Riverhounds Fall Again, 1-0 To Akron On Late Own Goal

It was another preseason match – and another lackluster effort by the Riverhounds to score goals on Friday as they fell 1-0 against the University of Akron at FirstEnergy Stadium, Cub Cadet Field.
So, where’s the scoring?
It’s only preseason, but the Pittsburgh Riverhounds have played four scrimmages against college teams, and have come away with a 2-2 record, scoring six goals, but only one in the last 180 minutes of play.
Last year at this time, they were blitzing through the preseason — as Rob Vincent was in peak form, and he was scoring at a very high rate.
With a bit of a scoring drought in the past two games, might this be a cause of concern for Riverhounds and their small, loyal fan base?
The only goal of the match was an own goal very late in the match.
Jamaican defender Sergio Campbell had the misfortune of seeing his header elude substitute goalkeeper Mauricio Vargas with three minutes of the game remaining.
The Hounds drop to a 2-2 record against college opponents this preseason following wins over Penn State and Ohio State and last Sunday’s loss to Michigan.
Head coach Mark Steffens handed first starts for the club to English midfielder Conor Branson and Columbus Crew SC loanee Marshall Hollingsworth. The Hounds produced a solid first half performance and edged the Mid-American Conference champions in shots and shots on goal without finding the net.
Akron’s Stuart Holthusen almost broke the deadlock eight minutes into the second half when his shot thumped against Hunter Gilstrap’s goal post. The Zips kept up the pressure during the final half hour as Steffens altered his line-up to use 19 players in total.
Here was the team’s starting XI…

The Riverhounds will have some work to do to prepare for the season opener – which will be against reigning United Soccer League champion, and traditionally one of the better defensive outfits, Rochester Rhinos, as they come to Pittsburgh for the United Soccer League regular season opener on April 2.
With two weeks to go before the opener, there has been no word whether the team will schedule another preseason friendly.

John Krysinsky

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).