Photo Gallery and Reaction: Riveters keep rolling, stomp Erie, 3-0

One down, one to go.

On a warm Friday evening under the lights at F.N.B. Stadium, Pittsburgh Riveters SC took clinical step toward capturing their second consecutive USL W League Great Forest Division title.

Fueled by goalscoring contributions from Sabrina Bryan, Fiona Mahan, and Emily Hanrahan, the red-hot Riveters dispatched a stubborn Erie Sports Center side 3-0 to extend their unbeaten streak to six matches.

The victory keeps Scott Gibson’s squad flying high at 5-0-1 (16 points), meaning a repeat trip to Erie on Sunday evening could pull them within a single match of officially clinching the division crown.

Ed Thompson’s Match Photo Gallery

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First-Half Dominance and the Offside Trap

From the opening whistle, the Riveters weaponized their lethal transition game, nearly shattering the crossbar in just the sixth minute when crafty forward Lola Abraham launched a dipping effort from the right touchline.

Erie looked to stifle the onslaught by deploying a high, aggressive offside trap that caught the Riveters multiple times early on. However, the breakthrough finally materialized in the 16th minute. Abraham executed a perfectly weighted slip pass through the teeth of the defense to a racing Sabrina Bryan. As Erie goalkeeper Morgan Sinan rushed off her line, Bryan deftly chopped the ball across her body, outmaneuvering both the keeper and a recovery defender to slide home a 1-0 advantage.

“The first half, we got called off a decent amount of time. Questionable, but hey, we’ll take it,” Abraham chuckled post-match regarding Erie’s defensive line.

“Just kind of adjusting to that at halftime and being able to realize, hold our runs maybe a little longer before we make that run behind… figuring that out kind of in that first half, but I think ultimately we did a great job of solving and figuring it out in the end.”

A Blistering 60-Second Blitz

While the score remained 1-0 at the intermission thanks to a flurry of excellent saves by Sinan (10 saves total), Coach Gibson’s halftime message was simple: stay sharp, speed up the tempo, and put the game out of reach.

The players responded in spectacular fashion, blowing the game wide open with two spectacular goals in a 60-second window:

• 57th Minute: Attacker Anna Korney drove tenaciously toward the endline and fired a sharp pass back into the box. Abraham intelligently pulled her defender away with a dummy run, leaving space for substitute Fiona Mahan to smash home her first goal as a Riveter from the top of the penalty area.

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• 58th Minute: Directly off the ensuing kickoff, the Riveters won possession back and Abraham once again turned provider, releasing Emily Hanrahan on a clinical breakaway for her second goal in as many matches.

“Final third, especially in the second half… we talked about that last time,” Abraham noted. “Finding that final and end product… All the substitutes making hard runs and off-the-ball movement was just so crucial for us. With Fiona’s goal, I saw she was coming on… she had a better angle and probably more power behind it. Knowing her ability and just letting her have that shot, obviously putting it away was great to see.”

Four in a Row: The Defensive Fortress

While the offense grabbed the headlines, the Riveters’ defensive unit put on another masterclass. Goalkeeper Lexi Grundler made two saves to lock down her third individual clean sheet of the summer, anchoring the backline alongside Piper Coffield, Taylor Green, and Brielle LaBerge.

The Riveters have now recorded four consecutive shutouts, remarkably keeping opponents off the scoreboard for 369 consecutive minutes.

“It’s the chemistry of the group, I think, is a big one,” Head Coach Scott Gibson emphasized. “We’ve conceded three goals all season, right? And that was in one game. The other five games we haven’t conceded a goal, and that’s obviously four in a row tonight. To do that at any level is very impressive. They’re hungry to keep clean sheets, and they know that if we keep doing clean sheets, we’ll win.”

Managing the Roster for the Quick Turnaround

With a grueling schedule of five matches in 15 days, Gibson utilized his deep bench to perfection. Impact substitutes like 16-year-old sensation Anish Craft, Fiona Mahan, and Lilly Bane injected crucial life into the squad, allowing Gibson to rest starters ahead of Sunday’s return match.

“That’s why we have a big squad,” Gibson said. “Erie is a very plucky team… we needed a full team today, a whole squad. Our bench came in and did a job. We were hoping we’ve maybe got a goal or two [early], but we still took some players off pretty early… we just have to save them if they’re available for Sunday.”

Gibson singled out his star forward for high praise on a night when she pulled all the tactical strings. “For us, [Lola] was a player of the game. She was a difference maker. The team’s a little bit fatigued… but Lola was doing Lola things and I think she was the difference maker, especially in the end.”

Match Box Score & Summary

Pittsburgh Riveters SC (5-0-1)

• Starting XI: Lexi Grundler (GK); Brielle LaBerge, Piper Coffield, Taylor Green (Gabby Lamparty 53’), Bella Vozar; Shannon Studer (Fiona Mahan 46’), Emme Butera (Kate Friday 70’), Ellen Molloy; Sabrina Bryan (Lilly Bane 64’), Emily Hanrahan (Azalea Mihailovich 70’), Lola Abraham (Minah Syam 64’)

• Scoring: Sabrina Bryan 16’ (Abraham), Fiona Mahan 57’ (Korney), Emily Hanrahan 58’ (Abraham)

Erie Sports Center (1-4-0)

• Starting XI: Morgan Sinan (GK); Audrey Eckwahl (Eliana Pound 84’), Ellie Mills (Delaney Vilushis 66’), Hannah Shepard, Destinee Robinson; Isabella Prince, Olivia Dixon (Martina Latapi Gomez 84’); Brooklyn Respecki, Grace Emanuel, Madalene Cowburn (Carmela Cruzado 61’); Leya Bretz (Allie Zack 61’)

What’s Next?

The 48-hour endurance test continues. The Riveters pack their bags immediately for a trip up I-79 to take on Erie on their home turf at McConnell Family Stadium this Sunday, June 14, at 6:00 PM. Fans can follow the stream live exclusively on SportsEngine Play.