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Riverhounds Academy To Commemorate First Class on National Signing Day

Jess Boytim Norwin

Jess Boytim, pictured celebrating a goal, helped lead Norwin to Class AAA WPIAL Girls title in 2015, is a Pittsburgh Riverhounds Academy product who will be heading to Virginia Tech. (Photo Courtesy Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)


This past Fall, Pittsburgh Soccer Report provided coverage of the WPIAL/PIAA boys and girls soccer games — and a riveting playoff season.
Now begins the next step for many of the top players in this area who are currently seniors, and looking to play beyond High School.
 
Next week will mark National Signing Day – and the Pittsburgh Riverhounds organization will be getting into the act — as they will hold a special event at Highmark Stadium on Wednesday, February 3 as they will be spotlighting many of their own academy players who will be signing to play in college.
 
It will be the first graduating class of Riverhounds academy players signing letters of intent — that includes a large group of girls players that had a big impact in WPIAL and have already made their commitments.  This includes a pair of players from WPIAL Class AAA Champions Norwin (Micayla Livingston- Dayton and Jessica Boytim-Virginia Tech) and three from Yough (Jessica Moore-St. Francis-PA, Mikayla Mance-Virginia Tech and Shawna Zaken-N. Kentucky).
 
These players were part of the Riverhounds Academy team that won a U-15 National Cup Tournament in 2013 and reached the finals of the same tournament last summer at the U-17 level.
In total, the Riverhounds Academy currently boasts 14 girls and three boys who are going to sign to play collegiate soccer this fall with a few more potentially being added over the weekend.
 
The committed players are:
Girls

 

Name
College
High School
Position
Carli Chiatto
Indiana State
South Fayette
Defender
Elaina Walnoha
Cleveland State
Upper St. Clair
Def/Mid/Fwd
Emma Bruno
Baldwin Wallace
Bethel Park
Goalkeeper
Jessica Boytim
Virginia Tech
Norwin
Defender
Jessica Moore
St. Francis (Pa.)
Yough
Defender
Kaitlyn Snyder
Rollins College
Linsly
Def/Mid
Marrisa Zetty
West Virginia Wesleyan
Belle Vernon
Midfielder
Maya Watkins
Hofstra
New Brighton
Mid/Fwd
Megan Herr
Rutgers
Pine Richland
Mid/Fwd
Micayla Livingston
Dayton
Norwin
Midfielder
Mikayla Mance
Virginia Tech
Yough
Forward
Reilly McGlumphy
California (Pa.)
Peters Township
Goalkeeper
Samantha Hoinville
Brandeis
Mount Lebanon
Midfielder
Shawna Zaken
Northern Kentucky
Yough
Midfielder
Boys

 

Name
College
High School
Position
Benjamin Vester
Roanoke College
Morgantown
Forward
Christian Snatchko
Robert Morris
Canon McMillan
Goalkeeper
Corey Cunningham
Robert Morris
Linsly
Def/Mid

Keep in mind, this list is inclusive only of the players who were part of the Riverhounds Development Academy.
There still are numerous other High School seniors who will be continuing play that will be coming out of our area who weren’t part of the Riverhounds Academy.

image

Emma Hasco scored twice to lead Upper St. Clair girls to their first-ever PIAA title.  Hasco, who played for Beadling S.C., will play for the NCAA Champions, Penn State, this Fall.  


Maybe the most notable player not coming from the Riverhounds Academy that is college-bound would be Emma Hasco, who led the Upper St. Clair girls team to the PIAA Class AAAA Title in November.  Hasco, who played for the local club Beadling, has committed to Penn State, joining former Greensburg Central Catholic standout Frannie Crouse and the reigning NCAA National Champions.
There will be numerous other players from the area signing with a wide-range of schools from NCAA Division I to III and NAIA in the coming month.
We’ll be watching as signing day approaches and more players commit to schools.
 
 
 

John Krysinsky has covered soccer and other sports for many years for various publications and media outlets. He is also author of 'Miracle on the Mon' -- a book about the Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, which chronicles the club, particularly the early years of Highmark Stadium with the narrative leading up to and centered around a remarkable match that helped provide a spark for the franchise. John has covered sports for Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, DK Pittsburgh Sports, Pittsburgh Sports Report, has served as color commentator on Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC broadcasts, and worked with OPTA Stats and broadcast teams for US Open Cup and International Champions Cup matches held in the US. Krysinsky also served as the Head Men’s Soccer Coach at his alma mater, Point Park University, where he led the Pioneers to the first-ever winning seasons and playoff berths (1996-98); head coach of North Catholic boys (2007-08), associate head coach of Shady Side Academy boys (2009-2014).

Glory on the Grass

Riverhounds MF Kenardo Forbes

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