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The Riverhounds (4-5-3) hit the road for their final meeting of the regular season against Toronto FC II (1-7-4) at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. Pittsburgh won the first meeting by a score of 1-0 at Highmark Stadium.

Milestone watch

Corey Hertzog is sitting on 19 goals in his Hounds career, which is No. 8 all-time in club history. If the forward scores in his second straight match this Saturday, he would become only the eighth player to reach the feat of 20 career goals while donning the Black and Gold. Hertzog would be the second Hound to reach the plateau this season, as Kevin Kerr scored his 20th career tally in the team’s season opener against New York.

Topping the charts

Jamal Jack’s seven-clearance performance from this past weekend moved him past Joe Greenspan for the team lead in clearances. The center back has cumulated 52 clearances thus far into the season. Appearing in 11 of 12 of Pittsburgh’s games this year, Jack should once again hold down the backline against Toronto FC II.

Treading water

After falling to Orlando City B this past Saturday, the Hounds find themselves in ninth place in the Eastern Conference (as of June 6). Despite falling below the postseason cutoff line of eighth place, Pittsburgh still remains very much so in the hunt. Holding a season point total of 15, the Black and Gold are just two points behind third place New York Red Bulls II. Earning three points against Toronto FC II this weekend could catapult the Hounds back into postseason position.

Last time out against Orlando City B, the Hounds registered a season-high 19 shots. In addition, nine of these shots were on target – another season-high total. As forward Romeo Parkes becomes more comfortable on the frontline after signing with the team on May 5, look for the Hounds to generate greater offensive pressure moving forward.

This season, Toronto FC II has not scored more than one goal in any of its 12 games. Furthermore, the Eastern Conference foe has scored three goals all season, which ranks last in the USL. If the Hounds can score the “magic number” of two goals, it could very well mean a victory on Saturday.

One-third of the way through the season, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds sit in fifth place in the USL Eastern Conference. A large part of this success is because of a resilient defense that has only allowed 11 goals up to this point; the lowest tally through 11 games in the USL era for the Hounds.

This all despite a defense that has seen 10 different players register time in the back four. Out of these 10, three constants have remained: Taylor Washington, who has started 10 of 11 games; Jamal Jack, who has started 10 of 11 games; and goalkeeper Trey Mitchell, who has started nine of 11 games.

At this point last season, the Hounds had conceded 19 goals. Part of this improvement can be credited to Mitchell, whose four clean sheets leads the Eastern Conference.

“In preseason that was the talk, that we were going to focus on getting clean sheets,” Mitchell said.

Through the first five preseason matches, the Hounds earned three wins and two draws, allowing only three goals. Concerns arose in their sixth and final preseason match, as they conceded five goals in a loss to their Eastern Conference opponent Rochester.

It was after this game Hounds assistant coach Dan Visser and the rest of the coaching staff “did not feel 100 percent confident in what we had going on in the back line.”

The home opener, though drawing with reigning league champion New York Red Bulls II, saw much of the same with the Hounds conceding three goals. A point where Visser says conceding goals “became a massive emphasis.”

For the Hounds, the response was equally as massive as the defense has allowed only eight goals in 10 games since.

“We know that if we don’t allow a goal, we’re not going to lose,” Mitchell said in praise of the back four. “Our backline has been amazing. They’re making my job really easy.”

One player making his presence known is Washington, who is in his first season with Pittsburgh. He is currently third on the team in minutes after spending last year 290 miles away with Bethlehem Steel FC.

“I think [Mitchell] is a positive influence on the field,” Washington said. “He’s come up with some big saves.”

Washington has adapted to the team well, playing where he is needed. At Boston University he was moved around between left back, left wing back and left wing. The natural left back has played at both left and right back in the last four games for the Hounds.

“I was able to take my experience from school and add it to my pro game,” he said. “Anything I can do to help the team, that’s what I care about most.”

Injuries to starters also played a role in the number of defenders played this campaign. Rich Balchan, who started six games at right back, most notably was lost for the season following an Achilles injury. Gale Agbossoumonde, Ryan Adeleye, Shane Campbell and Ritchie Duffie all have spent time on the injury report as well.

“We’re a deep team,” Washington said. “We know that whoever comes in is going to do their job.”

Both Washington and Mitchell commended the players brought in on loan to help the defensive effort, particularly Joe Greenspan and Lalas Abubakar.

Greenspan joined Pittsburgh from Minnesota United FC, making eight starts and being named to the USL Team of the Week on two separate occasions.

“Joe was massive here,” Washington said.

Minnesota has since reacquired Greenspan, but another defender, Abubakar, remains with the club. The Ghana native joins the Black and Gold on loan from Columbus Crew SC. He has played in two games since coming to Pittsburgh.

“Thankfully we have Lalas on loan from Columbus,” Mitchell said. “He’s a very athletic center back and very strong.”

Aside from Abubakar, Visser believes the Hounds are not short of options in players capable of stepping up and filling open positions to keep the stability on defense.

One player is Agbossoumonde. The former Fort Lauderdale Striker, in his first year in Pittsburgh, has experience in the MLS, the NASL as well as the USL. After joining the Hounds late into the preseason, he is currently being worked back to full fitness.

“We’ve continued to work with Gale,” Visser said. “He’s a very capable player and has done well for other teams in the past.”

Another option is George Washington University graduate Tobi Adewole, who enters his first year in professional soccer.

“[Adewole] is a rookie but we think he is someone who is very capable,” Visser said.

Adewole finished his career at George Washington with 61 starts in 64 total appearances, scoring five goals and recording five assists.

With these options available, defensive chemistry may be a topic of concern for a defense that has been playing near a franchise best so far this season. Abubakar and Agbossoumonde have only four matches played between them so far this season, while Adewole has yet to make an appearance.

“In a perfect world, you’re starting the same back four, plus a keeper, just so they become really comfortable with each other,” Visser said.

Moving forward, building future defensive chemistry is a challenge that the Hounds are prepared to face head on.

Washington said each defender trusts one another, no matter who receives the starting nod.

“The Riverhounds this year are a team built on Dave’s system and we’re buying into it,” Washington said. “We just need to continue to stay focused and the results will come. We just need to have faith in it.”

The Riverhounds (4-4-3) capped a strong month with a 0-0 draw last time out against rival Harrisburg City Islanders. After cumulating a 2-1-1 record in May, Pittsburgh kicks off June against Orlando City B (3-4-3) at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Highmark Stadium.

Minnesota bound

Starting all of his eight games with the Hounds, defender Joe Greenspan has returned to Minnesota United FC of MLS, as his loan period has completed. While with Pittsburgh, the New Jersey native led the Black and Gold with 51 clearances. Moving forward, look for Lalas Abubakar, another loanee, to take Greenspan’s center back position.

Hertzog kicks Hounds to victory

Through 11 games, the Hounds hold an undefeated record (3-0-1) in games that Corey Hertzog has scored a goal. The forward’s most recent goal came in Pittsburgh’s 1-0 win against Ottawa Fury FC on May 13. If Hertzog tallies another goal this Saturday against Orlando City B, the Hounds could very well come away with three points.

Getting Gucci with Abuchi

Despite subbing in after halftime, Abuchi Obinwa led the Hounds with eight clearances in their match at Harrisburg on May 24. In fact, this total tied Obinwa with Victor Souto for Pittsburgh’s 2017 single-game high in the statistic. As Souto continues to recover from a leg injury, Obinwa once again could be tasked with holding down the center midfield against Orlando City B.

Goalkeeper Trey Mitchell recorded his fourth clean sheet last time out against Harrisburg. This total leads the Eastern Conference and is second most in the USL. He has allowed only six goals in nine starts this year (0.67 goals-against average).

Albert Dikwa and Richie Laryea lead Orlando City B with three goals each. With Laryea set to miss Saturday’s match after recording his fifth yellow last weekend, the Hounds’ focus will fall squarely on Dikwa, who tallied the Eastern Conference foe’s only goal in their previous match against Charlotte. To continue a hot stretch of defensive play,  the Hounds will need to slow down Orlando’s main offensive threat come Saturday.