Pittsburgh Riverhounds News Release -- www.riverhounds.com
Friday, May 31, 2013
PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Riverhounds begin the month of June at home this Saturday night when they host region-rival, the Rochester Rhinos. The Riverhounds enter the game with a five-game unbeaten streak in USL PRO during the month of May and are focused to maintain this form against the Rhinos. The match is slated for a 7 p.m. kickoff at Highmark Stadium.
Last Friday night, the Riverhounds hosted the Antigua Barracuda FC for the first time this season, and took a 2-0 victory. Playing set-up man once again and increasing his league-leading total to six, midfielder Matt Dallman delivered a crafty service for striker Mike Seth in the 18th minute for the game’s first goal. Dallman continued his offensive production for the Hounds and recorded his first goal of the season in the 39th minute on a through-ball from Jhonny Arteaga. Dallman’s second straight multi-point game earned him a spot on the USL PRO Team of the Week for the second consecutive week and the fourth time this season.
Head Coach Justin Evans is confident heading into Saturday night’s match against the Rhinos.
“Our team is on the right track, but we’re not out of the woods yet,” said Evans. “The win last Friday was something we needed for our confidence and the hard work the team put in this week has prepared us to continue on our winning ways this Saturday.”
Saturday’s match will be the first time the Riverhounds and Rhinos will meet this season. Both the Riverhounds and Rhinos have had similar starts to their season, filled with multiple games on the road and emotional outcomes, this meeting will definitely be a statement game for the two clubs. The side that battles together and wins the individual match-ups should prevail victorious.
The Rhinos (1-6-2) come into the game with Interim Head Coach Pat Ercoli, after Jesse Myers was relieved of his responsibilities with the organization on Sunday, May 19. This will be Ercoli’s third match at the helm for the Rhinos in USL PRO play. The Rhinos will be playing their third game in five days, following a difficult 5-1 loss to the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer (MLS) in the third round of the U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday and a match-up on Friday night against the Los Angeles Blues at Sahlen’s Stadium. Carrying tired legs and a depleted roster due to injuries, the Rhinos will look to slow the game down and maintain possession throughout the match.
Prior to the match on Saturday, the Riverhounds will participate in the first-ever D-1 Game Day Experience Camp at Highmark Stadium from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. This two-hour event will provide young athletes, ages 10 to 13, with professional soccer training that will include soccer-specific techniques and exercises focused on developing the skill-sets needed for a young aspiring soccer player. The Game Day Experience will also include fundamental speed and strength training relative to the game of soccer. This event will be led by current Pittsburgh Riverhounds coaches and players, in association with D-1 Pittsburgh’s coaching staff.
Don’t miss out on the Riverhounds upcoming matches! On June 7, the Riverhounds meet the Toronto FC Reserves of the MLS, and are hosting a “White Out” night for the match. White T-shirts, sponsored by Highmark, will be given to all in attendence. On June 15, the Riverhounds will host the defending USL PRO champions, the Charleston Battery during Father’s Day weekend. The Riverhounds will have post-game fireworks by Pyrotecnico that will light up the city skyline for the second time this season at Highmark Stadium.
To purchase Riverhounds tickets, visit Riverhounds.com/tickets or call the Highmark Stadium Box Office at (412) 224-4900.