong defensive efforts from both sides, play opened up in Pittsburgh favor. Spending most of the time in Toronto’s defensive end, Moloto finally broke through in 68th minute for the first goal of the match. Moloto received the corner short from Kevin Kerr on the left side of the pitch before uncorking a shot that found its way into the upper part of the net.

Hertzog would soon follow after thanks to a Drew Russell deflection off a Conor Branson feed in the box. All second half subs, Russell’s header off of Branson’s initial touch from the throw-in kicked towards the far part of the post, where Hertzog was able to hit flush with an acrobatic finish into the upper left corner of the net. From there, the Hounds would hold serve amidst a late Johnson tally and a desperate push by Toronto.

Pittsburgh now hits the road to face New York Red Bulls II this Saturday, May 28. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

Line-ups:

Riverhounds – Mauricio Vargas – Michael Green, Sergio Campbell, Jordan Murrell, Willie Hunt – Stephen Okai, Karsten Smith (Conor Branson 70’), James Bissue (Corey Hertzog 58’) – Kevin Kerr, Duwayne Ewart (Drew Russell 71’), Lebo Moloto (Zak Boggs 90’+)

Subs not used: Brendan Alfery, Ben Swanson

Toronto FC II – Quillan Roberts – Wesley Charpie (Steven Furland 83’), Mitch Taintor, Robert Boskovic (Skylar Thomas 73’), Anthony Osorio – Liam Fraser, Chris Mannella, Brian James – Salvador Bernal (Adam Bouchard 61’), Shaan Hundal, Malik Johnson

Subs not used: Phil DiBennardo, Raheem Edwards

Scoring Summary:

PGH – Lebo Moloto 68’ (Kevin Kerr)

PGH – Corey Hertzog 72’ (Drew Russell)

TOR – Malik Johnson 83’

Misconduct Summary:

PGH – Jordan Murrell 56’ (caution)

Cleveland Brothers “Blue Collar Player of the Game” – Sergio Campbell

Quote Sheet

Mark Steffens:

On tonight’s performance…

Our possession was really, really high tonight. They moved the ball around real well. We really picked it up in the second half, but even in the first half we really knocked it around nicely. We didn’t create, again, a ton of scoring opportunities and you just sit there going, “When are we going to get some of these?” And it finally happened in the second half. I’m proud of the guys. They defended really hard, worked hard – doubled-down a lot, which we haven’t done a whole lot this year. So, the group did a good job.

On the scoring…

And tonight, it was nice to see the team click and see some scoring opportunities come our way and go in the net for a change. Overall, it was a good performance.

On Lebo Moloto…

He was magic tonight and this is what we expect of him. He’s really [Major League Soccer] quality. There’s no question in my mind. He’s magic and that’s what I call him. He does things that most players can’t even think of doing. He’s a great player and all night long – it’s taken him a little bit to get into the season, unfortunately – but he was fantastic tonight.

Kevin Kerr:

On ending the winless streak…

There was a little bit of desperation there. It was all about getting the job done and all about letting our frustration out and leaving it all out on the field.

On scoring two quick goals…

It was massive. Everyone knows we’ve been struggling with goals a little bit. You couldn’t have picked two players who wanted to score more. Everyone has been waiting for Corey to get going and everyone knows how good he is and how dangerous he can be. It was huge for him to come off the bench and score.

PITTSBURGH (May 18, 2016) – The Pittsburgh Riverhounds dropped their Lamar Hunt US Open Cup opener, 0-2, to Lansdowne Bhoys FC at Highmark Stadium. Despite a bevy of chances, the Hounds couldn’t crack the Lansdowne defense and have now extended their winless streak on the season to eight games.

The tallies from the Bhoys came in the 10th and 76th minute, respectively.

Craig Purcell opened the scoring on a free kick following a Karsten Smith foul in the 10th minute. Taking the set piece from about 30 yards out from the right side, James Nealis curled his take finding Purcell’s head, who hit it past a diving Mauricio Vargas far post. James Kavanagh would later add a tally off a counterattack that saw Oakley Ovanshoot an odd angled shot on Vargas. The Hounds keeper sent the rebound in front of the box and, from there, Kavanagh would send the second chance home for the eventual final of two-nil.

Despite the score, the Hounds controlled play for much of the match, finishing with advantages in the shot department (14-to-8) and corner kicks (8-to-4). The Hounds nearly cashed in on two occasions, the first coming in the 55th minute when a Corey Hertzog header bounced off the crossbar and then the goal line. Caleb Postlewait then nearly found the net after a beautiful cross from Kevin Kerr in the 86th minute. Kerr sent the ball in towards the far post, finding Postlewait whose glancing shot just missed beating the Bhoys keeper.

The Hounds continue a busy week with a home date against Toronto F.C. II this Saturday, May 21. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. 

Line-ups:

Riverhounds – Mauricio Vargas – Ryan Dodson (Nick Kolarac 84’), Karsten Smith, Willie Hunt, Mike Green – Zak Boggs (Drew Russell 59’), Lebo Moloto, Stephen Okai, Kevin Kerr, Conor Branson – Corey Hertzog (Caleb Postlewait 77’)

Subs not used: Hunter Gilstrap, Alex Harlley, Sergio Campbell, Isaiah Schafer

Lansdowne Bhoys FC – Abdoukarim Danso – Shaun Foster, Sean Kelly, James Nealis, Tom Wharf (Ciaran McGuigan 30’) – Craig Purcell, Stephen Roche – Conor Hunter, Daryl Kavanagh (Karim Russel 82’), Oakley Ovan (Michael Bello 86’), Sikele Slyvester

Subs not used: Timothy O’Driscoll, Aidan Tucker

Scoring Summary:

LAN – Craig Purcell 10’ (James Nealis)

LAN – Daryl Kavanagh 76’

Misconduct Summary:

LAN – Conor Hunter 30’ (caution)

LAN – James Nealis 45’ (caution)

LAN – Ciaran McGuigan 49’ (caution)

PGH – Lebo Moloto 55’ (caution)

PGH – Drew Russell 60’ (caution)

PGH – Drew Russell 69’ (caution/ejection)

LAN – Shaun Foster 90’ (caution)

CINCINNATI (May 14, 2016) – The Pittsburgh Riverhounds (0-4-3) fell for the first time on the road this season, dropping a 1-0 decision to FC Cincinnati (5-2-2) in front of a USL-record crowd of 23,375 at Nippert Stadium.

The game-winning tally came midway through the first half, as Sean Okoli fed a ball past Conor Branson to Jimmy McLaughlin, who converted on his initial rebound past a sprawling Mauricio Vargas. Both teams traded possession for much of the contest, but it was Cincinnati with the bulk of the chances, flooding Vargas and the Hounds defense with 11 shot attempts and nine shots on goal.

Vargas, making his USL career debut, was stellar, stopping eight of the nine shots he faced including four or five bonafide scoring chances. His performance solidified an overall strong effort from the Hounds defense under siege for most of the match.

A native of Alajuela, Costa Rica, Vargas had several highlight worthy moments. His best save of the night came on a chance in the 50th minute, as Okoli found himself with space just outside the front of the box. The Cincinnati forward put a strong shot heading for the upper right corner, but Vargas, well-positioned, dove to his left and caught just enough of the shot with his hand to send it into the stands.

The rookie keeper’s shining debut extended further into the match as the Hounds defense faced yet another barrage of Cincinnati attacks. Kicking a second-consecutive corner at the 79th minute, Cincinnati found space on the far post and attempted a dangerous cross. Vargas though darted off his line to make a sprawling catch and end the scoring threat.

On the offensive side, Kevin Kerr had perhaps the best chance of the night for the Hounds following the McLaughlin goal, as the captain pushed for an equalizer in the 28th minute. Receiving a long ball deftly in the front of the box, Kerr bull rushed his way past Cincinnati defenders to put a shot on goal in close, but goalkeeper Mitch Hildebrandtwas able to dive to his right and control the attempt.

The Hounds would continue to threaten with solid bouts of possession in the Cincinnati defensive end in the second half, including five corners, but could not find any room for shots on net. They finished the half with one shot on goal on three shot attempts in the final 45 minutes.

Pittsburgh now heads back home to Highmark Stadium next week to host Toronto F.C. II (1-3-2) on Saturday, May 21. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

Line-ups:

Riverhounds – Mauricio Vargas – Willie Hunt, Marshall Hollingsworth (Isaiah Schafer 30’ (Alex Harlley 81’)), Sergio Campbell, Mike Green – Lebo Moloto, Stephen Okai (Ryan Dodson 73’), Conor Branson – Kevin Kerr, Drew Russell, Corey Hertzog (Zak Boggs 81’)

Subs not used: Hunter Gilstrap, Karsten Smith, Ben Swanson

FC Cincinnati – Mitch Hildebrandt – Pat McMahon, Harrison DelBridge, Paul Nicholson, Tyler Polak (Derek Luke 80’) – Kenney Walker, Corben Bone (Erik Stevenson 70’), Jimmy McLaughlin (Omar Mohamed 92’), Ross Tomaselli (Evan Lee 82’) – Andrew Wiedeman, Sean Okoli (Luke Spencer 89’)

Subs not used: Dallas Jaye, Omar Cummings

Scoring Summary:

CIN – Jimmy McLaughlin 27’ (Sean Okoli)

Misconduct Summary:

CIN – Pat McMahon (caution) 33’

PGH – Lebo Moloto (caution) 40’

PGH – Stephen Okai (caution) 54’

CIN – Sean Okoli (caution) 70’

PGH – Sergio Campbell (caution) 74’

PITTSBURGH (May 7, 2016) – In a playoff rematch from last year, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds (0-3-3) squared off against the New York Red Bulls II (4-1-2), falling to their opposition at home, 1-3. Donning pink for breast cancer awareness, the Hounds could not overcome a second half flurry from New York that resulted in two goals.

Romeo Parkes drew the lone goal for the Hounds, and Anatole Abang, Stefano Bonomo and Derrick Etienne each had a tally for the Red Bulls II.

The first half saw the clubs draw even, as Parkes opened up scoring in the 10th minute with an impressive individual effort to beat New York goalkeeper Kyle Reynish on the left. Jockeying for position amidst two Red Bull defenders in the box, Parkes’ effort made it goals in five-straight for the Jamaican.

Pittsburgh’s lead was short lived though, as Abang headed a desperate cross from the left side of the box only moments after in the 12th minute. New York’s equalizer just went over the outstretched hands of goalkeeper Hunter Gilstrap.

From there, both teams traded possession with Pittsburgh seeking Parkes, lined up alongside Corey Hertzog at the forward position, with long balls to the left side. The Hounds though could not crack the Red Bulls’ defense, while New York’s Brandon Allen kept active for the Bulls on the offensive end. His chance at the 39th minute was the closest New York came to taking the lead in the first 40, as he was able to find his way past Gilstrap for a shot. Allen’s chance though, from on odd angle in the left side of the box, did not find the net, rather hitting the outside of the left post.

Entering the second half, the Hounds dominated possession for the better part of the first 20 minutes of action. Like their sustained bouts of possessions in the first half though, no goals would result. Marshall Hollingsworth, playing left back, connected with Kevin Kerr on a beautiful cross from the left side of the box in the 50th minute, but Kerr’s header, while flush, was blocked before reaching net.

After weathering the Pittsburgh storm, the Red Bulls would eventually cash in, first a goal from Bonomo in the 73rdminute then the insurance from Etienne in the 83rd minute. Etienne’s goal, in particular, involved some impressive play from New York, as Justin Bilyeu sent a cross from deep in the right corner that found Etienne’s foot for the third goal of the match.

The conclusion of the match was marred by fighting from both sides, after a late challenge by New York’s Tyler Adams on Willie Hunt resulted in a caution in the 83rd minute. On the ensuing set piece, tempers flared with both Parkes and Karl Ouimette being sent off with red cards. New York’s Ouimette was injured during the scuffle and had to be stretchered off the field. After everything had settled, the match saw eight minutes of stoppage time added.

Pittsburgh continues its season on the road, facing FC Cincinnati (4-2-2) for the first meeting between the two teams of the season. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 14.

Line-ups:

Riverhounds – Hunter Gilstrap – Marshall Hollingsworth, Willie Hunt, Sergio Campbell, Isaiah Schafer (Ben Swanson 84’) – Lebo Moloto, Kevin Kerr, Mike Green (Stephen Okai 45’ (Conor Branson 84’)), Drew Russell – Romeo Parkes, Corey Hertzog (Zak Boggs 73’)

Subs not used: Brenden Alfery, Jordan Murrell, Ryan Dodson

New York Red Bulls II – Kyle Reynish – Konrad Plewa (Noah Powder 25’), Karl Ouimette, Gideon Baah (Aaron Long 67’), Justin Bilyeu – Devon Williams (Dan Metzger), Tyler Adams, Derrick Etienne, Junior Flemmings – Brandon Allen (Chekih M’Baye), Anatole Abang (Stefano Bonomo 59′)

Subs not used: Rafael Diaz, Simpara Zoumana

Officials:

Referee: Marco Vega – Assistants: Lucas Feathers, Christopher Farver – Fourth Official: Alfonso Fajardo

Scoring Summary:

PGH – Romeo Parkes 10’

NY – Anatole Abang 12’

NY – Stefano Bonomo 73’

NY – Derrick Etienne 83’ (Justin Bilyeu)

Misconduct Summary:

PGH – Lebo Moloto (caution) 21’

NY – Tyler Adams (caution) 83’

PGH – Romeo Parkes (red card)

NY – Karl Ouimette (red card)

Cleveland Brothers “Blue Collar Player of the Game” – Marshall Hollingsworth

Post-Game Quote Sheet

Mark Steffens:

In regards to the Romeo Parkes incident…

[The Romeo Incident] I don’t really know what happened in there besides the referee giving them both red cards and then it looked like Romeo retaliated. It’s an unfortunate situation and it’s embarrassing for the organization and for myself, the coaching staff, and for everybody. I think it will be dealt with by the USL and us as well on top of that.

Kevin Kerr:

On tonight’s performance…

I thought the first hour was actually really good. We did not try to over complicate it, we know the situation we’re in, we have to grind out our first win it doesn’t need to be pretty, but with every week that goes by it gets bigger and bigger.

It’s a long season, we’re all going to make mistakes. It would be great if one of us on the field could step up and put that right.

On playing at home…

When things are going well you can’t wait to play at home and put on a good performance for the fans. When the pressures on, you’re down at the bottom and people are desperate for a win sometimes home games are harder. When you go away the pressure can go away and you can worry about your eleven on the field.

The fans again were unbelievable, we were expecting rainstorms and still had a good turnout. I didn’t hear them stop singing, so credit to them and we’ve got to give a performance on the field to match that.

CHARLESTON (April 30, 2016) – The Hounds fight hard, but a costly penalty leads to just one point coming back to Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh keeper Hunter Gilstrap was put into action for the opening of the first half recording several saves to keep the Hounds in contention.

Charleston kept their attacking pressure on the Hounds’ back line and the shots followed although few were on the mark.

The tide changed in the thirtieth minute when Romeo Parkes showed great patience and control while being pressured by several defenders. The Jamaican forward then calmly slotted his shot into the Battery’s goal to give Pittsburgh the lead.

Gilstrap then merited a caution for delay of game in the thirty eighth minute.

The Battery returned the score line to even when head official, Howard Ash, granted a penalty for some contact in the box during a Charleston corner kick. Justin Portillo then stood up to take the penalty and put it past Gilstrap.

The Hounds return to Highmark Stadium Saturday, May 7th, at 7 p.m. against New York Red Bulls II for a rematch of last year’s playoff battle.

Line-ups:

Riverhounds – Hunter Gilstrap – Isaiah Schafer (Conor Branson 80’), Sergio Campbell, Willie Hunt, Chad Barson (Mike Green 50’) – Zak Boggs (Drew Russell 73’), James Bissue (Lebo Moloto 72’), Ben Swanson (Corey Hertzog 64’), Kevin Kerr (c) – Marshall Hollingsworth – Romeo Parkes

Subs not used: Mauricio Vargas, Alex Harlley

Charleston – Odisnel Cooper, Quinton Griffith, Taylor Mueller, Shawn Ferguson (c) – Obrian Woodbine, Dante Marini, Neveal Hackshaw, Justin Portillo, Maikel Chang – Ataulla Guerra (Ricky Garbanzo 45’), Romario Williams (Chris Tsonis 86’)

Subs not used: Alexander Tambakis, Forrest Lasso, Emmanuel Adjetey, Austin Savage

Scoring Summary:

PGH – Romeo Parkes 30’

CHS – Justin Portillo 66’ (penalty)

Misconduct Summary:

PGH – Hunter Gilstrap 38’ (caution)

LOUISVILLE (April 27, 2016) – In a game that took well over three hours to complete, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds (0-2-2) left Louisville Slugger Stadium with a draw against Eastern Conference-leading Louisville City FC (4-1-1). The squads battled unsavory conditions all night with nearly two hours of weather delays interrupting play in both the first and second half.

The Hounds received scoring from Romeo Parkes and Corey Hertzog in the 10th and 75th minute respectively, while Louisville cashed in on goals by Chandler Hoffman in the 57th minute and Conor Shanosky in the 86th minute.

Weather delays marred much of the night’s action with the first hitting at the 40-minute mark and again at 53 minutes. The Hounds a held 1-0 advantage at both times thanks to the goal by Parkes that saw Pittsburgh utilize some nifty tic-tac-toe passing result in a Stephen Okai feed to the Jamaican for his third goal in as many games.

Aside from the first tally, much of the story revolved around a stellar performance by goalkeeper Hunter Gilstrap in the first half, who saved all four of Louisville’s shots on goal. He also helped in coordinating the Hounds’ back four to withstand a flurry of Louisville opportunities, which were buoyed by a 6-to-0 advantage in the corner department.

Following a lengthy delay at the 53rd minute, Louisville finally found a way past Gilstrap with Mark Anthony-Kaye lobbing a ball into the box that found the head of Chandler Hoffman for the tying tally in the 57th minute. Gilstrap attempted to challenge Hoffman at the point of contact, but could not reach the ball in time, allowing for Hoffman’s seventh goal in six games.

With the field essentially rendered a puddle in the middle part of the second half, especially on the Hounds’ defensive end, possession remained dominated by Louisville until Hertzog broke through in the 75th minute on a penalty kick – his first on the season.

The Hounds second-straight match with a penalty tally came on an interesting sequence that saw a Louisville pass die at the feet of Willie Hunt in the waterlogged infield of Louisville Slugger Stadium. Hunt quickly relayed a through-ball to Hertzog, who took off for a clear breakaway against goalkeeper Scott Goodwin. The latter put in a last-ditch effort to stop a sure goal, taking out Hertzog on a failed challenge resulting in a red card for Goodwin and a yellow for teammate Ben Newnam for dissent.

Louisville did not relent though down a man, eventually forcing enough pressure on the Hounds defense to grind a goal past Gilstrap in the 86th minute. Shanosky cashed in on a failed clear by the Hounds in the box to even the score.

Pittsburgh ended the match with the best chance to get a go-ahead tally, as Hertzog found himself in another breakaway situation. There would be no third goal though, as Greg Ranjitsingh, filling in for the ejected Goodwin, made a stellar diving grab to dispossess Hertzog.

Now with two points on the season, the Hounds will look to snag its first win of the season in a road date against the Charleston Battery (2-1-2) on Saturday, April 30 at 7:30 p.m. Fans can catch all the action on the USL’s YouTube channel.

Line-ups:

Riverhounds – Hunter Gilstrap – Jordan Murrell, Willie Hunt, Sergio Campbell, Drew Russell – Stephen Okai, Conor Branson, Mike Green, Romeo Parkes, Lebo Moloto – Corey Hertzog

Subs not used: Mauricio Vargas, James Bissue, Isaiah Schafer, Ben Swanson, Alex Harlley, Zak Boggs, Marshall Hollingsworth

Louisville City FC – Scott Goodwin (Greg Ranjitsingh 73’) – Ben Newnam, Sean Reynolds, Conor Shanosky, Enrique Montano – Paolo DelPiccolo, Guy Abend, Kadeem Dacres, Niall McCabe (Cameron Lancaster 48’), Mark-Anthony Kaye (George Davis IV 86’) – Chandler Hoffman

Subs not used: Jonghyun Son, Ilija Ilic, Magnus Rasmussen, Paco Craig

Scoring Summary:

PGH – Romeo Parkes 10’ (Stephen Okai)

LOU – Chandler Hoffman 57’ (Mark-Anthony Kaye)

PGH – Corey Hertzog 75’ (penalty kick)

LOU – Conor Shanosky 86’

Misconduct Summary:

PGH – Conor Branson (yellow card) 23’

LOU – Scott Goodwin (red card) 73’

LOU – Ben Newnam (yellow card) 73’

PGH – Jordan Murrell (yellow card) 83’

PITTSBURGH (April 22, 2016) – The Pittsburgh Riverhounds (0-2-1) battled, but could not overcome an early red card to their captain Kevin Kerr as they fell to Orlando City B (1-3-1), 2-1. Romeo Parkes scored the Hounds lone goal in stoppage time, while Tyler Turner tallied both for the away squad.

Coming off a strong performance in Toronto that saw the Hounds battle, Pittsburgh was put in a hole early as Kerr was handed a red card in the 36th minute. Orlando City B quickly capitalized, with Turner netting a tally past goalkeeper to gain an early 1-0 lead.

Prior to Kerr’s departure in the first half, the Hounds had a couple chances to take an early lead and saw Orlando City B receive a booking of their own when Harrison Heath took down Parkes in the sixth minute.

Branson nearly connected with Parkes on a long, high ball in the 22nd minute, but much like later in the contest, Parkes header could not connect on net. Kerr’s foul would come shortly after, as he took down Turner with a tough slide tackle that led to the two-goal scorer staying on the ground for a short amount of time.

Pittsburgh would respond with some sustained pressure to end the first half including a missed free kick by Parkes from 35 yards out. Orlando’s goalkeeper Mark Ridgers held serve though, and finished the match with three saves on the night.

The second half opened with Parkes once again leading the attack for the Hounds. His early work in the middle of the field gave the Hounds a free kick in the 48th minute, but they were unable to capitalize. Connor Branson, playing centerback for the second-straight match tried to reach Parkes, but the latter was unable to put enough on his header to get past Ridgers.

The Hounds would continue to push despite being down a man. Orlando City B though would respond with their first sustained chance of the second half as Hadji Berry found Turner with a cut-back pass that the latter redirected for his second goal of the match in the 67th minute.

Mike Green, who subbed for Stephen Okai in the 60th minute, followed with one of the Hounds best chances of the evening, unleashing a shot from outside the box that flew just over the bar.

Action didn’t pick up again until stoppage time, when Parkes, once again, led an offensive charge eventually resulting in him being fouled in the box. The Jamaican took the penalty himself, and wasted no time firing a shot past Ridgers and recording a goal for the second-straight match.

The Hounds return to action next Wednesday, April 27, at 7 p.m. for their second-straight USL Game of the Week, as they travel to Louisville, Kentucky for a bout against Louisville City FC. Fans can catch all the action on ESPN3.

Line-ups:

Riverhounds – Hunter Gilstrap – Jordan Murrell, Willie Hunt (Alex Harlley 77′), Sergio Campbell, Drew Russell – Stephen Okai (Mike Green 60′), Conor Branson (Zak Boggs 89′), Romeo Parkes, Kevin Kerr (Red Card 36′) – Marshall Hollingsworth (James Bissue 81′)  – Corey Hertzog (Isaiah Schafer 75′)

Subs not used: Mauricio Vargas, Karsten Smith

Orlando City B – Mark Ridgers – Tyler Turner, Michael Ambrose, Kyle Callan-McFadden, Devron Garcia – Richmond Laryea (Alejandro Garcia), Johnny Mendoza (Keegan Smith), Harrison Heath (Andrew Ribeiro), Antonio Rocha – Hadji Barry, Bryan Rochez (Michael Cox)

Subs not used: Jake Fenlason, Craig Nitti, Marius Obekop

Officials:

Referee: Drew Fischer – Assistants: Cory Richardson, Joshua Sanders – Fourth Official: Colin Nelson

Scoring Summary:

ORL – Tyler Turner 39′ (Johnny Mendoza)

ORL – Tyler Turner 67′ (Hadji Barry)

PGH – Romeo Parkes 90+’ (Penalty Kick)

Misconduct Summary:

ORL – Harrison Heath (yellow card) 7′

PGH – Kevin Kerr (red card) 36′

Cleveland Brothers “Blue Collar Player of the Game” – Marshall Hollingsworth

Post-Game Quote Sheet

Mark Steffens:

We definitely stepped it up. [Kevin Kerr’s red card] was a bit of a wake up call, but still when you’re down one-nil and you’re a man short, it’s pretty hard to come back when the other team packs it in. And that’s what they did, they put a lot of guys behind the ball and we worked hard, got quite a few good chances and the PK.

We could have easily come out of here with a tie, but we pushed forward since the red card, we pushed an extra guy up, and we were vulnerable in the back. We started with three defenders in the second half, so they had some chances to get behind us and they did, but we actually defended really well with the three. But again, chasing the game a man down is not the easiest thing to do.

I do think the guys really stepped up and played well, it’s too bad a call like that has to change the whole game.

We can’t rest our players, we have to go out there and have our core start. We have a deep enough roster where we can make some changes here and there as we go. It’s not going to be easy. There’s a very difficult road trip ahead of us with Louisville and Charleston on the road with a lot of travel and a tired team, but we’ll work hard and be ready.

It’s a long season. We have 27 games to go and you get on a streak, win three out of four, and you’re right back in it. So, I’m not concerned about the long run to be honest, I’m just concerned about the team trying to get the first one. I think it’s just about getting the monkey off our back.

Romeo Parkes:

[Losing Kerr] is a big loss for us because Kevin is one of our key players. He helps the attack, he helps defend a lot, so we just got to fight for him even when he’s off the field – we just got to fight. It’s difficult for us to [attack] in the middle because they have four defenders to our two, so we have to go wide and hit them inside because they compact the middle.

[Being down] is really difficult for us because the three games we have to chase, it is really not good enough. We just need to step it up more. We have to start a game higher [energy] instead of starting a game low. So, these games we just know we have to step it up more.

Honestly if he didn’t kick my feet [in stoppage time], it would be a goal. So, he kick my feet, I got a penalty and I still finish it. He made it easier for me.

Sergio Campbell:

[The defense] is not a chemistry problem. It’s early in the season, so we still have things to work on. By playing things are going to get better. We played against a good team and we give them credit. Things are going to happen and you just have to move forward and try to work on stuff in practice. It’s only three games, so hopefully things are going to get better.

We just want to play a little bit quicker because they were trying to high-press us as soon as we got the ball – try to close us down. So, if we had been a little bit quicker, we could get out of defensive territory quicker. But when we slow things down and then we get blocked up, you force things long and we weren’t winning our second balls and it was a problem for us.

We are just going to go to the pitch and work on what needs to get better. This is our job, we take it seriously. What’s in the past is in the past. We just have to focus on the next game. It’s all about the next game. This game is already in the rearview mirror, so we’re not going to worry too much. All we can do is just try to learn from what happened in the game – the bad, and take the good also. Move on, that’s all.

TORONTO (April 17, 2016) – It came down to the wire and a free kick in stoppage time for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds to earn a well fought point from Toronto F.C. II.

In only their second game this season, the Hounds fought hard into injury time when Conor Branson netted a low shot around the Toronto wall just outside the penalty area.

Nick Hagglund opened up the scoring when he got on the end of Raheem Edwards’ corner kick to put Toronto in front on twelve minutes.

The Hounds responded late in the second half when Romeo Parkes linked up with Marshall Hollingsworth for a nice give and go that the Jamaican finished into the back of Toronto’s net. Parkes celebrated with a nice display of acrobatics and the Hounds went into halftime level at one goal a piece.

Shortly after the resuming of play, Stephen Okai fired a shot high over the target after receiving a nice headed pass inside the box from Jordan Murrell.

Hounds interim captain Mike Green drew a penalty in the fifty-fifth minute when he got tangled with Toronto’s Raheem Edwards inside his own penalty area. Edwards fired it home beneath a diving Hunter Gilstrap to put the home side up by a goal.

Columbus Crew SC loan Ben Swanson received a yellow card for a risky challenge with fifteen minutes to play.

Isaiah Schafer would play a strong ball in to Parkes who almost drew the sides level again when his shot from just inside the box ricocheted off the crossbar. After a few touches ensued the ball ended up on the foot of Okai who put his shot just wide of the mark.

Raheem Edwards would later receive Toronto’s first caution of the evening for a late tackle near the end of the second half. Toronto would see yellow again at the start of injury time for Robert Boskovic’s tackle on Romeo Parkes on the edge of Toronto’s penalty area.

Branson would slot home his shot home to bring the Hounds to within minutes of their first points of the season.

Things then got tense when a series of counter attacks would see Toronto firing several shots on the Hounds net with their final shot being blocked off the line by a Hounds defender. Then, the ball was sent down field to a streaking Parkes who was not able to slide it past a charging Alexander Bono before the final whistle drew the game to a close.

The Hounds return to action next Friday, April 22, at 7 p.m. when Orlando City B visits Highmark Stadium for the first of twenty USL matches to be broadcast on ESPN 3 this season.

Line-ups:

Riverhounds – Hunter Gilstrap – Jordan Murrell, Willie Hunt, Conor Branson, Nick Kolarac (Ben Swanson 42’) – Zak Boggs, Stephen Okai (Karsten Smith 84’), Mike Green (Isaiah Schafer 67’), Zak Boggs (Caleb Postlewait 67’) – Marshall Hollingsworth – Corey Hertzog

Subs not used: Mauricio Vargas, James Bissue, Ryan Dodson

Toronto F.C. II – Alexander Bono – Wesley Charpie (Bubacarr Jobe 66’), Nick Hagglund, Skylar Thomas (Eriq Zavaleta 62’), Anthony Osorio – Adam Bouchard (Christopher Mannella 66’), Aidan Daniels (Robert Boskovic 83’), Brian James – Shaan Hundal (Salvador Bernal Flores 71’), Raheem Edwards, Malik Johnson

Subs not used: Phil Di Bennardo, Martin Davis

Scoring Summary:

TOR – Nick Hagglund 12’ (Raheem Edwards)

PGH – Romeo Parkes 41’ (Marshall Hollingsworth)

TOR – Raheem Edwards [penalty] 56’

PGH – Conor Branson 90+’

Misconduct Summary:

PGH – Ben Swanson 75’ (caution)

TOR – Raheem Edwards 84’ (caution)

TOR – Robert Boskovic 90+’ (caution)