Pulse of Pittsburgh Soccer: Hard to believe, it’s been 10 years since the ‘Miracle on the Mon’

File photo courtesy Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC

As Pittsburgh’s highest level teams — the Riverhounds and its pre-professional brethren clubs — Riveters, Steel City FC and Beadling SC — continue on with schedules this week (see full schedule below along with a new addition to the ‘Pulse’ — standings for each of the teams) — it’s also time to commemorate a Pittsburgh soccer ‘Miracle’ which took place 10 years ago this week.

It’s hard to believe, but this week will mark the 10th anniversary of one of the most remarkable soccer matches ever played in Pittsburgh — and arguably on a North American soccer pitch.

It was around that time, that I started this as my passion project, first as Pittsburgh Soccer Report, and since 2018 as Pittsburgh Soccer Now.

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Those who have been following the Riverhounds, Pittsburgh soccer and our site closely over the years — you probably know and have read all about it — but for those who are new to our site, the Riverhounds and Pittsburgh soccer in general — this was Pittsburgh soccer’s equivalent of the ‘Immaculate Reception’.

On May 29, 2015, Pittsburgh Riverhounds battled back to defeat in-state rival, Harrisburg City Islanders, in dramatic fashion, overcoming 3-0, 4-2 and 5-3 (at start of stoppage time) deficits to pull off remarkable and unprecedented 6-5 victory.

It was such a stunning finish.

We’ll probably never see something like it again.

And 10 years later, I can say, we haven’t seen anything close to a comeback like that.

It was quite a walk from the press box to the field, where we interviewed players and coaches after the match everyone where everyone was in disbelief.  After capturing the emotions and reaction, I summoned up a match recap for our predecessor site, Pittsburgh Soccer Report.

Here’s the lead and first few paragraphs from the recap…

        I’m calling it the “Miracle on the Mon”.

         As far as dramatic, come-from-behind soccer wins, this was about as thrilling as it gets.

       It was a game for the ages, as the Pittsburgh Riverhounds completed a come-from-behind 6-5 win over the Harrisburg City Islanders with three goals in the very late stages to overcome a two-goal deficit.

       “Being down two goals with a minute to go in the game, and then tying it, then getting the winner. It was amazing. I really don’t have a lot of words for that,” Mark Steffens, Riverhounds Head Coach, said.

The Riverhounds’ incredible comeback victory and the series that season the club had with its in-state rival, Harrisburg City Islanders, became the inspiration for my book, aptly named Miracle on the Mon, which was published and released five years ago this week.

This book not only chronicles the events leading up to and from this remarkable soccer match, but also shares the backstory of the struggles and challenges of a lower division soccer club during a time when the professional soccer landscape in the United States was experiencing unprecedented transition and expansion.  The match took place only a few years after the opening of Highmark Stadium, as the Riverhounds were fighting for survival and relevance.

Look for more content to come from Pittsburgh Soccer Now this week, as we commemorate that remarkable match and how Pittsburgh soccer’s landscape has been shaped since that time.  One of our old friends and longtime PSN contributor and the play-by-play announcer for that match, Matt Gajtka, will join me on the next episode of Sounding Off on Soccer Podcast and who knows – there may be a few other surprises too.

If haven’t purchased a copy of the book or read it yet, what are you waiting for?   It’s still available on Amazon.

This week, there will two matches at Highmark Stadium — as the Riveters play their second home match on Friday night (on the 10th Anniversary of the ‘Miracle’ and the next night — the Hounds will face a rematch vs Rhode Island in their second Jägermeister  Cup Group Stage match)

Pittsburgh Soccer Schedule (5/28 – 5/31)

Wednesday, May 28

7 p.m. — USL League Two — Steel City FC (men) vs Toledo Villa (at Toledo, OH)

7 p.m. — W-League — Riveters SC at Cleveland Force

Friday, May 30

7 p.m. — W-League — Riveters SC vs Flower City (Highmark Stadium)

Saturday, May 31

7 p.m. — USL Jägermeister — Pittsburgh Riverhounds vs Rhode Island FC (Highmark Stadium)

Sunday, May 31

3 p.m. — Steel City (women) vs Cleveland Force (Founders Field, Indianola)

4 p.m. — Beadling SC (women) at FC Dayton  (Centerville Football Stadium)

Standings (as of 5/28/2025)

USL Championship Eastern Conference 

USL League Two

W-League 

WPSL