The Pittsburgh Riverhounds will be kicking off their USL season on April 2 against the Rochester Rhinos at Highmark Stadium. Fans have shown up in decent numbers to Highmark Stadium, the home of the Riverhounds, to see their new and revamped team in preseason matches.
The roster is very different from what it was last season. One position that had a major overhaul was the goalkeeper position. None of the three Riverhounds goalkeepers were on the roster last season. The team made their much-needed signings of Hunter Gilstrap, Mauricio Vargas and Brenden Alfery before the start of the season.
That’s the order in which they will be starting, too. Gilstrap has started every preseason game for the Riverhounds this preseason. In the preseason matches, each goalkeeper got a total of 30 minutes out of the 90 minute matches. After Gilstrap, Vargas would get his 30 minutes and then Alfery would get his.
Gilstrap is no stranger to the Riverhounds. From 2010-2014, Gilstrap was a member of the Riverhounds and made 93 appearances in goal. In his first year with the Riverhounds, in 2010, Gilstrap was named the USL-2 Goalkeeper of the Year.
Gilstrap left the team for one season, in 2015, and signed with the Carolina Railhawks. He made only nine appearances in goal and on Jan. 7, he decided to return to the Riverhounds.
Gilstrap, who is 32 years old, has much more experience than the young Vargas and rookie Alfery. While Vargas is the international goalkeeper, as he is Costa Rican, Alfery is familiar with his surroundings in Pittsburgh. Alfery attended Robert Morris University in Moon Township. Alfery was the starting goalkeeper for the Colonials in 2014 and 2015. Before then, he was a member of the Grove City College men’s soccer team.
Meanwhile, Vargas, who was born in New Jersey but raised in Costa Rica, attended Barton Community College in Great Bend, Kansas. He played one season with the Barton Cougars, where he started in all 17 matches he appeared in. He made 109 saves and helped the team to a 10-5 record. At his time in Barton, he recorded four shutouts.
As for the club level, Vargas got his first big opportunity with FC Wichita, which is a part of the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL). Vargas made 14 appearances with FC Wichita and recorded a win ratio of 78.57 and a loss ratio of 21.43.
The Riverhounds are well aware that Gilstrap is their starting goalkeeper. However, if Gilstrap were to go down, Vargas would be the guy in net. Alfery is learning behind both Gilstrap and Vargas, and could get his shot if both players could not produce in goal. However, the team is confident that Gilstrap will get the job done.
Fans will be able to see their goalkeepers in action again when the Riverhounds return to Highmark Stadium against the Rochester Rhinos on April 2. The match is slated to begin at 7 p.m.
