UNBEATEN & UNMATCHED: Steel City FC sweeps division title, sets sights on playoff rematch with Flint City Bucks

With the regular season officially in the books, Steel City FC has achieved something truly historic. A hard-fought, road-grinding 1-0 victory over the Lorain County Leviathan on Saturday night capped off a completely undefeated summer campaign.

Now, the Great Forest Division Champions turn their attention to the biggest stage: the USL League Two National Playoffs, where they’ll face Flint City Bucks in a rematch of a wild back-and-forth contest that Flint City pulled out, 4-3, with last year’s NCAA Division I leading goal scorer and former BVB Pittsburgh standout Donovan Phillip scoring a pair of goals for Flint City.   

During this remarkable campaign, Steel City finishes the regular season with a jaw-dropping stat line that highlights their absolute dominance in the region:

• Zero (0) losses on the entire campaign.

• Nine (9) total clean sheets recorded by a resolute defensive unit.

• Just three (3) goals conceded across 12 matches.

The Ultimate Depth Test

Saturday’s finale in Ohio was a testament to the “ambitious Project” Head Coach Dan Brower and his staff have cultivated in Pittsburgh. With the division crown already locked up, the coaching staff utilized the final match to test their depth and reward the next wave of local talent. Nine academy standouts made the trip and earned meaningful first-team minutes on the pitch.

The squad passed the test with flying colors. A brilliant first-half driving sequence by Nathan Prex resulted in a penalty kick, which the attacker calmly converted for the match’s lone goal. Defensively, the standard never dropped. Backline mainstays Mats Braemer, Tayshaun Reid, and Sean Regan locked things down, allowing goalkeeper Sam Coss to stellarly secure key saves and log his first clean sheet for the first team.

From the Touchline

“What an achievement for this group to go undefeated in the regular season and only concede 3 times with 9 clean sheets on the year!” Assistant Coach Steve Rerick, who masterfully navigated the touchline during the club’s close to the regular season, told Pittsburgh Soccer Now. “The group is more mature this year because of our experience last season playing in Flint, and they are hungry to go back and make a longer run in the postseason.“

That maturity stems directly from the locker room leadership. Team captain and midfield anchor Ryan Kopay emphasizes that the squad’s unyielding defensive identity has set a completely new benchmark for the program.

“We know what it takes to grind out results when games get physical or when the final ball isn’t clicking perfectly,” Kopay noted. “Keeping an arrow pointed up in the loss column and prioritizing clean sheets is what championship teams do. We set a standard this summer, but we all know the slate wipes clean the second we step on the pitch in Michigan.“

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What We Know: The Playoff Picture

The Central Conference is widely considered one of the deepest brackets in the nation.  Once again, Flint City Bucks will be hosting the Central Conference semifinal and finals to be played over the weekend of July 17-19, with matches on Friday and Sunday, and once again, they’ll be hosting Steel City (7:30 p.m.).

The Central Conference Round of 32 and Round of 16 games are taking place from July 17 through July 19.

If Steel City defeats the powerhouse Bucks on Friday night, they will advance to the Central Conference Final on Sunday evening with a spot in the National Semifinals on the line.

Seeking Automatic U.S. Open Cup Glory

Beyond lifting a national trophy, there is massive historical weight on the line for Steel City. Under U.S. Soccer’s newly dropped 2027 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup pathways, securing the automatic league berth requires winning the entire USL League Two National Championship. If they fall short of lifting the trophy on August 1st, the club has already confirmed they will proudly test their mettle in the fall open qualification rounds to make the “Battle of the Bridges” an annual Pittsburgh tradition.

U.S. Soccer releases 2027 Open Cup qualification pathways, Steel City unlikely to qualify directly

But first, the focus is entirely on the road ahead. This is a mature, defensive-minded group that knows exactly how small the margins are in the postseason. They aren’t just happy to be there—they are hungry for a deep run.

Stay tuned to Pittsburgh Soccer Now as we will update this story immediately with matchup details, kickoff times, and bracket locations the second they are officially made public by the league.

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).