Riveters roll past Racing Louisville, 5-0, to advance to USL W League Central Conference Final

On Friday night at F.N.B. Stadium, the Pittsburgh Riveters SC captured the first postseason victory in franchise history in dominant fashion, defeating Racing Louisville FC, 5-0, in the Central Conference Semifinals.

“It means everything,” Scott Gibson, Riveters Head Coach said of clearing the hurdle of winning the club’s first-ever postseason match.

“We prepared better for this one, in terms of squad depth. The type of player we wanted to bring in. It showed tonight with another five-star performance.”

With the win, the undefeated Great Forest Division champions erased demons from its sudden playoff exit in its inaugural season last year and advanced to Sunday’s Central Conference Championship match. In a rematch of last year’s Conference Semifinal loss, the Riveters will face Minnesota Aurora at 7:00 PM back at F.N.B. Stadium with a spot in the National Final Four on the line.

Match Summary

First half

Korney came away from the match thinking she could have had even more than her two goals. The first near miss came in the ninth minute, when she turned in the box and fired a shot that struck the underside of the crossbar and stayed out.

But in the 21st minute, Korney had the Riveters in front when she received a pass in the left side of the box from Bryan and placed a shot perfectly in the bottom right corner of the net for the first postseason goal in team history.

The Riveters pressed forward for a second goal, and Bella Vozar just missed on it when she won the header from a corner kick in the 37th minute, but the ball was headed downward so firmly it bounced up and over the goal. Minutes later, Korney could have had her second when she again got free on the left and circled the keeper, but Louisville defender Juliet Strange was in position to clear the ball off the line.

The second goal came in stoppage time, and it was the first of the season for LaBerge, the left back. She found Ellen Molloy with a pass in the midfield and continued her run forward. Molloy returned the ball to LaBerge, who darted between a pair of defenders into the box and finished in the same right corner as Korney’s opener.

Molloy ended stoppage time with a long free kick that forced a save off the crossbar, one of four Riveters efforts off the woodwork in the match.

Second half

Korney hit the post for a second time two minutes into the half, but she would not be denied in the 51st minute. This time, she worked into the right side of the box after receiving a pass from Vozar, and she hit a hard shot that got under the goalkeeper.

It was 4-0 only a minute later, when Tanum Nelson got into the left side of the box and fed Bryan in front of the goal for a soft finish into the open part of the net. Nelson then nearly got the fifth of the night, but she instead became another victim of the crossbar with a shot that popped straight up before hitting the back of the bar on its descent.

Grundler made her best save of the match in the 69th minute, a leaping stop to push a shot by Avery Krupp over the bar. And in the 79th minute, Bane put the finishing touch on the scoring by making a near-post run and turning the ball into the goal from a pass by Gabby Beinecke from the left side.

How It Happened

• 22′ — PGH GOAL: Anna Korney — Korney does some nice work to find the goal, but great effort by Sabrina Bryan to pick out and win the ball back, then find the 16 year-old. 

• 45’++ — PGH GOAL: Brielle LaBerge making a run forward from left back, and no one’s stopped her! Her first of the year makes it 2-0!

• 50′ — PGH GOAL: Anna Korney

• 52′ — PGH GOAL: Sabrina Bryan

79′ — PGH GOAL — Lilly Bane makes it 5-0

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Takeaways & Notes

• This match could have easily been 3-0 0r 4-0 in the first 45 — but the Rivs missed on some quality chances.

• Lola Abraham, who led the Rivs in scoring this season, did not play as many of players from Power 5 schools are starting to prepare and report back to their college teams (Abraham will be going into her junior year at Pitt).

• Breaking the Postseason Duck: After a tough 2-0 defeat to Minnesota Aurora in their inaugural 2025 postseason appearance, the Riveters have officially cleared their first major franchise hurdle.

• Defensive Iron Wall: The backline anchored by Piper Coffield and Bella Vozar continued its masterclass, limiting a dangerous Louisville frontline and limited chances all night.

• Roster Depth Factor: Head coach Scott Gibson leaned heavily on his deep rotation to navigate a physical, high-stakes tournament match.

• The Next Step: Pittsburgh turns around on less than 48 hours of rest to play for the regional trophy on Sunday night.

Lineups & Match Information

Pittsburgh Riveters SC Lineup:

Up Next: Central Conference Final

The Riveters will return to the pitch on Sunday, July 5 at 7:00 PM at F.N.B. Stadium to play for the Central Conference Championship.

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).