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Preview: Hounds at Loudoun United FC

Riverhounds midfielder Bradley Sample gets held back by Loudoun United FC midfielder Florian Valot in the 2025 preseason meeting between the two teams on Feb. 25 at Highmark Stadium. (Photo: Mallory Neil/Riverhounds SC)

Match Info

Riverhounds (2-2-1) vs. Loudoun United FC (5-1-0)
Date: Saturday, April 19
Time: 4:30 p.m.
Location: Segra Field, Leesburg, Va.
Odds: Hounds +300 / Draw +250 / Loudoun -125 at FanDuel
TV: KDKA+
Streaming: ESPN+
Live statistics: USL Championship Match Center
Live updates: @RiverhoundsSC on X/Twitter
Match hashtags: #LDNvPIT and #Grittsburgh

(April 17, 2025) — On a short turnaround after Tuesday’s U.S. Open Cup win in Columbus, the Hounds have no small task in front of them with their third straight road match Saturday afternoon against Eastern Conference leaders Loudoun United FC.

The Hounds’ historic dominance in the series — 13-1-1 in 15 matches — is unlikely to faze this year’s Loudoun side, which is already shaping up to be the club’s best in its third year since becoming independent and breaking the shackles of D.C. United reserve team status.

A week after facing Charleston striker Cal Jennings, the Hounds will be tasked with slowing down the Championship’s other current scoring co-leader Abdellatif Aboukoura, who has five goals in six matches to open 2025. Aboukoura has the benefit of service from veteran midfielder Florian Valot, who also leads the league with his four assists thus far.

Loudoun has 11 goals overall this season, ranking them first in the East and tied for the top spot league-wide, and their only two losses have come on the road against Louisville — one in the league and last Tuesday in the Open Cup. That should have the hosts feeling confident for head coach Ryan Martin, who is in his seventh season and is now the second-most-tenured coach in the Championship behind Bob Lilley, despite being a few weeks shy of his 42nd birthday.

For the Hounds, health is the biggest concern. Trending in the right direction are Bertin Jacquesson and Charles Ahl, both of who have returned to training on a limited basis. But after Junior Etou left Tuesday’s win at Columbus early and with multiple players having already logged 180 minutes since last Saturday, Lilley has those concerns to weight against the need to get a result on the road.

One of those 180-minute players — and the one most likely to run that number to 270 — is captain Danny Griffin. Griffin is on his best scoring streak as a professional with three goals in his past four matches, and when he sets foot on the field in Virginia, it will be his 157th match for the Hounds, tying him for fourth all-time with club Hall of Famer Gary DePalma. The Hounds also have a team milestone looming after victory in Columbus was the club’s 299th win in all competitions.

Fans will be able to catch Saturday’s match, an early start at 4:30 p.m., live on KDKA+. The match will also be streamed on KDKA.com for in-market viewers and ESPN+ nationally, and KDKA+ will show a re-airing of the match on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Downloadable Game Notes

Game Notes at Loudoun, 4/19/25 Download

Hounds to host NYCFC in Open Cup Round of 32

(Updated 4/17 at 5 p.m. with match date, time & TV info)

PITTSBURGH (April 17, 2025) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC will once again welcome MLS opposition to Highmark Stadium after being drawn to host New York City FC in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 on Wednesday, May 7.

The match will be a 7 p.m. kickoff broadcast nationally on CBS Sports Network and streamed live on Paramount+.

It will be the first-ever matchup between the Hounds, Open Cup quarterfinalists in 2001 and 2023, and NYCFC, which began play in 2015 and has also reached the quarterfinals twice, in 2019 and 2022. The Hounds have hosted MLS teams at Highmark Stadium two times previously — in 2023 when they defeated the Columbus Crew, 1-0, and in 2015, when they lost in extra time to D.C. United, 3-1.

Tickets for the match will be available to the general public at 10 a.m. this Tuesday, April 22 through Ticketmaster and the Highmark Stadium Box Office. Hounds season ticket holders will be invoiced and can lock in their seats for the Open Cup match until the end of day Sunday, April 20, and special, limited pre-sales will be available on Monday, April 21.

The Hounds reached the Round of 32 by winning its Third Round match Tuesday, 1-0 over Columbus Crew 2 of MLS Next Pro, while MLS teams are entering the competition this round.

The winner of the Round of 32 match will advance to face the winner between the Philadelphia Union and Indy Eleven. The Union would host that match, while the Hounds would host if they advanced to face Indy.

To see the complete schedule for the Round of 32, visit ussoccer.com.

Hounds bounce Crew 2 from Open Cup

Riverhounds players celebrate the goal by Danny Griffin in the team's 1-0 win over Columbus Crew 2 in the Third Round of the U.S. Open Cup on April 15, 2025 at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo: Saif Greco/Riverhounds SC) — Riverhounds players celebrate the goal by Danny Griffin in the team’s 1-0 win over Columbus Crew 2 in the Third Round of the U.S. Open Cup at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo: Saif Greco/Riverhounds SC)

COLUMBUS, Ohio (April 15, 2025) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds captain Danny Griffin headed in the only goal of the match in the first half, delivering a 1-0 win over Columbus Crew 2 in the Third Round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup tonight at Lower.com Field.

Goalkeeper Jacob Randolph made three saves, all in the second half, to earn his second career shutout in his first start of the season. The win was also the 23rd coaching win in the Open Cup for Bob Lilley, which moves him into the top five all-time among coaches in the Cup’s “Modern Era” (since 1995).

The Hounds advance to the Round of 32, which will be played on May 6-7. Pairings for the next round, which will feature 16 Third Round winners and 16 MLS teams entering the competition, will be announced at 9:15 a.m. this Thursday, live on CBS Sports Golazo Network’s Morning Footy.

First half

The Hounds came out on the front foot against the lower-division side, despite seven changes to the starting lineup from Saturday’s loss at Charleston.

Two of the new starters, Jason Bouregy and Jorge Garcia, connected for an early chance down the left side, but Garcia’s left-footed shot couldn’t find the target.

The Hounds won two early corner kicks, but it was their third in the 28th minute that yielded the lone goal. Garcia curled the kick from the right side to the near corner of the goal box, where both Griffin and Max Broughton rose for the ball. Griffin won the header, and his redirection caromed off the hands off goalkeeper Luke Pruter and into the side of the net.

The goal was Griffin’s second in the Open Cup in his career, and both of them have come in 1-0 road wins. He had the lone strike when the Hounds beat the New England Revolution of MLS in 2023, and this time he did the job against Columbus’ reserve side out of MLS Next Pro.

Second half

Crew 2 came out with renewed energy after being limited to just three touches in the Hounds box and no shots in the first 45 minutes.

Randolph came up big in the 60th minute, when he not only made a point-blank stop on substitute Anthony Alaouieh, he also recovered to punch the ball clear after the save popped it high into the air.

Junior Etou, who entered the match as a second-half substitute, had a chance to double the Hounds lead when he broke behind the defense in the 77th minute, but Pruter was up to the task and made a save diving to his right.

Randolph took another turn to make a save moments later, when he made a diving stop on a chance by Brent Adu-Gyamfi. The rebound went in the direction of Crew 2’s Chase Adams, but he couldn’t turn the second effort on net, and Randolph was able to corral the ball.

The Hounds didn’t allow a shot on goal in the final 10 minutes, and Augi Williams had one last chance at an insurance goal, but his stoppage time effort on a counter-attack was stopped by Pruter, and the Crew 2 defense recovered to clear before Robbie Mertz could stab home the rebound.

Modelo Man of the Match

Jackson Walti, playing his second 90-minute shift in four days, was a workhorse in the midfield. He claimed possession 10 times, winning 6 of 11 duels and 4 of 5 tackles while connecting on an impressive 52 of 56 passes (92.9 percent).

What’s next?

The Hounds get back to league play and continue their April on the road with a trip to face East-leading Loudoun United FC (5-1-0) at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, April 19 in Leesburg, Va. Loudoun also played tonight in the Open Cup, falling 2-1 on the road to Louisville City FC.

Riverhounds SC lineup (4-2-3-1) — Jacob Randolph; Max Broughton (Illal Osumanu 86’), Sean Suber, Beto Ydrach, Perrin Barnes; Jackson Walti, Danny Griffin; Jason Bouregy (Junior Etou 66’, Pablo Linzoain 90+4’), Jorge Garcia (Robbie Mertz 66’), Aidan O’Toole (Luke Biasi 66’); Augi Williams

Columbus Crew 2 lineup (5-3-2) — Luke Pruter; Tristan Brown, Christopher Rogers, Keesean Ferdinand, Malcom Palacios (Brent Adu-Gyamfi 46’), Quinton Elliot; Nicolas Rincon, Ibrahima Sy, Owen Presthus; Cristian Ortiz (Anthony Alaouieh 46’), Chase Adams

Scoring summary

PIT — Danny Griffin 28’ (Jorge Garcia)

Discipline summary

PIT — Jorge Garcia 7’ (caution – reckless foul)
CLB — Tristan Brown 48’ (caution – tactical foul)
CLB — Anthony Alaouieh 77’ (caution – delaying restart)

Open Cup Game Day: Hounds at Columbus Crew 2

Jorge Garcia scores the only goal of the Riverhounds' 1-0 preseason win over Columbus Crew 2 on Feb. 16, 2025 at Highmark Stadium. (Photo: Chris Cowger/Riverhounds SC) — *Jorge Garcia scores the only goal of the Riverhounds’ 1-0 preseason win over Columbus Crew 2 on Feb. 16 at Highmark Stadium. (Photo: Chris Cowger/Riverhounds SC)*

Match info

U.S. Open Cup Third Round
Riverhounds vs. Columbus Crew 2
Date: Tuesday, April 15
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Lower.com Field, Columbus, Ohio
Odds (after 90 minutes): Hounds -115 / Draw +230 / Columbus +300 at FanDuel
Streaming: Paramount+
Live statistics: USL Championship Match Center
Live updates: @RiverhoundsSC on X/Twitter
Match hashtags: #USOC2025 and #Grittsburgh

(April 14, 2025) — The Hounds make their return to action in the Third Round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday with a first-ever meeting against an MLS Next Pro opponent as they visit Columbus Crew 2 at Lower.com Field.

Though it is the first official contest against a team from the newest iteration of the MLS reserve league, the Hounds and Crew 2 got together for a preseason match this year back on Feb. 16. On that day, playing at snow-covered Highmark Stadium, the Hounds took a 1-0 win on a goal by then-trialist Jorge Garcia.

Garcia, who has been a regular in the Hounds 18 since signing in preseason, is among the players who could make the move from last Saturday’s bench into to the starting lineup, as coach Bob Lilley will seek to advance while also keeping legs fresh with another USL Championship road trip looming this Saturday at Loudoun.

Though the Hounds and Crew 2 have yet to meet in a competitive setting, the ties between the two clubs run deep, including goalkeeper coach Jon Busch returning to the city where he led the MLS Crew to the 2002 Open Cup title. The Hounds and Crew — who first met in the Hounds’ very first preseason match in 1999 — have met twice in the Open Cup. Columbus took a 1-0 win in 2019 at what is now called Historic Crew Stadium, and the Hounds scored a 1-0 win at Highmark as part of their 2023 quarterfinal run.

While the Hounds were seeded into the Third Round based on their league finish in 2024, Crew 2 had to win their way to this point of the tournament, a path they started by dispatching UPSL side New York Renegades FC in the First Round, 4-1. That set up another home game for Crew 2, and they were able to spring the upset on USL Championship side Lexington SC, winning 3-0 after a seventh-minute Owen Presthus goal and second-half tallies by Cristian Ortiz and Brent Adu-Gyamfi.

Fans wanting to tune into the match live will be able to do so by streaming it on Paramount+, and Open Cup coverage will go on before and after the round’s matches on CBS Sports Golazo Network.

The winner of Tuesday’s match will join the other Third Round winners in the Round of 32, when 16 MLS teams will be added to the field. The draw for Round of 32 matches will be shown live at 9:15 a.m. Thursday on CBS Sports Golazo Network’s Morning Footy program.

Downloadable Game Notes

Game Notes at Columbus 2, 4/15/25 Download

Lead slips away late in defeat at Charleston

Riverhounds midfielder Bradley sample volleys the ball under pressure from the Charleston Battery's Nate Dossantos and Joey Akpunonu during the teams' match April 12, 2025 at Patriots Point in Mount Pleasant, S.C. (Photo: Charleston Battery) — Riverhounds midfielder Bradley sample volleys the ball under pressure from the Charleston Battery’s Nate Dossantos and Joey Akpunonu during the teams’ match at Patriots Point in Mount Pleasant, S.C. (Photo: Charleston Battery)

(April 12, 2025) — A first-half lead slipped away from the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, as goals by Aaron Molloy and Cal Jennings gave the Charleston Battery a 2-1 win tonight at Patriots Point Soccer Complex in Mount Pleasant, S.C.

Bradley Sample opened the scoring for the Hounds (2-2-1) shortly before halftime, but the Battery (3-2-0) came back with goals in the 67th and 80th minute to snap the Hounds’ two-match winning streak.

Eric Dick made a season-high six saves for the Hounds, who trailed in possession for the first time all season with only 37.2 percent of the ball

First half

The game opened up with much of the play locked in the middle of the field, but Augi Williams was able to get the only shot on goal in the first 20 minutes with some clever footwork in the box, forcing a save from former Hounds goalkeeper Luis Zamudio in the Battery net.

Dick came up with his biggest stop of the first half in the 32nd minute, when Jennings broke into the box on a counter attack. The striker’s initial shot was saved by Dick diving to his right, and the goalkeeper recovered across the face of goal quickly to force MD Myers to shoot wide on the follow-up attempt.

The Hounds opened the scoring right on the 40-minute mark, when the Battery were unable to fully clear a Robbie Mertz free kick. The ball fell to Sample at the top of the box, and the midfielder placed a left-footed shot through traffic and into the right side of the net for his first of the season.

The half ended with Battery receiving a penalty kick after Dick was ruled to have tripped Jennings while sliding to collect a loose ball wide of the goal. Any controversy over the call was forgotten moments later after Jennings, the Battery’s top scorer, fired the spot kick well over the goal.

Second half

The Battery’s possession forced the Hounds to do lots of defending in the second half, and eventually the home side broke through.

Juan Torres forced a low pass forward to Myers, who laid a pass back to Molloy standing 25 yards from goal. The Irish midfielder took two touches to his right before teeing up a shot that sailed its way into the top right side of the net to tie the match.

Dick came up with another big save minutes later, diving to stop a free kick by Torres and scrambling the rebound out of play while on the ground. But in the 80th minute, Torres slipped another pass through to Jennings running into the right side of the penalty area, and the striker finished with a shot across the goal and inside the back post.

Modelo Man of the Match

Despite having his two-match shutout streak broken, Eric Dick kept the Hounds in tonight’s match with six saves, more than doubling his total of five from the first four matches. It tied his second-highest saves total as a member of the Hounds, trailing only his eight-save performance on Aug. 3 last season in a win at Sacramento.

What’s next?

The Hounds have a quick turnaround to get ready for the Third Round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. They will face Columbus Crew 2 out of MLS Next Pro at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio.

Riverhounds SC lineup (4-2-3-1) — Eric Dick; Junior Etou, Sean Suber, Illal Osumanu (Pablo Linzoain 81’), Luke Biasi; Jackson Walti, Beto Ydrach (Jorge Garcia 81’); Robbie Mertz (Jason Bouregy 81’), Danny Griffin, Bradley Sample (Aidan O’Toole 66’); Augi Williams (Max Broughton 66’)

Charleston Battery lineup (4-2-3-1) — Luis Zamudio; Nate Dossantos, Joey Akpunonu, Leland Archer, Nanan Houssou;, Aaron Molloy, Chris Allan; Emilio Ycaza (John Klein 66’), MD Myers (Jackson Conway 90+1’), Juan Torres (Mark Segbers 90+1’); Cal Jennings (Langston Blackstock 84’)

Scoring summary

PIT — Bradley Sample 40’
CHS — Aaron Molloy 67’ (MD Myers)
CHS — Cal Jennings 80’ (Juan Torres)

Discipline summary

CHS — Juan Torres 21’ (caution – reckless foul)
PIT — Augi Williams 56’ (caution – persistent infringement)
CHS — Leland Archer 60’ (caution – reckless foul)

Defender Vacter inks deal with Hounds

*Guillaume Vacter, a first-year pro out of UConn, signed with the Hounds for 2025. (Photo: Mallory Neil/Riverhounds SC)*

PITTSBURGH (April 11, 2025) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC has signed defender Guillaume Vacter to a one-year contract with a club option for the 2026 season, pending USL and U.S. Soccer approval.

Vacter, 24, is a first-year pro out of the University of Connecticut who joined the Hounds in training near the end of their preseason, and he solidified his roster spot with his work in the team’s final preseason matches and in training.

“Gui is a physical defender who excels in 1v1 situations. He also reads the game well and makes good decisions on the ball,” Riverhounds head coach Bob Lilley said. “We’re glad to have him in Pittsburgh, and he will be a good addition to our team.”

Hailing from Paris, France, Vacter first arrived in the U.S. to play for Rider University in the Spring 2021 season, during which he started five matches and scored once for the Broncs. He then transferred to Connecticut, where he established himself as a pivotal player for the Huskies in the Big East Conference.

Vacter appeared in 64 matches, starting 56 of them, and he was among the top five in minutes played for the Huskies all four of his seasons there. He had two goals and an assist with Connecticut, and his defending helped the Huskies to a .500 or better record each year.

The Hounds will be back in action this Saturday, April 12, when they visit the Charleston Battery for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff. The match will be televised live on KDKA+ and the CBS Sports Golazo Network.

Game Day: Hounds at Charleston Battery

Sean Suber dribbles the ball during the Riverhounds' season-opening match against North Carolina FC on March 8, 2025 at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C. (Photo: Mallory Neil/Riverhounds SC) — *Sean Suber dribbles the ball during the Riverhounds’ season-opening match against North Carolina FC on March 8 at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C. (Photo: Mallory Neil/Riverhounds SC)*

Match info

Riverhounds (2-1-1) vs. Charleston Battery (2-2-0)
Date: Saturday, April 12
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Location: Patriots Point Soccer Complex, Mount Pleasant, S.C.
Odds: Hounds +350 / Draw +230 / Charleston -130 at FanDuel
TV: KDKA+
Streaming: CBS Sports Golazo Network
Live statistics: USL Championship Match Center
Live updates: @RiverhoundsSC on X/Twitter
Match hashtags: #CHSvPIT and #Grittsburgh

(April 10, 2025) — After an early week off, the Hounds take their two-match winning streak on the road Saturday night to face their longest-running nemesis in the USL Championship, the Charleston Battery.

The Hounds had their 2024 season come to an end with a 1-0 playoff loss to the Battery at Patriots Point, and while Bob Lilley and Ben Pirmann have established continuity with their respective clubs, the make-up of both teams is somewhat different from a year ago.

For the Hounds, captain Danny Griffin has scored in consecutive matches — a first in his career — as the shift from his longtime holding midfield role to a more attacking-minded role is paying early dividends. On the defensive side of the ball, Lilley still wants to see his side clean up some of the loose moments that occurred against Hartford and Birmingham, but the end results — a pair of clean sheets and only three shots on goal allowed in 180 minutes — indicate a group that needs to fine tune rather than make widespread changes.

A first career assist and the Birmingham shutout gave Beto Ydrach his first Team of the Week honor, and both Luke Biasi and Junior Etou earned bench honors the prior week. That overlooks the contribution of Sean Suber, the only defender to have played every minute this season, and Eric Dick, who has his first two clean sheets of the season after 14 a year ago.

The Battery, meanwhile, dealt with the sale of 2024 Golden Boot winner Nick Markanich with the offseason acquisition of another of the USL Championship’s top scorers, Cal Jennings. Jennings is off to a hot start with four goals to share the league lead after the first month, as he has burst into the league’s all-time top 10 for goals at just 27 years old.

One of Charleston’s other 2025 acquisitions is a familiar face. Luis Zamudio, who spent part of 2023 on loan to the Hounds, has been the Battery’s No. 1 to begin the year behind an experienced back line with veterans Leland Archer, Graham Smith and another former Hound, Nate Dossantos.

This will be the 45th all-time meeting between the Hounds and the Battery. That makes Charleston the Hounds’ second-most-frequent opponent, tying the number of meetings with the Harrisburg City Islanders/Penn FC. The 47 meetings between the Hounds and Rochester Rhinos remains atop the list, but that spot presumably will be taken over by Hounds-Battery during 2026.

Saturday night’s match will be shown live on KDKA+ and streamed via KDKA.com for the in-market audience and over CBS Sports Golazo Network for everyone else. KDKA+ also will re-air the match at 1 p.m. Sunday.

Downloadable Game Notes

Game Notes at Charleston, 4/12/25 Download

Looking back at 100 Highmark wins

Fans celebrate with Robbie Mertz after his goal in the Riverhounds' 2-0 win over Birmingham Legion FC on March 29, 2025, which was the 100th win at Highmark Stadium. (Photo: Mallory Neil/Riverhounds SC) — *Fans celebrate with Robbie Mertz after his goal in the Riverhounds’ 2-0 win over Birmingham Legion FC on March 29, which was the 100th win at Highmark Stadium. (Photo: Mallory Neil/Riverhounds SC)*

When the Hounds heard the final whistle in their 2-0 win over Birmingham Legion FC on March 29, their thoughts were geared toward the implications for this season, not the historical aspect of the Hounds getting their 100th win at Highmark Stadium.

But having 100 wins in the building that has been their home since 2013 — the club’s first true home after barnstorming between high schools and minor-league ballparks in their early years — is a testament to the stability that has come to the club during that time under the leadership of owner Tuffy Shallenberger and, more recently, head coach Bob Lilley, the boss for 71 of the 100 home wins.

With a 100-49-55 record in competitive matches, Highmark Stadium has lived up to its “Fort Highmark” nickname for the Hounds, especially in recent seasons. With that in mind, we look back on some of the most memorable, notable — and in some cases, unusual — wins out of the 100.

#1: May 9, 2013 — Hounds 2, Phoenix FC 1

The first win at Highmark came in the team’s second match at their new home, and José Angulo goals on each side of halftime were enough to give the Justin Evans-led Hounds their first win on the year. The match was part of a 10-game unbeaten run that helped the Hounds overcome a rocky start to reach the playoffs.

#14: March 28, 2015 — Hounds 5, Harrisburg City Islanders 2

Though the “Miracle on the Mon” would come later in the same season (win #18, for those counting), the 2015 season opener was notable for multiple reasons. Kevin Kerr scored the first hat trick in Highmark Stadium, and Rob Vincent accounted for the first and last goals of the match in a game that brought a renewed hope under new coach Mark Steffens, as the team tried to shake off the disappointment of the 2014 season and off-field turmoil that led to Shallenberger becoming the team’s sole owner.

#17: May 27, 2015 — Hounds 1, Tampa Bay Rowdies 0 (U.S. Open Cup Third Round)

If we were to rank the best goals in Highmark Stadium’s history, Vincent’s solo run from the center line, playing advantage through a foul, and hitting a perfectly placed, stoppage-time winner is a sure-fire top 10 entry for both quality and impact. First off, it came as part of a day when the USL showed its quality over the nominally “higher tier” North American Soccer League, winning seven of eight head-to-head matchups. But more importantly for the Hounds, it set up a home date with D.C. United in the Fourth Round, the first time MLS opposition would have to come to Highmark.

#30: April 7, 2018 — Hounds 4, Toronto FC II 0

The first win of the Lilley era shouldn’t even have been at Highmark. This match was originally scheduled to be played at Toronto FC’s BMO Field, but torrential rain during and after Toronto’s Concacaf Champions League match against Club America five days earlier left the pitch unplayable for the USL side. The change in venue allowed Hounds fans to be at home to witness the first Neco Brett hat trick for the club as part of a four-goal second-half outburst.

#51: Oct. 26, 2019 — Hounds 7, Birmingham Legion FC 0 (Eastern Conference Quarterfinals)

The Hounds’ first playoff win on their home turf still stands as a USL Championship record for most goals in a playoff match and biggest margin of victory. Expanded seating in the Paul Child Stand allowed a then-record crowd of 5,627 to pack the stadium, a crowd that likely would have been larger if not for heavy rains that day. But the weather didn’t stop the Hounds from raining goals into the Legion net, with Brett scoring four, Jordan Dover and Robbie Mertz each adding one, and an own goal rounding out a joyous night at Highmark.

#77: April 5, 2023 — Hounds 1, Rochester NY FC 0 (forfeit, U.S. Open Cup Second Round)

We said there would be unusual ones on this list, but this one takes the cake. While wins #52-56 came in an empty stadium due to the pandemic in 2020, not even the players had to show up for this one, as the Hounds advanced when the former Rhinos — then a part of MLS Next Pro — ceased operations after the cup draw but before the season began.

#82: May 24, 2023 — Hounds 1, Columbus Crew 0 (U.S. Open Cup Round of 16)

Less than two months after the “match” with no one in the building came one where everyone attended — to the tune of a new record crowd of 6,107. Albert Dikwa took a feed from Mertz and finished the game’s only goal in the first half, and the Hounds scored their second straight shutout win over an MLS opponent after doing the same on the road to the New England Revolution a round earlier. The win was the team’s first at home over an MLS team since 2001, and it booked a spot in the quarterfinals, also a first since 2001 for the team.

*Celebrations ran long after the match following the Hounds’ 1-0 defeat of the Columbus Crew in the U.S. Open Cup Round of 16 at Highmark Stadium in 2023. (Photo: Chris Cowger/Riverhounds SC)*

#100: March 29, 2025 — Hounds 2, Birmingham Legion FC 0

The Legion were the unlucky victim for #100, as Mertz and Danny Griffin sent the Hounds to a second straight Highmark win to open the 2025 home slate. It was the sixth loss for Birmingham at Highmark, a number exceeded only by the seven losses suffered there by Hartford Athletic, who were on the short end of win #99 the week before.

Now, with #100 in the books, the Hounds will have to wait to begin work on the second hundred. The first chance at #101 doesn’t come until May 3, when the Hounds will host North Carolina FC after four consecutive road matches in April.

Hounds to visit Crew 2 in Open Cup

(Updated with match details, 4/3 at 5 p.m.)

PITTSBURGH (April 3, 2025) — The Pittsburgh Riverhounds will be on the road to face Columbus Crew 2 out of MLS Next Pro in the Third Round of the 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, a matchup revealed this afternoon during U.S. Soccer’s televised draw on CBS Sports Golazo Network.

The match will be the first of the Third Round to kick off with a 6 p.m. start Tuesday, April 15 at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio. The match will be shown live on Paramount+.

This will be the first-ever competitive matchup for the Hounds against a team from MLS Next Pro, the third-division league that launched in 2022. The Hounds did face Crew 2 in this year’s preseason, taking a 1-0 win at a snow-covered Highmark Stadium on Feb. 16 behind a goal by Jorge Garcia.

The Hounds have faced Crew 2’s parent club, MLS’s Columbus Crew, twice previously in the Open Cup. The Crew came out on top 1-0 in Columbus in 2019, but the Hounds turned the tables to win 1-0 in Pittsburgh in 2023 to advance to the quarterfinals for only the second time in club history.

Winners from the Third Round will advance to the Round of 32, where the advancing teams will be joined by 16 MLS clubs entering the competition. The Round of 32 draw will be held Thursday, April 17.

To see the complete Third Round pairings, visit ussoccer.com/us-open-cup.

Ydrach named to Team of the Week

Pittsburgh Riverhounds defender Beto Ydrach was named to the USL Championship Team of the Week for Week 4 after his performance in the team's 2-0 win over Birmingham Legion FC on March 29, 2025, at Highmark Stadium in Pittsburgh. (Photo: Chris Cowger/Riverhounds SC) — Hounds defender Beto Ydrach was named to the USL Championship Team of the Week for Week 4 after his performance in the team’s 2-0 win over Birmingham last Saturday. (Photo: Chris Cowger/Riverhounds SC)

PITTSBURGH (April 1, 2025) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC defender Beto Ydrach was named to the USL Championship Team of the Week for Week 4, the league announced this afternoon.

Ydrach assisted the Hounds’ second goal in their 2-0 win Saturday night over Birmingham Legion FC, slipping a well-weighted pass through the middle for Danny Griffin to apply a sliding finish. Spending most of the match at center back before moving to a holding midfield role, Ydrach also won all five of his aerial duels, claimed possession a team-high nine times and led the Hounds with nine clearances.

It is the first time in the weekly best 11 for Ydrach, a first-year pro who has started all four matches this season for the Hounds. It comes on the heels of a busy week in which he also suited up for the Puerto Rico National Team last Tuesday to make his 13th international appearance in a midweek friendly in the Dominican Republic.

Hounds midfielder Robbie Mertz also appeared in the weekly honors for the first time in 2025 by taking a bench spot after scoring the opening goal in the win over Birmingham. The Pittsburgh native also led the team with eight crosses and two chances created, and he won possession seven times, trailing only Ydrach for the Hounds.

The Hounds are off this weekend before returning to action with a visit to their longest-running rival, the Charleston Battery, in a 7:30 p.m. match Saturday, April 12. That game can be seen on KDKA+ and CBS Sports Golazo.

Charly

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