Photo Gallery and Reaction: Kelp, Campuzano, Vincent talk grit and redemption after Riverhounds’ stoppage-time thriller

The Pittsburgh Riverhounds displayed grit and found redemption in an exciting match, defeating Indy Eleven, 1-0, on Saturday night before another sellout crowd at FNB Stadium.

PSN’s reporter Colton Coreschi and photographer were on hand to capture the emotion, the imagery, and the post-match reaction that defined an electric night on the South Shore.

Played before a raucous, sold-out crowd of 5,977—the fifth-largest regular-season attendance in venue history—the Hounds’ 1-0 triumph over Indy Eleven had a little bit of everything: the poignant return of a championship icon, a suffocating defensive masterclass, and a moment of pure rookie redemption.

Below, we showcase Ed Thompson’s exclusive photo gallery alongside the definitive quotes from the men who shaped a massive night in Station Square.

🖼️ Ed Thompson’s Match Gallery Spotlight

(Click here to view the full high-resolution gallery capturing the intensity of the summer heat, Eric Dick’s pre-match walk to the Steel Army, and the pure elation of the 92nd-minute winner).

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🎙️ Post Match Reaction

1. Lasse Kelp: From Low Country Heartbreak to Stoppage-Time Hero

Just one week ago, rookie defender Lasse Kelp walked off the pitch in Charleston carrying the weight of a second-half red card that effectively derailed the Hounds’ cup ambitions.

Fast forward seven days, and the young German native experienced the ultimate pendulum swing of professional football—turning inside the box in the 92nd minute to squeeze a low, hard strike through the legs of Eric Dick for his first career professional goal.

“I just saw the ball loose near the end-line and knew I had to turn quickly. To see it hit the back of the net in front of this crowd,” Kelp stated.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling. My first professional goal, and to have it be a game-winner at home, I’ll never forget it. After last week [the red card in Charleston], you feel down, you feel like you let the guys down. So to come back into the squad, keep a clean sheet, and get the winner? It’s football. You just have to stay ready.”

2. Nico Campuzano: Anchoring the Clean Sheet Streak

While Kelp grabbed the headlines and on a night where his competition in the other goal was the team’s former netminder who led the club to a league title a year ago, Hounds goalkeeper Nico Campuzano ensured that the home side had a platform to win it in the first place.

His full-extension, fingertip diving save on a point-blank Indy header in the seventh minute set the standard for a defensive unit that has now kept three consecutive clean sheets in league play.

“We knew it was going to be a battle of concentration. Eric [Dick] was making unbelievable saves on the other end, so my job was just to match that intensity and keep us stable,” Campuzano said.

“We knew if we kept it zeroes at our end, the guys up front would find a way. Three straight clean sheets shows how much this backline is buying into the defensive identity.”

3. Head Coach Rob Vincent: On attacking Eric Dick and growth through the Summer grind

With midfield linchpins like Sam Bassett sidelined, Riverhounds Head Coach Rob Vincent had to shuffle his deck to combat Indy’s rapid counter-attacking pressure.

“We talked at halftime about taking more chances of getting more balls into the box,” Vincent explained.

“We know that (with) Eric, you have to be smart about how you send the crosses in.”

While the possession wasn’t always seamless in the sweltering June heat, Vincent praised the sheer maturity of a squad that refuses to break.

“It wasn’t our cleanest performance in possession early on, but the maturity to stay compact, handle their counters, and execute in the dying moments of the match is huge,” Vincent explained.

“Lasse showed great instincts to get into that pocket on the set piece. We’re showing a lot of growth. Winning matches like this, grinding through the heat against a top-three team in the conference, that’s how you build a championship culture.”

📈 The Summer Climb: Tracking the Table

The Hounds are officially heating up at the right time.

By capturing consecutive home league victories against Miami and Indy Eleven, Pittsburgh has clawed its way into 5th place (6-4-1, 19 points).

While Tampa Bay still holds a comfortable lead at the top of the Eastern Conference with 28 points, the logjam directly beneath them is a absolute dogfight.

The entire cluster of teams spanning from second place down to the Hounds in fifth are now separated by a razor-thin two points.

Every single goal, clean sheet, and stoppage-time bounce in June is carrying massive postseason seeding implications.

Up Next

The Hounds will take their defensive hot streak on the road next weekend, traveling to face Hartford Athletic on Saturday, June 20, in a highly anticipated rematch of last autumn’s physical playoff opener.