Press Releases

PITTSBURGH (February 15, 2021) – Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC added to its back line with the signing of a pair of young players, defender Ezra Armstrong and goalkeeper Chris Morrish, for the upcoming season. Both players are signed for 2021 with a club option for 2022, pending USL and USSF approval.

“Chris and Ezra are talented young players that we feel will grow quickly in our environment,” Riverhounds head coach Bob Lilley said. “Chris came into our combine at the end of January, and Ezra trained with our group at the end of last season. We look forward to having them on board for the 2021 USL season.”

Armstrong, 22, has primarily played left-back since first making the leap to the pros at age 17, when he was signed by USL Championship side Swope Park Rangers directly out of the Sporting Kansas City academy. He made his first two pro appearances during the 2016 season with Swope Park, but Armstrong didn’t see his first regular action until a move in 2018 to German club Türkspor Augsburg, where he scored four goals in 25 appearances for the lower-division side. Most recently, Armstrong was under contract with Skovshoved, which finished its season in the Danish Second Division last July. The Gastonia, N.C., native is the son of former United States international Desmond Armstrong, who made 81 appearances for the U.S., including starting all three matches in the 1990 FIFA World Cup.

Morrish, 23, is a recent graduate of Calvin University, where he helped the Knights reach the 2019 NCAA Division III semifinals, where they fell to eventual champion Tufts. Hailing from Bradenton, Fla., Morrish played two seasons at Calvin after transferring from Trinity (Texas). He accumulated a 33-4-1 record with 16 shutouts at Calvin, as he allowed just 26 goals in 40 total appearances (39 starts).

His team’s deep postseason run in 2019 included a shootout win in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association final, their sixth straight MIAA title. Morrish made two saves during the shootout after a 0-0 draw to defeat Hope, led by former Riverhounds head coach Dave Brandt.

Morrish did not get to play his senior year at Calvin, as the 2020 fall season was wiped out due to Covid-19. The signings bring the total number of players under contract for the Hounds in 2021 to 14, as Lilley and his staff continues to fill out the roster with the start of the USL regular season slated for just over two months away.

Players currently under contract:

Forwards – Russell Cicerone, Albert Dikwa, Alex Dixon, Josh Gatt

Midfielders – Danny Griffin, Kenardo Forbes, Anthony Velarde

Defenders – Ezra Armstrong, Alex DeJohn, Jordan Dover, Preston Kilwien, Dani Rovira

Goalkeepers – Chris Morrish, Danny Vitiello

PITTSBURGH (February 11, 2021) – Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC has signed forward Josh Gatt to a one-year contract with a club option for 2022, pending USL Championship and USSF approval. Gatt, 29, is a speedy attacker who brings experience from the highest levels, having competed in both UEFA Champions League and Europa League matches and representing the United States in international play during his career.

“Josh is an exciting player that has good instincts in front of goal and is a consistent threat to get behind defenses,” Riverhounds head coach Bob Lilley said. “He can play multiple attacking positions and is also very capable of forcing mistakes by opposing defenders with his pressure. We are looking forward to having his experience and tenacity here in Pittsburgh for the 2021 USL season.”

A native of the Detroit suburb of Plymouth, Mich., Gatt elected to forego a college career at Indiana University and signed professionally with Austrian club Rheindorf Altach in 2010. Gatt made an immediate impact with six goals in 18 matches in all competitions in his first pro season, which helped him land a move to Molde, one of Norway’s top clubs. As one of the first signings at Molde by manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær, now the head man at Manchester United, Gatt featured heavily in his first two seasons with the club. He scored five goals in 27 appearances his first season, as Molde won the Tippeligaen in 2011 for its first domestic league title, and Gatt matched that output — five goals in 27 appearances — the next season.

Gatt also earned two caps representing the United States during his time at Molde, as he appeared for the U.S. in two friendlies — a 2-2 draw against Russia on November 14, 2012, and in a 0-0 draw with Canada on January 29, 2013.

A severe knee injury in 2013 that required three surgeries limited Gatt to one appearance in 2014-15, but he worked his way back into first-team action with a goal in six matches in 2016. He then left Molde to sign in MLS with Minnesota United, but he was traded before the Colorado Rapids season, where he scored twice in 20 appearances during the 2017 MLS season. Gatt spent 2018-19 back in Austria with Rheindorf Altach, and most recently, he spent four months under contract with Dundalk in the League of Ireland Premier Division, making two appearances.

The Hounds’ roster continues to take shape for the 2021 season, with 12 players under contract for the upcoming USL Championship campaign, slated to have the Hounds begin to play in late April or early May.

Players currently under contract:

Forwards – Russell Cicerone, Albert Dikwa, Alex Dixon, Josh Gatt

Midfielders – Danny Griffin, Kenardo Forbes, Anthony Velarde

Defenders – Alex DeJohn, Jordan Dover, Preston Kilwien, Dani Rovira

Goalkeepers – Danny Vitiello

PITTSBURGH (February 9, 2021) – Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC continued its preparations for the 2021 season by signing defender Alex DeJohn to a one-year contract with a club option for 2022, pending USL Championship and USSF approval.

DeJohn, 29, is a veteran with time spent playing in the top divisions in Finland, Norway, Sweden, and MLS. He played the last two seasons in MLS for Orlando City SC, during which the center back made 15 appearances across all competitions.

Joining the Hounds will be the first stint in USL for the Marlboro, N.J., native, whose addition brings a mix of seasoned play and skill to the backline.” Alex is an experienced pro who will bring leadership and quality to our backline,” Riverhounds head coach Bob Lilley said. “He is good in the tackle, comfortable on the ball, and plays with an edge. We are looking forward to having him represent our club for the 2021 season.”

Before going to Orlando, DeJohn played for Swedish club Dalkurd, where he made 38 appearances and scored two goals. In his first year with the club in 2017, the team placed second and won promotion to the top-tier Allsvenskan for the first time in the Dalkurd’s history, which began in 2005 playing in the country’s seventh tier.

DeJohn’s other European stops included IK Start in the Norwegian Eliteserien (first division) in 2015-16, TPS in the Finnish Veikkauskiiga (first division) in 2014, and Ekenäs IF in the Finnish Kakkonen (third division), where he helped the club to the promotion playoffs in 2013, his debut pro season.

DeJohn moved into the pro ranks when the New England Revolution selected him in the third round of the 2013 MLS Supplemental Draft as the 42nd overall selection out of Old Dominion University. DeJohn did not sign a contract with the Revolution. Coincidentally, DeJohn was chosen in the same round as two former Hounds players, ahead of Brian Fekete (with the Hounds in 2014) and Lebo Moloto (2015-16).

The Hounds currently have 11 players announced as being under contract for the 2021 USL Championship season, which is anticipated to begin in late April or early May.

Players currently under contract:

Forwards – Russell Cicerone, Albert Dikwa, Alex Dixon

Midfielders – Danny Griffin, Kenardo Forbes, Anthony Velarde

Defenders – Alex DeJohn, Jordan Dover, Preston Kilwien, Dani Rovira

Goalkeepers – Danny Vitiello

TAMPA, FL (January 21, 2021) – The USL Championship announced on Thursday following the league’s Board of Governors meeting that the 2021 regular season will begin on or about May 1, see the teams split in to four divisions, and will contain a 32-game slate running across 27 weeks through the end of October with playoffs scheduled for November.

In voting for a flexible start date, the Governors have approved for clubs to begin play anywhere between April 24th and May 15th. Further announcements on scheduling, divisional alignment and playoff structure will be made in the coming months and the league will continue to monitor the ongoing COVID-19 crises in the event that alterations to the format need to be made. 

PITTSBURGH (January 21, 2021) – Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC has signed defender Preston Kilwien to a one-year contract with a club option for the 2022 season, pending USL Championship and USSF approval. Kilwien, 24, is a third-year pro who played his first two seasons in the USL Championship with the New York Red Bulls II. As one of the team’s primary center backs, he appeared in 36 of a possible 50 matches over the past two seasons, and he was third in minutes played for Red Bulls II in the 2020 campaign. He also scored his first professional goal on Aug. 13 last season in a 2-1 loss to Loudoun United. 

In addition to his USL experience, Kilwien brings needed height to the Hounds back line at 6-foot-4, which makes him the tallest player currently under contract for 2021. “We are excited to bring Preston on board for the 2021 season and are looking forward to working with him,” Riverhounds head coach Bob Lilley said. “He is an athletic center back that is comfortable on the ball, good in the air and a physical presence that is needed at this level.” Kilwien played college soccer at Florida Gulf Coast University from 2015-18, and as a senior he was named the Atlantic Sun Conference Defensive Player of the Year. He helped lead FGCU to two Atlantic Sun championships and the second round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament. 

In total, the defender played 60 games for FGCU and scored four goals, the first of which — a 35-yard, lobbed volley to beat Princeton in the 89th minute as a freshman — landed him at No. 3 on ESPN’s SportsCenter Top 10 that night. 

A native of Lubbock, Texas, Kilwien holds dual citizenship with both the U.S. and Costa Rica. He spent part of his childhood in Washington state before graduating from high school in California. During his college years, Kilwien also played a season each with the Tampa Bay Rowdies U-23s (2017) and the Seattle Sounders U-23s (2018) before turning pro ahead of the 2019 season. 

The signing brings the number of players under contract with the Hounds to 10, as plans continue to take shape in anticipation of the 2021 season. 

Players currently under contract: 

Forwards – Russell Cicerone, Albert Dikwa, Alex Dixon 

Midfielders – Danny Griffin, Kenardo Forbes, Anthony Velarde 

Defenders – Jordan Dover, Preston Kilwien, Dani Rovira 

Goalkeepers – Danny Vitiello 

PITTSBURGH (January 18, 2021) – Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC has re-signed Dani Rovira, bringing the 24-year-old defender back for a third season with the club in 2021. The deal is for one year with a club option for 2022, pending USL Championship and USSF approval. Rovira began his pro career with the Hounds after signing as a trialist in the spring of 2019 out of the University of Vermont. In his tenure with the club, he has been utilized as both a defender and midfielder, roles he will take on again during the upcoming season.

“Dani has continued to develop as a player in his two years with the club,” Riverhounds head coach Bob Lilley said. “His quickness, technical ability, and versatility have enabled him to help the team in multiple positions, and we look forward to having him with our group in 2021.”

Originally from Bogotá, Colombia, Rovira made his club debut, starting in a 3-0 win over the Dayton Dutch Lions second-round of the U.S. Open Cup on May 14, 2019. He would go on to make eight USL appearances in his rookie season, four of them starts.

Rovira’s role expanded in his second year, as he made ten appearances and four starts out of 16 matches in the Covid-shortened 2020 season. He also recorded his first assist last season when he set up Steevan Dos Santos for the opening goal of a 2-0 win at Loudoun United on August 19.

Riverhounds SC now has nine players under contract for the 2021 season, the fourth under Lilley’s leadership.

Players currently under contract:

Forwards – Russell Cicerone, Albert Dikwa, Alex Dixon

Midfielders – Danny Griffin, Kenardo Forbes, Anthony Velarde

Defenders – Jordan Dover, Dani Rovira

Goalkeepers – Danny Vitiello

PITTSBURGH (January 12, 2021) – Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC is pleased to launch a youth soccer tournament series that will begin in August 2021. Riverhounds SC will host four events each year that will consist of professionally run tournaments and showcases.

The Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC Tournament Series will attract clubs from around the country under the following format:

-Pittsburgh Riverhounds Classic – Starting August 2021
-Hounds Steel City Cup – Starting October 2021
-Riverhounds SC Three Rivers College Showcase – Starting December 2021 (boys and girls weekends)

-RDA Spring Invitation – Starting March 2022

These events will take place at Highmark Stadium, Montour Junction Sports Complex, and surrounding high-quality facilities while bringing in thousands of families to the Pittsburgh area.

“We are proud to launch our very own soccer tournament series and bring high-level youth competitions to the Greater Pittsburgh Area,” Riverhounds SC owner Tuffy Shallenberger said. “As these events target clubs from across the country, it will provide an excellent opportunity for new families and faces to see our city. Along with the development of our Academy, we are building in partnership with Allegheny Health Network a state-of-the-art facility in Coraopolis that will serve as the hub for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC Tournament Series. We are excited to be a driving force behind the growth of youth soccer in western Pennsylvania.”

The Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC tournament series will feature a variety of events throughout the year that will target different age groups at every level of play. The tournament series will conclude each year with the Riverhounds SC Three Rivers College Showcase, which will work with collegiate coaches throughout the country to display the highest-level boys and girls on separate weekends.

“The commitment to youth development from within our club and throughout the region from our owner Tuffy Shallenberger, and many others over the past decade, has been remarkable,” Riverhounds SC head coach Bob Lilley said. “We have built a very strong Academy program with experienced and talented coaches and reached into our community with many other programs and initiatives. The Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC Tournament Series is a continuation of our desire to grow the game in western Pennsylvania. We look forward to hosting other clubs that share our passion for the sport and also believe in the development of our youth.”

Each event will be run with the highest professional standards in place and will have a strong support staff made up of Riverhounds Development Academy (RDA) directors and coaches. In addition, Riverhounds SC will work with PA Classics on a consulting basis to ensure the events maintain the levels required and to provide a superb experience for families. Justin Evans, a Riverhounds SC Hall of Fame inductee and former player and head coach, will lead the team of directors.

“As an organization, we are very excited to lead the way in the soccer community for the Greater Pittsburgh Area by presenting this tournament series in our own backyard,” Evans said. “These tournaments will provide an opportunity to teams of all skill levels and also fill the tournament void that has been absent in Pittsburgh for so many years.”

Pittsburgh Riverhounds Classic – Starting August 2021
This event will be the first of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC Tournament Series and will feature competition from clubs throughout the Pittsburgh soccer community and the extending region. Registration for this event will begin on January 25, 2021. 

Hounds Steel City Cup – Starting October 2021

The Hounds Steel City Cup will provide a tremendous opportunity over Columbus Day weekend for clubs throughout the tri-state area. The Steel City Cup will be open to all classic and travel-level teams.

Riverhounds SC Three Rivers College Showcase – Starting December 2021

The Three Rivers College Showcase will take place across back-to-back weekends for boys and girls. The event will provide players with an opportunity to showcase their talents to college coaches from across the country.  

RDA Spring Invitation – Starting March 2022

The spring invitational tournament will be a perfect opportunity for teams to get back outside after the winter months. The event is built on the foundations of the Riverhounds Development Academy and will feature high-level clubs from across the Northeast, Midwest, and Mid-Atlantic regions.

Additional information will be released at a later date.

PITTSBURGH (January 8, 2021) – Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC has signed veteran forward Alex Dixon to a one-year contract with a club option for the 2022 season, pending USL Championship and USSF approval.

Dixon, 30, provides another attacking option for the Hounds capable of playing on the wing or as part of a strike partnership up top, and he reunites with Hounds head coach Bob Lilley, who coached Dixon for two years with the Rochester Rhinos. “Alex is a dynamic player who has a good understanding of how to get into dangerous spaces,” Lilley said. “He can play multiple positions, can score goals, and will help provide leadership in the locker room. We are excited to have him in Pittsburgh for the 2021 season.” A longtime presence in USL, Dixon has only become more seasoned as a goal scorer at each stop in his career.

The 5-foot-8 forward spent the past two seasons with Hartford Athletic, scoring 11 goals in 42 appearances after becoming one of the first players to sign with the expansion club. In total, Dixon has 37 league goals across six USL seasons with Rochester (2014-15), Oklahoma City (2017-18), and Hartford (2019-20), while also scoring twice in 2016 for the Jacksonville Armada of the NASL.

A Texas native, Dixon first broke into the pro ranks by signing as a homegrown player in 2011 with MLS’ Houston Dynamo after a three-year college career at North Carolina. He appeared in 13 matches for the MLS side and three more on a loan spell in 2013 with the Tampa Bay Rowdies, but his first regular action as a pro came under Lilley with 22 USL appearances for Rochester in 2014.

Dixon was a key contributor in the Rhinos’ 2015 USL Championship-winning season, appearing in 24 regular-season and all three playoff matches that year. He has a history of scoring crucial goals at Highmark Stadium. He netted the only goal in a 1-0 Rhinos victory in 2014, and he struck again with the deciding goal in a 2-1 win for the visitors the next season.

Dixon’s addition brings the total number of Hounds players under contract for 2021 to eight, as the team builds in pursuit of a fourth consecutive postseason appearance.

Players currently under contract:

Forwards – Russell Cicerone, Albert Dikwa, Alex Dixon

Midfielders – Danny Griffin, Kenardo Forbes, Anthony Velarde

Defenders – Jordan Dover

Goalkeepers – Danny Vitiello

PITTSBURGH (December 17, 2020) – Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC has signed forward Russell Cicerone to a one-year contract with a club option for the 2022 season, pending USL Championship and USSF approval. 

Cicerone, 26, is a Michigan native who has spent the past four seasons competing in the USL Championship, the last two with Saint Louis FC. With the versatility to play on the wing or in a central role, Cicerone scored five goals in each of the 2019 and 2020 seasons while totaling 49 appearances for Saint Louis.

“We are excited to welcome Russell on board. His versatility, energy, and competitiveness are traits that we value on our roster,” Riverhounds head coach Bob Lilley said. “He’s a dynamic player with good pace who likes to get behind defenses, and he has the ability to score goals as well as create for others. Russell is a big part of our plans for 2021.”

Prior to joining Saint Louis, Cicerone made 10 appearances in the 2018 season with FC Cincinnati. The 5-foot-11, 170-pound forward began his professional career with Portland Timbers II in 2017 after being a fourth-round selection by the Timbers in that year’s MLS SuperDraft out of the University at Buffalo.

In total, Cicerone has 78 appearances and 12 goals in his USL career.

As a collegiate player, Cicerone scored 42 goals and 22 assists in 71 games for the Bulls from 2013-16, and he also scored 20 goals in two seasons as an amateur player for the Michigan Bucks of the USL Premier Development League.

Along with Cicerone, players currently under contract for the Hounds in 2021 are forward Albert Dikwa, midfielders Kenardo Forbes, Danny Griffin and Anthony Velarde, defender Jordan Dover and goalkeeper Danny Vitiello.

PITTSBURGH (December 15, 2020) – Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC has re-signed team captain Kenardo Forbes to a one-year contract with a club option for the 2022 season, pending USL Championship and USSF approval. 

The midfielder is coming off an All-League First Team season in which he tallied a club-leading eight assists en route to becoming the USL Championship’s all-time assist leader (39 career league helpers). The Kingston, Jamaica native also ranks tied for second with David Flavius in club history with 25 assists, trailing only Kevin Kerr (27).

“Kenardo has been a constant the past three years in Pittsburgh and has played a very important part in the club’s success during this time,” head coach Bob Lilley said. “He competes every day, and his abilities and leadership make players around him better. As we have started to build our foundation for next season, signing Kenardo was a top priority.”

Forbes, a four-time All-League player, has spent six seasons in the USL Championship. For his league career, he has totaled 164 games played, 17 goals and 73 points. The 2019 MVP finalist has led the Hounds in assists in each of his three seasons with the organization (2018-20).

Since entering the USL Championship with the Rochester Rhinos in 2015, Forbes has competed under Lilley for each season. In 2015, Forbes and Lilley won a league championship with the Rhinos. The midfielder assisted the game-winning overtime goal in the title game against LA Galaxy II.

In addition, the club has picked up the contract options of forward Albert Dikwa, defender Jordan Dover, midfielder Danny Griffin, midfielder Anthony Velarde and goalkeeper Danny Vitiello.

This past season, Vitiello won the league’s Golden Glove award, which goes to the keeper with the best goals-against average (GAA) over the course of the regular season. His 0.50 GAA also set a single-season club record (minimum of 500 minutes played).

Joining Vitiello on the defensive side of the ball, Dover returns as an outside back. Dover, competing for the club since the 2018 season, has started 68 of his 70 games played with the Hounds and his 6,049 minutes with the organization ranks 15th most in club history.

In the midfield, the club returns Griffin and Velarde. Griffin is coming off a strong rookie season in which he started 13 of 16 appearances. The Wethersfield, Connecticut native posted two goals and two assists in 1,208 minutes played. Meanwhile, Velarde will return for his third straight season with the team. The Reedley, California native has recorded at least 10 points in each of his previous seasons (10 points in 2019 and 12 points in 2020).

On the frontline, Dikwa returns for his second season with the club. Despite arriving with the team midseason and playing only six of 16 regular season games in 2020, the Garoua, Cameroon native racked up 15 shots, which was third most on the club. The striker scored three goals in 245 minutes, including two game-winning tallies that occurred in the 81st minute or later.

The club continues to remain active pursuing players in the domestic and foreign markets as well as scouting top players from the collegiate system. The club also expects to run invitational combines in late January and February.