Bridge City FC announce former Riverhounds, City Islanders standout Neil Shaffer as first signee

Recently introduced as the new pro indoor soccer club a few weeks ago, on Thursday, Bridge City FC announced its first-ever player signing, adding Neil Shaffer, a Pittsburgh native with deep roots in the local soccer scene.

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A standout at Robert Morris University, Shaffer went on to enjoy a successful professional career in the outdoor game with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, Indy Eleven, and Harrisburg City Islanders.

Shaffer, who captained City Islanders during what many might recall as the peak years of the Keystone Derby Cup rivalry against his hometown Riverhounds, has recently played in the Greater Pittsburgh Soccer League with the Tartan Devils FC.

Having played for both the Riverhounds (in 2011 & 2012) and City Islanders (2014-16), the RMU and Beaver High School alum provided one of the most unique perspectives of that rivalry and was a key contributor to the book, Miracle on the Mon.

Miracle on the Mon (excerpt): The Keystone Derby

“We were on year-to-year contracts,” Shaffer explained.

“I played two years with the Riverhounds (in 2011 and 2012), then went to Seattle to play for a year, and came back to have great opportunity to play a key role with Harrisburg.”

The former Riverhounds’ midfielder/defender would thrive as Head Coach Bill Becher’s chief lieutenant on the field, becoming a team captain for a club that would make a run to the 2014 USL Cup Final during the same season the Riverhounds floundered in bankruptcy and near the bottom of the standings.

In 2014, Becher’s group needed to win in the last game of the season against Mark Steffens’ Charlotte squad just to get into the playoffs.

“It came down to team chemistry. Those teams we had in Harrisburg, we often had great camaraderie,” Shaffer’s former teammate Nick Noble explained in Miracle on the Mon.

“Especially at the USL level where a lot of guys that really are still playing for the love of game. We played together and never gave up. I played in a lot of places and for a lot of teams, but that was a team that gelled well. We beat Orlando City and Richmond to make it to the final, and we were in it until the end, before losing at Sacramento before 20,000 fans.”

“We had some really good players, and Bill (Bechner) was so well organized. We got on a nice roll that year toward the end of the season and into the playoffs,” Schaffer said.

After playing his last season with the City Islanders in 2016, Shaffer came back to Pittsburgh, where he became a permanent fixture with Tartan Devils FC.

Fast forward 11 years — Shaffer’s signing marks the beginning of a new era for Bridge City FC—as they begin its roster build with what’s expected to potentially include a who’s who of local talent, both experienced pros and some up and coming young players.

Additionally, Bridge City FC also has announced its first Open Tryout sessions will be held October 16, at Sewickley Sports Arena.  For more information and to register, visit BridgeCityFC.com 

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