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PITTSBURGH (Feb. 21, 2025) — The Pittsburgh Riverhounds continued their strong run of preseason results this morning by traveling across town to pick up a 3-0 win over the University of Pittsburgh at the Pitt Sports Dome on the school’s Oakland campus.

Goals by Kenardo Forbes, Max Broughton and one of the team’s trialists accounted for the scoring for the Hounds, who won their fourth straight preseason match and third by way of shutout. The match was originally scheduled to be played Friday evening at Pitt’s Ambrose Urbanic Field, but the time and venue were moved because of the cold temperatures and potential for precipitation in the forecast.

The Hounds created problems for the Panthers early by pressing the Pitt defenders, and turnovers in their own half led to each of the first two goals.

In the 13th minute, Jackson Walti got on the ball and drove into the box after the Hounds picked up possession barely 30 yards from goal. The initial shot by Walti was saved, but one of the Hounds’ preseason trialists crashed in to bury the rebound.

The lead became 2-0 only four minutes later, when the Hounds countered down the right flank. Luke Biasi got behind the defense in a wide position, and his low, hard cross was turned into the goal by Forbes for the veteran’s first goal this preseason.

Both teams utilized their bench heavily, as the Hounds played 22 players in total. One of the players who logged the most minutes was midfielder Charles Ahl, who set up the team’s third goal in the 83rd minute.

On a play that began with a corner kick, the Hounds recovered the clearance and moved the ball around the box to Ahl on the right side. His cross toward the near post found Broughton — who minutes earlier had a header denied by a good save — and this time Broughton turned the ball into the net as the two first-year pros connected.

It was the eighth time in the past nine seasons the Hounds have faced Pitt in the preseason, and there were plenty of ties between the teams on the field. Both Walti and Bertin Jacquesson played for the Panthers and coach Jay Vidovich, while Pitt has two Riverhounds Academy alums in Alex Hauskrecht and Anders Bordoy, the latter of whom debuted for the Hounds’ First Team in 2023 as an amateur player on a USL Academy contract.

The Hounds are entering their final week of preseason next week with a pair of matches against USL opponents, the first coming Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 2 p.m. when the team hosts Loudoun United FC at Highmark Stadium.

Scoring summary

PIT — Trialist 13′
PIT — Kenardo Forbes 17′ (Luke Biasi)
PIT — Max Broughton 83′ (Charles Ahl)

PITTSBURGH (Feb. 16, 2025) — A late-match goal gave the Pittsburgh Riverhounds their third consecutive preseason win, 1-0, over Columbus Crew 2 of MLS Next Pro this afternoon on the snow-covered Highmark Stadium turf.

The Hounds (3-0-0) got the game’s only goal in the 78th minute with a solid strike from 20 yards out by one of the team’s non-roster trialists. Bertin Jacquesson won a high, looping ball and nudged it back diagonally with his body, setting up the right-footed finish from distance.

It was the first time the Hounds had played a team from MLS Next Pro in preseason; their previous matchup with an MLS reserve grade side was back in 2021 — the year before the formation of Next Pro — when they defeated Philadelphia Union II at Highmark Stadium.

The game was also the second shutout in the past three preseason matches for the Hounds, with the only goal conceded in that stretch coming on a penalty kick. Eric Dick played the first 60 minutes of the match and needed to make just one save, before Jacob Randolph came on in relief for the final half hour.

The Hounds were strong in possession out of the gates, despite the snow cover and blustery conditions, but their best early chance came by way of set piece. Robbie Mertz took a quick corner kick, and the ball was curled into the box where Bradley Sample was unmarked. Sample rose to put a firm header on goal, but the attempt flew into the goalkeeper’s hands.

Junior Etou picked up where he left off a season ago, getting behind the defense on the left side multiple times. In the 52nd minute, his low cross from along the goal line was parried away by the goalkeeper, but no Hounds teammate was in position to turn the rebound home in the box.

As the Hounds went deeper into their bench — 21 players saw minutes in total — a scoreless match seemed like it might be in the cards until Jacquesson and the trialist linked up for the go-ahead goal with 12 minutes to play.

Crew 2 still nearly came away with a late goal and a draw after the Hounds defense initially blocked a shot in the 89th minute. The ball bounced free in the box to a Columbus player, who lifted an attempt toward goal, but another of the Hounds’ non-rostered players was on the goal line to head the ball to safety.

The Hounds continue their preseason next week when they go across town to face the University of Pittsburgh at 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21 at Ambrose Urbanic Field in the city’s Oakland neighborhood.

(Feb. 12, 2025) — Two goals in the final 12 minutes completed a preseason comeback for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, who came away with a 2-1 win over fellow USL Championship team Indy Eleven in an exhibition match at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind.

First-year pro Brigham Larsen came off the bench to score both goals for the Hounds (2-0-0), the first two this preseason for the Norwegian striker. Those goals overcame a first-half penalty kick by Indy’s Elvis Amoh that opened the scoring.

The teams also met in last year’s preseason — a 0-0 draw in Pittsburgh — but Hounds coach Bob Lilley drew a contrast from then to now.

“It was much different than what you saw last year, when we were defending and countering more,” Lilley said. “We had more of the ball and we were doing more to try and play through their lines on the ground.”

Despite that, the Hounds found themselves trailing when their former striker, Edward Kizza, was tripped at the edge of the penalty area. That set up Amoh at the spot, and he converted the penalty kick in the 32nd minute.

Needing to generate more offense, the Hounds made quality adjustments at the break.

“First half, we got a lot of service in the box, but we didn’t get to the end line as much as I’d like,” Lilley said. “We talked about it, and in the second half, we got behind them more and created more shots. It was a little more back-and-forth in the second half, a little more stretched with both teams bringing on subs, but we created some dangerous moments.”

Larsen tied the match in the 78th minute by using his 6-foot-4 stature to head in a free kick from fellow first-year pro Charles Ahl. Six minutes later, Larsen found the back of the net again, this time on the receiving end of a long, diagonal pass from one of the Hounds’ non-roster trialists.

“It was good to see those guys contribute. I thought there were a lot of good performances, and we took a good step forward today,” Lilley said.

The Hounds return home to continue their preseason this Sunday, Feb. 16 at 3:30 p.m., when they host Columbus Crew 2 out of MLS Next Pro at Highmark Stadium.

PITTSBURGH (Feb. 8, 2025) — The Pittsburgh Riverhounds started the home portion of their 2025 preseason schedule with a 3-0 victory over Duquesne University this afternoon at Highmark Stadium.

Hounds offseason signing Augi Williams scored the opening goal just before halftime, and the Hounds added two more goals courtesy of non-roster trialists to make up the final margin. This was the team’s first match open to the public after facing the Columbus Crew of MLS in a closed-door setting last Saturday.

The Hounds (1-0-0) held an edge in possession throughout the match, and their pressure created problems for the Dukes as early as the fifth minute. Williams got on the ball after a turnover barely 20 yards from the Dukes’ goal, and he lifted a shot that was goal-bound until Duquesne defender Blaize Hardy intervened with a saving header at the goal line.

Aidan O’Toole also came close to opening the scoring, playing through a hold that might have yielded a penalty kick, but instead the second-year Hounds player got a shot away from 12 yards and forced a save by Dukes goalie Sam Coss.

The breakthrough came in the 45th minute, when one of the Hounds’ first-year pros, Charles Ahl, fired a low shot from inside the box that was saved by Coss. The rebound fell to the feet of Williams, whose first attempt was blocked away, but he was able direct the ball into the net on his second effort.

The Hounds came out with 10 new field players for the second half — a total of 24 players total saw minutes, including a trialist timeshare in goal — and the new crew needed less than two minutes to double the lead.

Robbie Mertz, the Pittsburgh native now in his sixth year with the team, sent a cross into the box from the left wing. The veteran midfielder’s pass found its target in one of the non-roster players, who turned the ball home to double the lead.

The afternoon ended with an 87th-minute strike from distance, as a second of the team’s trialists was able to pick out the left side of the net with a shot taken 25 yards from goal. 

The Hounds continue their preseason with a pair of matches in the next eight days. The team travels to face fellow USL Championship team Indy Eleven on Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 1 p.m., before returning to host Columbus Crew 2 — the Crew’s MLS Next Pro team — at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 16.

Scoring summary

PIT — Augustine Williams 45′
PIT — Trialist 47′
PIT — Trialist 87′