The lights of Highmark Stadium in Station Square will come on for the first time Saturday night, as the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, the city’s USL Pro league soccer team plays their first home game of the 2014 season. The Riverhounds will take on Wilmington Hammerheads FC, in what will be the third game of the year. The season opener was a 1-1 tie to Orlando City on March 29th.
The Riverhounds recently announced their affiliation with Houston Dynamo of MLS, as many USL teams have become affiliated with MLS teams since 2013. In that year, ULS and MLS agreed to include USL Pro League with MLS Reserve League competition, to further develop talent in North America, where soccer is still a growing sport. The Riverhounds’ name has grown in the ‘Burgh recently, aided by the convenient, exciting location of Highmark Stadium. The relatively new Riverhounds complex hosted its first USL soccer game on April 13, 2013, almost a full year before the April 12th opener this year.
To help fill the 4,000 seat stadium, ProsInMotion, a student-run organization from the University of Pittsburgh, is running a huge marketing campaign, trying to promote the Riverhounds to college-aged kids. “The Riverhounds have great potential for a big fan following if the right people get hooked,” said Maggie Giuffrida, Director of Public Relations for the student organization.
This year, the Riverhounds are led by Jhonny Arteaga, a solid goal-scorer who was the USL Pro league Goal and Scoring champion in 2011. After a brief time spent in New York with the MLS Red Bulls, Arteaga signed a 2-year contract with the Riverhounds in the winter of 2013. Seth C’deBaca, a midfielder, has seen MLS Reserve league action and will return to the Riverhounds for his third year. Brian Fekete, a new signee who started his professional career with GPS Portland Phoenix in 2011, will make his debut with the Riverhounds as one of the team’s premier defenders. Hunter Gilstrap, a fan favorite, will play between the poles for his fifth straight year. Gilstrap also currently serves as the goalkeeping coach at the University of Pittsburgh.
The Riverhounds’ brand name has been a bit slow to gain recognition in the Pittsburgh sports market, one that is dominated by football, hockey and baseball. But the sport is growing all over the country and Pittsburgh is no exception. And what better way to grow the sport in the region than getting kids to follow the team at a young age? ProsInMotion organized Pitt’s first Soccer Bowl event, which featured players from the Riverhounds. Students were able to interact with players in a series of activities throughout the event that was designed to promote ticket sales. The student organization has also ran table campaigns on campus, offering discount tickets to the home opener, along with a Riverhounds t-shirt and scarf, all for $10. They are also hosting a Pitt Game Day tailgate at 4 PM on Saturday.
The team has come a long way since their early days, where they had to settle for playing in local high school stadiums. Their first game, in 1999, was at Bethel Park High School. But despite the Riverhounds’ recent bankruptcy problems, ProsInMotion continues to promote the brand. “This is a city where sports matter and it’s time for Pittsburgh to appreciate soccer as much as football and hockey,” Giuffrida said.
Photo Credit: Golden Triangle Soccer
