Playoff loss aside, Riveters relish in successful inaugural USL W-League season

Photo courtesy Mark Goodman

The Pittsburgh Riveters closed their inaugural USL W-League season on the Fourth of July with a home playoff loss against Minnesota Aurora, falling 2-0. However, that’s not the story of the day — or the season — for the Riveters.

Questionable officiating aside, the Riveters were missing at least six key starters. Either players had to return back to their respective colleges for training, or, in Tessa Dellarose’s case, were recovering from an injury.

But that also wasn’t the story either.

On the other hand, the story was quite clear to all those who attended the first-ever Riveters playoff game — and matches throughout the whole season. There is something special happening in Pittsburgh with women’s soccer.

Despite the Fourth of July holiday, Highmark Stadium was vocal, especially during officiating decisions. The support behind the players and staff of the Riveters has been the story all along.

“It’s not often I get speechless, but I don’t know how to put into words how much this season means to me… My entire life, it’s been a dream to play at home,” Piper Coffield, who wore the captain’s armband for the match, said. “Obviously we’re in the pre-professional level, but you can see how much it means to people. Playing for my city has been the biggest honor of my entire life. Having the supporters behind us has just been incredible.”

Scott Gibson, the first-ever coach in Riveters history, echoed the defender’s praise.

“It has been wonderful. The city, the fans, the organization, the players — everyone has embraced it,” Gibson said. “It kind of went perfectly for me. I know we want to win the whole thing, but that takes steps. But for us to go undefeated at home in the regular season, and only concede one goal from a PK — today, probably an offside goal and a free kick — so we haven’t given up a goal in open play, if that was offside, so that’s good for us.”

“There will be next year as we build this team,” he continued. “The core is there, and now we’ll add more pieces. It’s been a journey since November to put this team together from scratch. But we are super proud. To win the division in our first year is awesome.”

Riveters face off with veteran-heavy Minnesota

Despite the match being against two pre-professional teams, Minnesota Aurora certainly had the edge over the Riveters with experience. The Aurora have been in the USL W-League since its inception — and the league’s inception — in 2022.

For the fourth year in a row, Minnesota held the top spot in the Central Conference Heartland Division. This is the second season under manager Colette Montgomery.

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Gibson said post-game that Minnesota is an experienced side — and eventually, that caught up to the Riveters.

“I think [Minnesota] were at full strength,” he said. “They’ve been in the league for a while now, and I think we came a little short on the experience side of it. But I’m super proud of what we achieved this season.”

The Riveters, as mentioned, trotted out a new-look lineup without key starters. Starting goalkeeper Pauline Nelles had to return to Germany due to visa issues, while Tanum Nelson and Olivia Damico, who lead the team in goals, returned to their respective colleges.

In fact, the Riverhounds started 17-year-old South Fayette rising senior Caitlyn Thompson in net. She made a whopping nine saves in her season debut — a highly contested and competitive playoff match — and earned Player of the Match honors.

“[Caitlyn] stepping into that environment is just wonderful,” Gibson said. “She’s trained exceptionally well this season under Paula and Bailey. She’s essentially the training goalkeeper, if you’d like to say. She gets the most shots hit at her in training, which helped prepare for this. She stepped up today and made some great saves, and some tricky saves. For a 17-year-old to step into that environment is amazing.”

Also, playing the full 90 minutes was 15-year-old Anna Korney.

“We had two 15-year-olds on the field at the end, and a 17-year old goalkeeper and a 17-year-old center back,” Gibson stated. “So, for the experience that those players got, it’s absolutely tremendous in the long-term development. Obviously this is our first year putting a team together and we need to learn about the longevity that the players can stay.”

“After the division, I think we lost six or seven starters, that had to go back. That gives an opportunity for other players. But I have to give credit to Minnesota. They’re a very good team.”

The controversial goal

Minnesota got on the board twice, but it was the first goal from Saige Wimes, off an assist from Cat Rapp, that turned eyes and heads.

During the match, Gibson made his opinion quite clear about the call. At halftime, he — and Coffield — approached the referees and gave them an earful. After the final whistle, Gibson got in line to shake hands, and then returned a few more times to speak with the officiating crew.

After the match, he said that, from his view, the goal was offside.

“We thought it was from our vantage,” Gibson said. “I haven’t seen it on television, so I can’t be 100 percent sure. But from the reaction of the crowd and everyone around, it felt offside. Let’s put it that way. I’m not here to mull about referees; I don’t want to do that. But it was 0-0 in a high-level game, and we were getting toward halftime where we were going to reshuffle things and have a strong second half — and I think we did. But that was a dagger for us. It’s a tough one to swallow.”

Coffield said that, as a competitor, she felt the obligation to speak to the referees.

“At halftime, I went up and told them I disagreed with the call,” the Indiana University defender said. “At the end of the day, that’s soccer. I was trying not to get myself thrown out.”

Gibson also added that the goal and call — scored about two minutes before the clock hit 45 minutes — was a big turning point in the match.

“Yeah, we were frustrated,” he said. “I feel the first goal was a big turning point in the game. I felt we should have had a penalty kick in the end, regardless if it would change the outcome of the game or not. Minnesota were a bit older and wiser. There were little pulls and pushes that weren’t malicious, but should’ve been fouls. One of their players fouled Natalia five times from behind, and doesn’t get a yellow. Then Sabrina fouls once and gets a yellow. So that was, you know, I think they were doing the best to get me upset.”

The second goal was scored off a free kick, courtesy of Natalie Tavana, in the 73rd minute.

The Riveters’ season is officially over. On Sunday, Highmark Stadium will host the Conference Finals between Minnesota Aurora and Kings Hammer FC Cincinnati.