Midweek Pre-Pro Report: Riveters Dominate Cleveland, Gritty draw for Hounds 2 and Steel City women drop road tilt

On Wednesday and Thursday, it was a packed 48 hours of pre-professional soccer for Pittsburgh’s clubs, bringing an impressive Riveters statement on the road, another learning experience for evolving Riverhounds Two squad, and a gritty road battle in Erie for Steel City FC women.

Here is your complete guide to the midweek action for a few of the pre-professional squads in the region and what it means moving forward:

FINAL: Riveters 3, Cleveland 0

Match Box Score – USL W League 

Revenge tasted sweet at Krenzler Field on Wednesday night.

The Riveters (3-0-1) locked down defensively to hand the Force (2-2-0) their first home defeat in two years, completely avenging the only regular-season blemish the Pittsburgh side suffered during their entire inaugural campaign last summer.

How It Happened:

• First Half Gridlock: The opening 30 minutes shaped up as a heavily physical defensive battle, with both teams pressing high to create tactical havoc. The Riveters held a 5-2 shot advantage early, but clear-cut looks were scarce until Alexis Tylenda rattled a curling left-footed shot squarely off the crossbar in the 38th minute.

• The Breakthrough (44′): Just a minute before the intermission, the Riveters weaponized a corner kick. Cleveland failed to fully clear, allowing Emme Butera to loft a cross back into the mixer. Bella Vozar smartly flicked it at the front post, and center back Taylor Green was waiting at the back post to hammer it home. It was Green’s team-leading third goal in just four matches.

• Offensive Explosion (49′, 57′): The Riveters kept their foot on the gas immediately out of the locker room. In the 49th minute, Tylenda played a dynamic sequence with Kennedy Neighbors, running onto a return pass at the top of the box and ripping a shot off the underside of the crossbar and in. Just eight minutes later, Tanum Nelson won a gritty challenge in the center circle to release Lola Abraham wide right. Abraham did the rest, driving down the flank before cutting inside at the top of the 18 to slot a left-footed finish into the bottom corner.

• Defensive Lockout: Lexi Grundler made her official Riveters debut in goal, putting together a highly commanding shift that required just a single save in the 81st minute to secure the clean sheet. Roster depth was on full display as Azalea Mihailovich and Hadley Murrell also earned their first caps as second-half substitutes.

FINAL: Riverhounds Two 0, FC Buffalo 0

Match Box Score – USL League Two 

Coming off a week that included a draining Derby match then a Saturday road victory at Cleveland, a heavily rotated and young Riverhounds Two squad showed resilience on Wednesday night, grinding out a hard-fought 0-0 clean sheet against a dangerous FC Buffalo side right in front of the home fans at F.N.B. Stadium.

After conceding early transition goals over the weekend, Hounds 2 locked down the central channels at home.

The defensive unit completely refused to give Buffalo any clean looks in the final third. The draw highlights the resilience of the academy pipeline, proving they can regroup on short rest, hold their tactical shape under pressure, and successfully defend their home pitch against a top-tier division opponent

Steel City FC (Women) 1, Erie Commodores 2

Steel City FC found themselves on the wrong side of a grueling, physical battle up north on Thursday night, dropping a narrow 2-1 decision to the Erie Commodores.

The result moves Steel City to 1W-3L-0 early in their summer campaign.

Despite pushing hard late in the second half and manufacturing excellent combination play through the midfield, the hosts were able to protect their narrow lead.

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Steel City won’t have any time to dwell on the result, as they immediately head home to prepare for a massive weekend bounce-back opportunity.

🗓️ What’s Next?

A massive Saturday Super Slate (June 6) is officially on the horizon:

• The Battle for First Place: First place in the Great Forest Division will be directly on the line when the undefeated Riveters travel to New York to face fellow unbeaten Flower City 1872 (3-0-2) at 3:00 PM. These two sides previously fought to a chaotic 3-3 draw in May.

• Founders Field Doubleheader: Steel City FC will host their highly anticipated annual Club Awards Day Doubleheader! The Steel City Men kick things off at 3:00 PM against Buffalo, followed immediately by the Steel City Women looking to avenge their midweek loss in the 6:00 PM nightcap against Buffalo.

John Krysinsky

John Krysinsky has covered soccer and other sports for many years for various publications and media outlets. He is also author of 'Miracle on the Mon' -- a book about the Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, which chronicles the club, particularly the early years of Highmark Stadium with the narrative leading up to and centered around a remarkable match that helped provide a spark for the franchise. John has covered sports for Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, DK Pittsburgh Sports, Pittsburgh Sports Report, has served as color commentator on Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC broadcasts, and worked with OPTA Stats and broadcast teams for US Open Cup and International Champions Cup matches held in the US. Krysinsky also served as the Head Men’s Soccer Coach at his alma mater, Point Park University, where he led the Pioneers to the first-ever winning seasons and playoff berths (1996-98); head coach of North Catholic boys (2007-08), associate head coach of Shady Side Academy boys (2009-2014).