Hounds sign former Pitt, Loudoun United defender Shane Wiedt

Riverhounds SC has signed defender Shane Wiedt to a one-year deal for the 2021 season with a club option for 2022, pending USL Championship and USSF approval.

Wiedt, 25, is a native of Akron, Ohio, and he is making a return to the Steel City after finishing his college career in 2018 at the University of Pittsburgh.

“Shane sees the game well from the back and is comfortable on the ball under pressure,” Riverhounds head coach Bob Lilley said. “He has shown consistency during our preseason and will bring quality to our defensive group for the 2021 season.”

Wiedt came to Pitt and started 16 games as a graduate transfer after playing the first three years of his college career with the University of Akron. In 2017, his Zips team reached the NCAA semifinals before losing 2-0 to eventual champion Stanford.

After finishing at Pitt, Wiedt entered the pro ranks midway through the 2019 USL season, signing with Loudoun United. Over the next season and a half, Wiedt made 20 appearances, and he scored his first professional goal for Loudoun during the shortened 2020 season.

Wiedt has been with the Hounds as an invited trialist throughout the preseason. He has appeared in all five preseason matches thus far, starting two, as he earned his way onto the roster.

Takeaways from Shane Wiedt Signing

There’s little doubt that Bob Lilley has had his eye on Wiedt for a while now, as the former Akron and Pitt defender scrimmaged against the Hounds going back to his college days, then played five matches in two seasons against the Hounds with Loudoun United.

Along with Jelani Peters, Wiedt stayed with the Hounds on trial through the entire preseason, so it felt like it was a matter of time before they would both be signed.

Now, Pittsburgh has solidified its center back depth on its roster. Now comes the question, which of these guys will start the season and what will that rotation look like.  Last year, there was a lot of competition among the center backs and at the start of the season, that should be the case again.  In addition to Preston Kilwien and Mekeil Williams, the Hounds are also awaiting the arrival of Casey Bartlett-Scott, who has missed the preseason due to pending work visa issues held up by travel restrictions into the U.S.

Welcome back home, Shane! 👏#H2P https://t.co/y3rkl4Od1a

— Pitt Men's Soccer (@Pitt_MSOC) April 29, 2021