Press Releases

PITTSBURGH and TAMPA, Fla. (Sept. 9, 2025) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds striker Augi Williams was named the USL Championship Player of the Week, presented by Konami eFootball, for Week 27 after scoring both goals in the Hounds’ 2-0 win Sunday over Oakland Roots SC.

Williams netted the opening goal only four minutes into play, pouncing on a loose ball in the center of the penalty area and finishing with a low strike. His second goal came from the penalty spot just before halftime, as Williams converted the spot kick after winning the penalty when he was tripped at the top of the box.

The two-goal game also secured a pair of milestones for Williams, the 10th-year pro in his first year with the Hounds. Williams’ first goal was his 100th goal contribution — goals and assists combined — in the USL Championship regular season, and he now sits alone in second place on the league’s all-time goal scoring list with 83 goals.

In addition to his finishing in the win over Oakland, Williams also won 8 of 10 aerial duels (12 of 19 duels overall) and won three fouls for the Hounds, which includes his first-half penalty.

Williams is the second Hounds player to be named Player of the Week this season, joining Robbie Mertz, who took the honor back in Week 14. Williams also claims a spot on the USL Championship Team of the Week, which included Mertz in one of the bench spots after he recorded a match-best four chances created, nine total crosses and connected on 88.9 percent of his passes in the win Sunday.

To see the complete Team of the Week, visit uslchampionship.com.

PITTSBURGH (Aug. 19, 2025) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds owner Tuffy Shallenberger announced today a planned expansion to the South Shore stadium of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds and Pittsburgh Riveters. The expansion positions the Riverhounds to meet U.S. Soccer’s Pro League Standards requiring a capacity of 15,000 for Division One sanctioning.

“Since 2014, we have invested significant capital and effort into this stadium and growing soccer around the area. Now, we have a major opportunity to continue that growth,” Shallenberger said. “This expansion is going be great for our fans and allow us to take our teams to the level we want to reach, but it’s also going to bring additional events here that will help the entire Pittsburgh community. We’re excited to start and take this next step forward.”

The United Soccer League (USL) recently announced its plans to launch a Division One professional men’s league — the top tier of the sport in the United States — with a 2028 launch date.  USL is currently in the process of reviewing applications from clubs interested in its Division One league.

In addition to increasing the capacity to 15,000, the expansion will feature more premium seating areas, a club with banquet space, and suites, providing a range of options for fans. These upgrades will allow the venue to host additional sports and entertainment events, including concerts, and better serve the region. 

The Pittsburgh Riverhounds have experienced rapid growth over the past five years as interest in soccer has rapidly grown in the United States.

• Since 2023, the Riverhounds have sold out 73% of their home matches
• In each of the last two years, the Riverhounds’ average attendance has exceeded capacity with fans using standing room only opportunities to attend matches
• From 2021 to 2024, the team experienced an annual growth rate of 11% in average attendance
• Since 2021, ticket revenue has grown 26% annually, and this year saw a season ticket base that nearly doubled over the previous three years 

Likewise, the addition of the Pittsburgh Riveters, the club’s women’s team in the pre-professional USL W League, has energized a new and expanded fan base. 

• In their first season, the Riveters hosted 28,138 fans for six games
• Their inaugural match brought in over 6,000 people, the fourth-largest soccer crowd in the stadium’s history

The planned expansion also will provide a venue for the Pittsburgh market to host high-quality outdoor events, filling a void currently for such a venue holding crowds between 5,500 and 20,000. 

The stadium is currently home for six NCAA varsity teams (soccer and lacrosse). The Riverhounds have hosted numerous large events over the past few years, including the annual WPIAL Soccer Championships, the 2018 NCAA Division II Soccer Championships, the Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival, more than a dozen charity walks, and other events hosted by regional and national non-profits. The stadium already has been selected to host the 2027 NCAA Division III Soccer Championships.

“Our team has spoken with promoters around this area, and they see Pittsburgh as a city where there’s room to bring in more entertainment and events. I still think we have the best location in the city with our view of Downtown over the river, and we’ve got easy access to public transportation with the T (light rail) and the Incline,” Shallenberger added. “This expansion is going to make us a top venue to host other sporting events, more than a dozen concerts in a year, and so much more.”  

When completed, the stadium is expected to attract almost 500,000 people in annual attendance, with 33% of attendees from out of area and another 4% remaining overnight. Economic impact (per person out-of-venue spending) would range from $12.32 for a local to $265.23 for an overnight attendee. 

The finished stadium is projected to generate $243.4M in total new taxes to the City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in addition to the construction by local labor unions.

The South Shore has continued to see growth as an extension of Downtown. The recent opening of The Distillery Complex is the latest in a series of announcements that include ongoing investment in Highline Pittsburgh, and a built-in residential community at the Glasshouse Apartments. 

“The Pittsburgh Riverhounds are committed to the continued growth of our sport, and our stadium,” Shallenberger said. “This community, all around Western Pennsylvania, has supported our team for a long time, and we want to keep getting bigger and better to make them proud.”

PITTSBURGH (Aug. 12, 2025) — A pair of Pittsburgh Riverhounds defenders landed in the USL Championship’s weekly honors, as Guillaume Vacter was named in the starting 11 of the Team of the Week for Week 23 and fellow center back Sean Suber claimed a bench spot.

Vacter finds himself in the Team of the Week for the second time this season, this time after the French first-year pro out of the University of Connecticut scored his first goal to equalize in the Hounds’ 1-1 draw Saturday against Orange County SC. His 67th-minute header at the back post on a corner kick helped extend the Hounds’ current unbeaten streak to seven matches in the Championship and nine matches overall.

In addition to his goal, Vacter also had three total shots, won 6 of 8 aerial duels in the match — 8 of 12 overall — and led the Hounds with five clearances.

Suber, meanwhile, played a role in Vacter’s goal, picking up his first career assist for a flicked header to usher the ball onward to Vacter. That was one of three chances created in the match by Suber, who also had four clearances and a 7 of 10 win rate on duels to earn his spot in the honors.

The Hounds are back at home this weekend to complete a four-match homestand by facing their longest-running rivals, the Charleston Battery. That game is a 7 p.m. start Saturday, Aug. 16 at Highmark Stadium with live coverage on SportsNet Pittsburgh and ESPN+.

PITTSBURGH (July 8, 2025) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds midfielder Robbie Mertz is back in the USL Championship’s weekly honors after claiming a spot in the Team of the Week for Week 17/18 alongside Hounds head coach Bob Lilley, who was named the league’s Coach of the Week.

Mertz provided the fireworks for the Hounds in their Fourth of July win over New Mexico United. The Pittsburgh native bagged the only goal of the match by pouncing on the rebound of a saved Augi Williams shot in the 73rd minute to give the Hounds their third consecutive win.

His contributions didn’t stop with the goal. For the match, Mertz finished with five chances created, he connected on 12 of his 13 passes (92.3 percent) in the attacking third, and he won 6 of 11 duels before coming out of the match in the 88th minute.

It is the second Team of the Week honor this season for Mertz, who was the Championship Player of the Week back in Week 14. He is joined by Lilley, who earned the Coach of the Week honor for the first time in 2025 after his team knocked off the Western Conference leaders and jumped to fifth in the East with the shutout victory.

To see the full Team of the Week, visit uslchampionship.com.

The Hounds will be back in action at 5 p.m. this Sunday, July 13, when they host Loudoun United FC at Highmark Stadium. Tickets are available now through Ticketmaster and at the Highmark Stadium Box Office.

PITTSBURGH and TAMPA, Fla. (June 10, 2025) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC midfielder Robbie Mertz was named the USL Championship Player of the Week, presented by Konami eFootball, for Week 13/14, the league announced this afternoon.

Mertz was exceptional in the Hounds’ 2-0 victory over Detroit City FC on Saturday, a feat made more remarkable coming less than 48 hours after the birth of his first son late Thursday.

Mertz assisted the opening goal of the game with his long diagonal pass to the head of Perrin Barnes, who joins Mertz on the Team of the Week. In the second half, Mertz fought through contact to knock home the team’s second goal on a back-post run, securing three points in a battle of teams jockeying for playoff position in the Eastern Conference.

On top of the goal contributions — Mertz now has eight career matches with multiple goal contributions — Mertz hit a pair of milestones with his 20th goal in a Riverhounds uniform while playing his 150th match in all competitions for the club.

Over the course of his 69 minutes on the field, Mertz connected on 80 percent of his passes overall (24 of 30), and his accuracy was the exact same on passes in the attacking third of the field (12 of 15). He also led the team with seven total crosses and three chances created playing the attacking midfield role in the Hounds’ formation.

It is the first time Mertz has been named Player of the Week in his USL Championship career and the first time a Hounds player has won the honor in 2025. He won the honor with 54 percent of the vote by the USL National Media Panel, besting joint runners-up Kyle Edwards of Hartford and Dariusz Formella of Phoenix.

Barnes, meanwhile, is honored with his first Team of the Week placement after scoring his first professional goal on Saturday.

Playing a wing back/outside midfield role on the right side, the first-year Hound also won 7 of 10 duels for the ball, took possession three times, won three free kicks and created a pair of chances himself. He also struck the cross that led to Mertz’s goal, though the assist on the play went to Danny Griffin for his header to flick the ball onward to the back post.

More about this week’s complete Team of the Week can be found at uslchampionship.com.