Reaching a historic milestone, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds will spend the 2019 season by looking backward while going forward.
Riverhounds SC announced a new logo as well a plan to establish a Riverhounds “Hall of Fame” at a press conference on Friday morning. The Hounds plan to use the new 20th-anniversary logo interchangeably with their traditional one throughout the season.
With honor, we present our 20th anniversary logo. #UNLEASH pic.twitter.com/bQHfIT1kaw
— Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (@RiverhoundsSC) February 8, 2019
Logo via Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC twitter account
Pittsburgh’s professional soccer club also announced the creation of a new hall of fame. The inaugural class into the hall will be voted on by club staff, former players, and local media. The first class will be announced before the beginning of the 2019 season on March 16, and will be inducted on Friday, July 12th. The Hall of fame induction weekend will include a ‘legends’ game, bringing together Hounds players from the team’s entire 20 year history.
In conjunction with our 20th anniversary season, we present the Riverhounds SC Hall of Fame. #UNLEASH pic.twitter.com/WAuvrbkwDc
— Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (@RiverhoundsSC) February 8, 2019
The club’s General Manager Kevin Johnson and Director of Operations John Rotz unveiled the new logo and HOF with great pride and a snappy new video. Head Coach Bob Lilley and Hounds Midfielders Kenardo Forbes and Kevin Kerr all joined the staff in praising this important milestone. Lilley praised the growth and success of the team, and attributed a tremendous amount of the recent success both to owner Tuffy Shallenberger’s investment in the club and the partnerships of the team’s corporate supporters. Lilley pointed specifically to the development of soccer facilities in Coraopolis and the new stand at the east end of Highmark Stadium as evidence of the club’s support for the success of soccer in Western Pennsylvania. “We’re so fortunate to have this venue now, a soccer-specific stadium,” said Lilley.
The logo, the Hall of Fame, and the club’s growth were all indicative to Lilley of a solid upward trajectory for the club, a trajectory Lilley hoped would be matched by the team’s performance on the field.
Or as Coach Lilley succinctly put it, “We’re going to take another step forward this year.”