Home

PITTSBURGH (July 17, 2016) – The Pittsburgh Riverhounds (2-11-4) fell for a third-straight match, dropping a 2-1 decision to the Harrisburg City Islanders (5-13-2) in round two of the Keystone Derby Cup Series presented by the Pennsylvania Lottery and K&L Gates.

Harrisburg’s two goals in the first half proved to be too much for the Hounds to overcome with Dante Leverock and Jose Barril notching tallies in the 29th and 33rd minute, respectively. Kevin Kerr buried the lone goal for the Hounds in the 60th minute, snapping a three-match goalless streak in the process.

Action opened up at a back-and-forth pace. Jack Thompson, slotted at left back, almost gave the Hounds an early lead with a rocket of a shot from over 25 yards out ringing off the crossbar in the 17th minute. The missed opportunity proved painful, as the City Islanders, earning a corner in 28th minute, got the first goal of the match thanks to Leverock heading a shot flush past goalkeeper Mauricio Vargas far post.

Five minutes later, Harrisburg’s lead grew to two off a crazy sequence starting with Vargas making a diving save and pushing the ball out in front of him. Finding his way to the loose ball, Barril was able to evade a sliding challenge by Thompson and fire between the legs and eventually off of defender Mike Green and into the goal.

The Hounds responded with a strong second half, eventually breaking through with a deft finish by Kerr in the 60th minute. The build up opened with Lebo Moloto finding second half sub Nick Thompson in front of the box. Thompson then headed a soft touch to Hertzog, who pushed a header to Kerr in space, giving the captain a chance in all alone on goalkeeper Keasel Broome.

In the 78th minute, Harrisburg had an opportunity for the dagger off a penalty kick attempted by Bobby Warshaw. Hoping to fool Vargas with a few stutter steps, Warshaw pushed a shot low to Vargas’ left, seeing his shot saved by a stellar diving stop by the Hounds keeper. The Hounds would end the match pushing for an equalizer, including Drew Russell ringing a shot off the crossbar from distance, but the effort would not be enough.

Pittsburgh will look to right the ship next weekend, closing out its three-game homestand against the Charlotte Independence (7-6-4) on Saturday, July 23 at 7 p.m.

Line-ups:

Riverhounds – Mauricio Vargas – Mike Green (Drew Russell 46′)- Sergio Campbell – Willie Hunt – Jack Thompson (Marshall Hollingsworth 63′) – Ryan Adeleye (Conor Branson 36′) – Danny Earls – Kevin Kerr – Lebo Moloto (Ben Swanson 76′) – Zak Boggs (Nick Thompson 55′) – Corey Hertzog

Subs not used: Hunter Gilstrap, Stephen Okai

City Islanders – Keasel Broome – Jamie Thomas – Liam Doyle – Dante Leverock – Shawn McLaws – Cardel Benbow – Bobby Warshaw – Mohammed Dabo – Matt Bolduc (Josh Hughes 73′) – Jose Barril (Shane Campbell 90′)- Garret Pettis (Brett Jankouskas 66′)

Subs not used: Nick Noble, Yousseff Norcini, Josh Hughes, Danny Diprima, Craig Foster

Scoring Summary:

HAR- Dante Leverock 29′ (Jose Barril)

HAR- Jose Barril 33′

PGH- Kevin Kerr 60′ (Corey Hertzog)

Misconduct Summary:

PGH- Kevin Kerr (Caution)

PGH- Conor Branson (Caution)

HAR- Cardel Benbow (Caution)

Cleveland Brothers “Blue Collar Player of the Game” – Kevin Kerr

Post-Game Quote Sheet

Dave Brandt

His thoughts on the game…

Frustrated, Disappointed, Upset, all the above. We can start with that. We can get better. We just aren’t there yet.

On what went wrong in the first half…

I think what went wrong is right now this group’s reaction when something goes wrong is not conscious or meant. But it’s just a downing of spirits that produces a loss of concentration and belief. You’ll see us playing a lot of games for 15 minutes, but that’s not us. That’s going to be the downfall and the problem. Something happens and it produces a loss of focus.

On overcoming the team’s struggles…

The only thing this team can do right now to keep fighting. It’s a group of guys who want that, no one wants to stop fighting. But right now it’s human nature and we just have to keep fighting it. It’s a leadership issue, but the leadership is me, it’s Kevin, it’s Danny, its Mike, it’s the older guys, its everybody. Everybody has to step up.

On the team culture…

I think it’s a very un-USL culture, a very un-pro soccer culture, its where you’re not all buddy-buddy and friends. But it’s about absolute unity and humility. It’s not about you. You’re a part of something bigger than yourself. The team, the league, the club. It’s about passion. Sometimes pros struggle with that. I’m asking for these guys to not be too cynical, form a strong brotherhood.

Kevin Kerr

On the goal he scored…

I was just hanging out on the edge of the area hoping for a goal and obviously it eventually came to me and I just kicked it as hard as I could and luckily it went in.

On seeing any progress…

Obviously it’s tough. The biggest thing is just all around confidence. You can’t change confidence. All you can do is keep going. The team out there has a lack of confidence and a lack of trust and a lack of a lot of things.

On the fans…

It’s unbelievable, and it sounds stupid, but it almost makes it harder. With fans like that you just want to give them something for what they do. You have to give back. And this is the worst night for that.

PITTSBURGH (July 14, 2016) – The Pittsburgh Riverhounds (2-10-4) extended their goalless streak to three matches, falling to the Richmond Kickers (7-6-5), 2-0, in a contest delayed by both weather and a power outage at Highmark Stadium.

Tallying the goals for the Kickers were Yudai Imura in the 44th minute on a penalty and Sunny Jane in the 67th minute.

Both teams battled evenly in the first half, trading possession and chances throughout the match’s first 45 and change. Hounds midfielder Lebo Moloto kept active, compiling two dangerous chances from distance, including a solid display of footwork and possession in the box in the 38th minute to force a save by Richmond goalkeeper and D.C. United loanee Travis Worra.

The match took an unfortunate turn for the Hounds in the 44th minute, as defender Willie Hunt, jockeying for position in the Hounds box, was called for a penalty. Richmond’s Imura took the penalty, firing a shot past Mauricio Vargas from the right side to give the Kickers a lead before halftime.

During the break, the stadium was bombarded with a torrential downpour complete with thunder and lightning, forcing a weather delay. The conclusion of the lengthy delay though was extended even further by a power outage. The inconvenience ended up delaying the start of the second half by nearly two hours, with play not resuming until 10:36 p.m. – the first half concluded at 7:48 p.m.

Shaking off rust, both squads battled in the midfield before Jane took off on a lengthy run down the pitch, eventually finishing with a direct strike at the top of the box in the 67th minute. From there, the Hounds would push to wipe away the clean sheet, but we’re ultimately unsuccessful.

Pittsburgh now shifts its focus to round two of the Keystone Derby Cup presented by the Pennsylvania Lottery and K&L Gates at home against the Harrisburg City Islanders (4-13-2) on Sunday, July 17 at 7 p.m.

Line-ups:

Riverhounds – Mauricio Vargas – Jack Thompson – Willie Hunt – Sergio Campbell (Zak Boggs 70′) – Mike Green – Danny Earls – Ryan Adeleye – Kevin Kerr – Marshall Hollingsworth (Duwayne Ewart 80′)- Lebo Moloto – Corey Hertzog

Subs not used: Hunter Gilstrap, Jordan Murrell, Conor Branson, Ben Swanson, Nick Thompson

Richmond Kickers – Travis Worra – Braeden Troyer – Hugh Roberts – William Yomby – Luke Mishu – Michael Callahan (Jackson Eskay 90+) – Samuel Asante (Alex Lee 84′) – Luiz Fernando, (Brian Ownby 68′) Sunny Jane (Fred Sekyere Owusa 78′)- Yudai Imura – Anthony Grant (Sascha Gorres 84′)

Subs not used: Sawyer Gaffney, Jason Yeisley

Scoring Summary:

RIC- Yudai Imura 44′

RIC- Sunny Jane 67′

Misconduct Summary:

PGH- Danny Earls 16′ (Caution)

RIC- Sunny Jane 26′ (Caution)

PGH- Sergio Campell 44′ (Caution)

Cleveland Brothers “Blue Collar Player of the Game” – Mauricio Vargas

Post-Game Quote Sheet

Dave Brandt

On the penalty call…

The play of the game was right before halftime – when we gave Richmond a goal. I don’t know if I’m in trouble for saying that or not, but that was a silly penalty. That’s not what we need right now. But we just have to be better, so that we are ahead 1-0, before something like that even happens. Obviously we weren’t tonight, and we’re not there yet. So that is on us. But that was a silly call. It’s ridiculous.

On the delay…

That’s the first time that’s ever happened to me, and that was pushing three hours. But it was the same for both teams. I think players at this level, and at this level of experience handle it, you know I think it was just one of those things.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. (July 10, 2016) – The Pittsburgh Riverhounds (2-9-4) were unable to find the back of the net in their first match in franchise history against Bethlehem Steel FC (5-5-6), falling 2-0 on the road at Goodman Stadium.

Failing to score for a second-straight match, the loss marked the first time since May 17, 2014 the Hounds have been shutout in back-to-back matches. Pittsburgh has now been shutout five times this season in league play after being shut out once during the 2015 campaign.

Tallying the goals for the Steel were Cory Burke in the 24th minute and Leo Fernandes on a penalty kick in extra time in the second half.

The Steel controlled possession for most of the contest, outshooting Pittsburgh 13-to-5, including four shots on goal to Pittsburgh’s three. Burke’s goal in the first half came thanks to a failed clear by Pittsburgh just outside the box. The ball took an unfortunate bounce towards the right side of the net, as both Burke and goalkeeper Hunter Gilstrapchased to gain possession. Burke was able to reach first, firing a shot past Gilstrap for the first tally of the match.

Wholesale changes were made for the Hounds to start the second half, as Conor Branson, Willie Hunt and Ben Swanson replaced Zak Boggs, Jack Thompson and Lebo Moloto, respectively. The substitutions proved not enough as the Steel continued to pour on relentless pressure on the Hounds defense, eventually converting a match-ending penalty kick for the 2-0 final.

Pittsburgh’s best chance of the match came early after Moloto was able to find Kevin Kerr on a deep ball into the Steel’s defensive end. Attacking from the left, Kerr fired a solid shot on goalkeeper John McCarthy, whose save ricocheted directly to Boggs. Boggs though was unable to capitalize, pushing his shot high of the goal.

The Hounds now return home to kick off a three-match homestand against the Richmond Kickers (6-6-5) on Thursday, July 14. Kick off is set for 4 p.m.

Line-ups:

Riverhounds – Hunter Gilstrap – Marshall Hollingsworth, Ryan Adeleye (Drew Russell 77’), Sergio Campbell, Mike Green (Nick Thompson 80’) – Danny Earls, Kevin Kerr, Zak Boggs (Conor Branson 46’), Jack Thompson (Willie Hunt 46’) – Lebo Moloto (Ben Swanson 46’), Corey Hertzog

Subs not used: Mauricio Vargas, Jordan Murrell

Bethlehem Steel FC – John McCarthy – Ryan Richter, Mickey Daly, Austin Trusty, Taylor Washington – Akinyode Boluwatife, James Chambers (Gabe Gissie 80’), Derrick Jones – Leo Fernandes, Cole Missimo (Josh Heard 71’), Cory Burke (Jamie Luchini 89’)

Subs not used: Samir Badr, Nick Bibbs, Fred, Amoy Brown

Scoring Summary:

BST – Cory Burke 24’

BST – Leo Fernandes 90’+ (penalty)

Misconduct Summary:

PGH – Ryan Adeleye 59’ (caution)

BST – Derrick Jones 70’ (caution)

PGH – Danny Earls 85’ (caution)

BST – Taylor Washington 85’ (caution)

BST – Gabriel Gissie 87’ (caution)

PITTSBURGH (July 4, 2016) – The Pittsburgh Riverhounds (2-8-4) battled the Harrisburg City Islanders (4-11-2) to a 0-0 draw in round one of the Keystone Derby Cup presented by the Pennsylvania Lottery and K&L Gates at Highmark Stadium.

Steadying the Hounds for their first clean sheet of the season was goalkeeper Mauricio Vargas and the Pittsburgh backline, which allowed only four shots on goal. On the offensive side, Pittsburgh equaled Harrisburg’s shot total at nine, while bettering its opponent in shots on goal with six.

Action got off to a quick start with the Hounds dominating possession for the better part of the first 15 minutes of the match. Their success included a golden opportunity by Marshall Hollingsworth in the fourth minute, who saw his shot beat goalkeeper Nick Noble, but trickle just wide of the far post. Zak Boggs followed up Hollingsworth with a solid chance of his own in the ninth minute, rifling a shot through a defender’s legs at the top of the box only to see Noble make a diving stop.

The playing field leveled considerably following a yellow card to Mike Green in the 14th minute, which forced the City Islanders’ Aaron Wheeler to an early exit.

Harrisburg nabbed two chances resulting in near goals to end the first half. First, in the 32nd minute, Craig Fosterappeared to have netted a mishandled collection by Vargas only for the ref to rule the latter had the possession illegally dislodged. Three minutes later, Jose Barril chipped a sure goal past Vargas, but defender Karsten Smith was able to make a stellar clear at the goal line to keep the match scoreless.

Vargas highlighted a better part of the second half, keeping the City Islanders at bay with a stellar effort in goal. His stop in the 63rd minute was a diving effort that kept a strong shot by Barril through traffic off the board, while he helped pick up Jordan Murrell after a foul with a strong reaction save on a Harrisburg free kick in the 69th minute.

Harrisburg finished the final seven minutes of the second half down a man after Dante Leverock picked up his second yellow card of the match in the 83rd minute. The Hounds would respond with a flurry of chances inside the City Islanders’ box on two occasions, but Noble and the Harrisburg back line held serve to ensure the draw.

Pittsburgh now looks forward to facing the newly-minted USL franchise, Bethlehem Steel FC, on the road next Sunday, July 10 at 4 p.m. The official affiliate of the MLS’ Philadelphia Union, the Steel hold a 4-5-6 in their first season of play.

Line-ups:

Riverhounds – Mauricio Vargas – Marshall Hollingsworth (Jordan Murrell 66’) – Karsten Smith – Sergio Campbell – Mike Green – Danny Earls – Lebo Moloto – Kevin Kerr – Zak Boggs (Nick Thompson 77’) – Corey Hertzog – Jack Thompson (Duwayne Ewart 62’)

Subs not used: Hunter Gilstrap, Willie Hunt, Connor Branson, Drew Russell

City Islanders – Nick Noble – Shane Johnson – Liam Doyle – Dante Leverock – Shawn McLaws – Paul Wilson- Bobby Warshaw – Mouhamed Dabo – Josh Hughes (Cardel Benbow 62’) – Jose Barril (Danny DiPrima 90+’) – Aaron Wheeler (Craig Foster 17’ (Garret Pettis 50’))

Subs not used: Keasel Brooke, Matt Bolduc, Brett Jankauskas

Misconduct Summary:

PGH- Mike Green 14’ (Caution)

HAR- Bobby Warshaw 45+’ (Caution)

HAR- Dante Leverock 52’ (Caution)

PGH- Duwayne Ewart (Caution)

HAR- Dante Leverock 84’ (Caution-Red Card)

PGH- Sergio Campbell 90+’ (Caution)

Cleveland Brothers “Blue Collar Player of the Game” – Kevin Kerr

Post-Game Quote Sheet

Dave Brandt

Thought’s on tonight’s performance…

I’m pleased with the physical and emotional effort which is a battle if you’re playing Harrisburg. It was a rainy night and I thought it started brightly and then turned into a war. I was obviously hoping we’d nip one a couple of times, but we didn’t and that’s disappointing, but we battled for sure.

On facing Harrisburg…

I was hoping it might be a pretty match. But yeah I think there are some elements we were showing the past couple of weeks, particularly tonight that have been missing from this team so that’s a positive. But it was a clean sheet if I’m not mistaken, that had to happen. Obviously we need three points at some point. But to keep a clean sheet is something this team hasn’t done so that’s a small positive. I think the fact that it was Pittsburgh Harrisburg and a Derby contributing to why it wasn’t the prettiest.

Mauricio Vargas

On earning the squad’s first clean sheet…

I’m really happy. The whole team did a great job on defense, in terms of keeping the ball far away from the goal. I’m really happy.

On first time competing in the Keystone Derby…

In the beginning, I knew this was an important game for the fans. I think part of our good game was their support.

On gaining confidence from tonight’s performance…

We are getting there, we played a good game but it wasn’t enough. We need to keep pushing and force more goals. All I can say is that we need to keep working hard and doing what coach wants to do.

[The defense] was like a wall. There were a few times I was expecting a shot and they came out of nowhere and protected me. In general, we all did great work.

Corey Hertzog

On not capitalizing on chances…

Yeah, we needed three points in that game to start July off right. It’s just frustrating, but the positive thing is that was our first clean sheet. Now we just need to put our chances to work and get three points.

We had some good chances in the first half that were saved by the keeper, I guess it was just one of those nights. I think there’s only been two games we haven’t scored so you’re going to have those nights where it’s just not going in and unfortunately that was tonight. Defensively we did well to keep the clean sheet.

On finding space in close after Harrisburg lost a man…

It’s difficult, they were putting 8 or 9 people in the box and it’s hard for us to get good quality chances. I mean, we had our opportunities in the first half. We just have to learn from this and have the positive part of having a clean sheet.

On facing the City Islanders again in less than two weeks…

Harrisburg is a good team; you saw it tonight. They kept us shutout. We just need to focus on keeping the ball in the mid field and try to avoid turnovers. If we could just clean up the game a little bit and take more chances that would be good.