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With the first half of the season completed, The Howler takes a look back at some of the best moments so far in 2018. Today, the midseason review details the goals that defined the Hounds’ current second-place standing in the Eastern Conference.

Now let’s take a look at the best goals…

Neco Brett // April 7 // Toronto FC II

Already posting two tallies, striker Neco Brett hunted down a hat trick. Originally hitting wing player Andrew Lubahn with a pass on a break, Brett sprinted to the goalmouth as his teammate released a shot. In position to react quickly and convert on the rebound opportunity, Brett scored his third goal of the match en route to the Hounds’ 4-0 win. He was later named USL Player of the Week for his efforts.

Neco Brett // April 28 // Atlanta United 2

The Hounds kept up their ferocious style of play against Atlanta United 2 in an early season contest, stretching the field and attacking constantly. It didn’t take long for Riverhounds SC to get its name on the board after a wonderful effort from Christiano François resulting in a patient strike from Neco Brett. Goalkeeper Paul Christensen made an early move toward Brett before he feinted to his left and rocked one into the back of the net. With the win, the Hounds moved their record to 3-0-3 to start the season.

Romeo Parkes // June 2 // Richmond Kickers

Playing at City Stadium on a rainy Saturday night, Riverhounds SC dominated possession and chances in the first half of play before letting in an early goal in the second half. After changing the personnel and bringing in Neco Brett, the Hounds received more opportunities. The change prevailed, and Brett placed a perfect ball in to Romeo Parkes, who then shot it after only its second bounce. Parkes’ goal went down as the game-winner in the Hounds’ comeback 2-1 victory.

Christiano François // July 4 // North Carolina FC

With only 18 minutes being played in the match, the game was halted due to a lightning delay. After more than a two-hour break, the Hounds were ready to fight for three points. In the final moments of the first half, Christiano François danced past North Carolina’s defense for an exhilarating blast to the far post. The beautiful shot and goal led François to be nominated for USL Goal of the Week.

Hugh Roberts // July 8 // Ottawa Fury FC

Riding a winning streak of two straight matches, the Hounds migrated north to take on Ottawa Fury FC in the confines of TD Place. With a record of 3-0-4 on the road, Riverhounds SC came into the matchup with its foot on the gas pedal. A failed corner kick from Christiano François resulted in a second opportunity for the midfielder to whip the ball into the penalty box. With a header, Todd Pratzner set up Hugh Roberts to turn the heat on Ottawa. Roberts attacked the ball with two defenders on his tail and poked the ball out of the air with his right foot. The off-ball movement worked to the Hounds’ advantage, as Roberts’ no-look goal was the only tally of the contest.

With the first half of the season completed, The Howler takes a look back at some of the best moments so far in 2018. Today, the midseason review details assists that defined the Hounds’ current second-place standing in the Eastern Conference.

The helpers came from a wide range of Hounds, with eight different players having at least one assist this season and two players (Kevin Kerr and Kenardo Forbes) having a team-high of four assists.

Now let’s take a look at the best assists…

Thomas Vancaeyezeele // April 7 // Toronto FC II

Holding a record of 1-0-1 against Toronto FC II a season ago, the Hounds were looking to continue their high level of play against the in-conference foe in their first meeting of 2018. After a quiet first half of action, each team traded headers at midfield before an opportunity arose for a long pass from the foot of midfielder Thomas Vancaeyezeele. The rookie’s pass floated over the heads of the Toronto defense before spinning back into the path of forward Neco Brett, who slotted a strike past goalkeeper Angelo Cavalluzzo. This assist opened the scoring in Pittsburgh’s eventual 4-0 victory – its first win of the season.

Kenardo Forbes // April 21 // FC Cincinnati

Playing in front of a crowd of 24,505 fans at Nippert Stadium, the Hounds earned the early advantage in the first half before FC Cincinnati came back strong with the equalizer in the 59th minute. Afterward, the Hounds fought back putting high pressure on Cincinnati’s defense and forced a turnover in the back. Kenardo Forbes shook free of a defender, used his space and speed to gain distance and perfectly placed the ball at the feet of an open Thomas Vancaeyezeele for an easy shot and goal. Pittsburgh needed this effort to come away with a point, as FC Cincinnati later notched the score for a 2-2 final result.

Christiano François // April 28 // Atlanta United 2

The Hounds hoped to continue their 2018 unbeaten streak by securing the win against Atlanta United 2. A little more than halfway through the first 45 minutes, Pittsburgh gained the opportunity it was looking for off an assist from Christiano François. Battling with Atlanta’s defense, François quickly stole possession, fleeing down the right side. Keeping his head up and drawing an additional defender, François skirted through danger to find the feet of Neco Brett for the game winner. The 1-0 win helped the Hounds extend their unbeaten streak to six matches at the time.

Kevin Kerr // June 2 // Richmond Kickers

Trailing the Richmond Kickers, 1-0, in the second half, midfielder Kevin Kerr helped begin the comeback effort. On the receiving end of a Ben Zemanski cross, the Pittsburgh captain headed a ball toward striker Neco Brett, who stood at the top of the six-yard box and subsequently headed the ball in the net for the equalizer in the squad’s eventual 2-1 road victory.

Ray Lee // June 16 // New York Red Bulls II

Heading into the June 16 matchup against New York Red Bulls II, Riverhounds SC was looking to flip the script from the last two times the teams faced off. Ray Lee helped the Hounds do just that in the 65th minute off a flawless cross into the middle of the penalty box, where Romeo Parkes headed the ball past the Red Bulls II goalkeeper. Not only was Lee a force in the Hounds’ attack, he also cleared a ball from the Pittsburgh goalmouth in the beginning stages of the second half – all helping preserve the Hounds’ 3-0 victory.

With the first half of the season completed, The Howler takes a look back at some of the best moments so far in 2018. Today, the midseason review begins with stops that defined the Hounds’ current second-place standing in the Eastern Conference.

Led by goalkeeper Dan Lynd, Pittsburgh has racked up an incredible 12 clean sheets in 17 games. Lynd has started 14 games and currently holds a sparkling 0.50 goals-against average.

Let’s get into the top saves of 2018… so far.

Dan Lynd // May 19 // at Tampa Bay Rowdies

Facing perhaps their toughest road test at that point against the Tampa Bay Rowdies, the Hounds battled back from an early deficit at the notoriously difficult-to-play-in Al Lang Stadium. Tied at two in the 89th minute, Lynd came up large with a fast-reaction save to tip the ball over the crossbar off a Junior Flemmings header from inside the six-yard box. The stop proved vital, as the result would hold and the Hounds left St. Petersburg with a point in hand. 

Dan Lynd // May 26 // Penn FC

In their second meeting against their archrivals, the Hounds needed a save from Lynd in the 36th minute to eventually preserve the 0-0 result. Gathering a through-ball at the top of the 18-yard box, Penn FC’s Aaron Dennis elevated the ball to try to slip it over the Pittsburgh goalkeeper, who sprinted to the top of the penalty area to contest the scoring chance. As the ball head toward him, Lynd batted it out of the air before collecting the sphere in his grasp.

Dan Lynd // June 2 // at Richmond Kickers

Not winning a match at City Stadium since May 16, 2015, the Hounds hoped to improve their road record of 4-13-3 against the Richmond Kickers. With all three goals being scored in the second half, both goalkeepers showed their strength in keeping the score nil-nil until the final 45 minutes. Lynd’s best save came in the 28th minute when Richmond defender Mekeil Williams headed a dangerous ball directly on net. Fully extending himself to the right, Lynd just gained a touch to place the ball out of play. The save came up big, and it would factor into Pittsburgh’s 2-1 win at City Stadium – the team’s fifth road victory against the Kickers at the venue.

Dan Lynd // June 27 // Louisville City FC

Facing the daunting task of battling defending USL-champion Louisville City FC at Louisville Slugger Field, the Hounds clung to a 1-0 lead in second-half stoppage time. As time was running thin, Louisville released one last shot on target – a bullet off the foot of Brian Ownby from outside of the penalty area. With the ball ticketed for the upper part of the twine, Lynd took to the sky and swatted the ball over the crossbar to clinch his squad three points.

Dan Lynd // July 8 // at Ottawa Fury FC

Once again, Lynd provided the Hounds with needed late-game heroics in second-half stoppage time. With only two minutes to play, Ottawa’s attack pressured Lynd, pushing its whole team into the Hounds’ half. After confusion in the box, Fury FC striker Steevan Dos Santos placed a shot on frame, but it was blocked away by Lynd, who came out of the goalmouth to make a sliding clearance. His effort led the Hounds to their fifth straight clean sheet.

In the midst of the shutout effort, the defense also supplied the offense as Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (9-1-7) blanked Ottawa Fury FC (6-8-3), 1-0, on Sunday at TD Place Stadium. With a goal from defender Hugh Roberts, here is how the Hounds found the twine en route to clinching three points on the road.

22’ Hugh Roberts assisted by Todd Pratzner

The action started with a corner kick taken by Christiano François, who also originally created the opportunity for the set piece after driving down the left flank.

Depicted above, defender Joe Greenspan (yellow arrow) clears space using his 6-foot-6-inch frame to box out the opposition. Once the ball descends, the center back thrusts a powerful header on frame, which forces a diving save from Ottawa goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau.

Following Crépeau’s save and an Ottawa clearance, François (red arrow) once again obtains possession and sends another cross into the box. This time, the ball falls to defender Todd Pratzner (orange arrow).

Winning an aerial duel, Pratzner heads the ball in the direction of Roberts (green arrow), who uses his body to shield a couple of Fury FC defenders. Watching the ball in to his right foot, the veteran sends a no-look volley past Crépeau into the back of the net. Roberts’ first goal of the season provided the Hounds with the lead and eventual 1-0 victory.

Tale of the Tape

The Hounds did not overwhelm the Ottawa backline with shots, as they posted eight total takes in the match. However, they were efficient in their shot selection, as four of their eight total shots were on target.

Working in the Hounds’ favor were their six open play crosses. François, who sent the cross that led to Roberts’ goal, led the squad with three open play crosses. Also playing into Pittsburgh’s advantage was the team’s defensive effort. Having prevented Ottawa to just two total shots, it allowed Riverhounds SC to have a stronger foundation to its attack throughout the match.

It may be the first season of a new era, but head coach Bob Lilley has built a team that fits the mold of a city that prides itself on toughness.

It is accurate to say Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC is on pace to shatter club records on the defensive side of the ball and leads the league in multiple defensive statistics, but it still does not paint the whole picture of how dominant its defense has been throughout the first half of the 2018 campaign.

As Pittsburgh (8-1-7) prepares for its 17th game of the season, it will again strive to smother its opposition during a road battle against Ottawa Fury FC (6-7-3) at 1 p.m. on Sunday at TD Place Stadium. In their first meeting this year, the Hounds shut out Fury FC and held it to only three total shots.

“Everyone defends,” defender Todd Pratzner said. “Everyone does their job. All 11 guys are doing their thing and when you have that – that’s why we’re doing well defensively. It’s not just the back four. It’s not just the goalkeeper. It’s everyone locking in, everyone doing their job, everyone tracking back. I think that’s why we’ve done well so far.”

Currently, the Hounds have shut out adversaries in their last four games and have not allowed a goal in the past 397 minutes of gameplay. Furthermore, the club has more clean sheets (11) than goals allowed (seven) for the entire season.

Digging deeper into the defensive numbers, Pittsburgh is the only team in the USL to have allowed less than 10 goals in 2018. As for shots allowed, the Black and Gold have conceded 130 total shots this season, which would be the least shots of all USL teams if there were a squad named “Riverhounds SC opponents.”

“I think now everyone knows their job and knows what everyone else has to do,” Pratzner said. “Now it’s just about executing, so I think we’ve done a good job of that.”

Pratzner said the key to their defensive success has been communication and a willingness to work hard in practice and during games day after day.

This tireless work ethic has the club on pace to shatter a team record that has stood since its 2004 season. Currently allowing just 0.44 goals per game this year, it is nearly half as much as its ’04 mark of 0.85 goals allowed per match.

Whether the Hounds will continue to lower their 2018 goals-against average is to be seen, but they have had past success against Ottawa. In three all-time meetings, Pittsburgh has posted a 0.33 goals-against average versus Fury FC.

“We know we have a bit of a break after this game, so it’s an important game for us,” Lilley said. “Whenever you have a break, you want to go into that break with a good result.”

Following Sunday, Riverhounds SC will not be in action until a July 21 home date against the Charleston Battery – 13 days after its showdown with Ottawa. As the team looks to finish the first half of the 2018 campaign on a high note, it will aim higher for this season’s second act.

“Every day, we just got to keep getting better,” Pratzner said. “We’re not just going to sit on it because we’ve done well. We need to keep improving. We need to come every day and keep getting better, keep learning, keep growing, and go at it every game and defend as a team.”

Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (8-1-7) will carry a two-game winning streak into its match against Ottawa Fury FC (6-7-3) at 1 p.m. on Sunday at TD Place. This will be their second meeting this season, as the Hounds won the first match, 1-0. Pittsburgh holds a 2-0-1 all-time record against Ottawa.

Road Warriors

Thus far this season, the Hounds hold an undefeated road record (3-0-4). In club history, it has posted just two seasons in which it had a winning away record, the last time occurring in 2004 with a mark of 8-2-0. The squad will try to earn more points on the road this weekend.

Heart of the Defense

This year, the Hounds have largely used a center back rotation including Joe Greenspan, Todd Pratzner, Tobi Adewole and Hugh Roberts. All four of these players have recorded at least 50 clearances this season, and Roberts and Adewole pace the club with 55 clearances. While the Hounds continue to shut down opposing offenses, look for these four to continue to be at the center of the backline.

From the Outside

Last time out, Christiano François and Kevin Kerr both notched their second tallies of the season. The two attacking wingers also tied for the team lead with three shots against North Carolina FC. As they both sit inside the top four on the team in shots recorded this season, the Hounds will continue to rely on them moving forward for added goal scoring help.

Starting the Hounds’ last match against North Carolina FC, Kenardo Forbes recorded his 100th career appearance at the USL level.

Riverhounds SC has now gone four straight matches without winning the possession battle. Despite not holding the ball more often than its opponents over this stretch, Pittsburgh is 3-0-1 during this period. The Hounds could end this streak come Sunday, as Ottawa has only possessed the ball on average 41 percent of the time this year. The Black and Gold will aim to take back the possession battle this weekend, especially in the road environment.

Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (8-1-7) extended its winning streak to two games with a 2-0 victory against North Carolina FC (5-8-3) on Wednesday at Highmark Stadium. In the first-ever meeting between the two sides, the Hounds’ offense demonstrated balance and consistence throughout the match. Here’s how Pittsburgh notched its two tallies en route to earning three points at home.

45’ Christiano François assisted by Ray Lee

Ray Lee hit Christiano François with a pass, but it wasn’t one that would typically lead to an assist, especially when both of Lee’s feet were planted on Pittsburgh’s side of the field.

After receiving Lee’s one-timed touch, François (yellow arrow) bolted up the left flank. Once he approached the penalty area, he sped directly at two North Carolina FC defenders (red arrows) and drove them back toward their goal. Neither opposing defender stepped in to stop the Cabaret, Haiti native’s run, and François found enough space to blast a shot by goalkeeper Alex Tambakis to provide the Hounds with a 1-0 lead.

71’ Kevin Kerr assisted by Kenardo Forbes

François replicated his 45th minute score with another break into the penalty area and again drew two defenders.

This time, François (yellow arrow) elected to pass the ball back to Kenardo Forbes (orange arrow), who stood open just outside the 18-yard box before booting a ball across the penalty area.

Depicted above, Kevin Kerr (green arrow) ultimately out-jumps a North Carolina FC defender and wins the aerial duel. His header then finds the optimum location, beating Tambakis low and far post for the club’s second goal and the final tally of the match.

Tale of the Tape

Pittsburgh applied consistent pressure throughout the match, posting six shots in the first half and seven shots in the second half. Overall, the team found ways to penetrate the North Carolina FC backline, as 12 of its 13 shots came from inside the penalty box.

The Hounds amassed eight chances created in the match, and Lee paced the team in the statistic with three key passes, including his assist. As it often found the right attackers at the right time, Riverhounds SC ultimately defeated North Carolina FC despite conceding the possession battle (41 percent possession).