Steel City FC and Riveters each score equalizers in stoppage time, set up meaningful showdown at Highmark Stadium

Photo courtesy PIttsburgh Riveters SC

On an eventful Saturday for both Steel City FC and Pittsburgh Riveters SC in USL W League Great Forest Division matches, when the smoke cleared, each side had to settle in sharing the points with their respective opponents, setting up a meaningful rubber match to be played between the two clubs at Highmark Stadium on Friday.

At Founders Field, Steel City (3W-1L-3D, 14 points) played Flower City 1872 to a wild, back-and-forth match that saw all six goals scored in the second half end in a 3-3 draw.

Maya Matesa’s brace, which led the way for Steel City.  Metesa’s (Duquesne) heroics included a stoppage time goal that equalized in dramatic fashion.

Audrey Bianco (Hampton / Carnegie Mellon) added the second goal for the home side, playing in a sweltering heat at Founders Field.

Flower City responded after Bianco’s goal, taking a 3-2 lead, with goals from Amelia Malkin in the 65th minute, then Courtney Carter in the 84th.

“Proud of the girls for the effort they put in today,” James Faint, Steel City Assistant Coach said.

“They competed well.  It was a hot day.  There were some good moments, some not so sure moments, but they continued to fight.”

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Meanwhile, with the Steel City FC result coming in before they kicked off, the Riveters knew that if they took the full three points at FC Buffalo, they could clinch the top spot and a postseason berth in W League playoffs.

The match had a delayed start due to FC Buffalo’s men’s team kickoff starting nearly an hour late.

In a much tighter affair than the last time the two sides played (a 3-0 Riveters win at Highmark Stadium), both sides had penalty kick chances saved.

Riveters SC’s Tessa Dellarose (Brownsville / North Carolina) had her shot toward the bottom left corner denied by Shea Vanderbosch in the first half, while in the second half, Pauline Nelles (Arizona State) responded by denying a shot toward the bottom right corner by Buffalo’s Paige Szymanski.

Buffalo took the lead in the 81st minute when Sarah Woods received a long, diagonal pass from the left side of the field.

Woods chipped the ball over onrushing goalkeeper Nelles to give the hosts the lead.

In dramatic fashion, the Riveters found their own equalizer, as Minah Syam (Avonworth / Bowling Green) scored on a goal-mouth scramble in stoppage time.

Syam’s first goal of the season, which came from a corner kick taken by Dellarose, keeps the Riveters (5W-1L-3D) in the driver’s seat for the Great Forest Division title and the USL W League Playoffs in their first season.

The Riveters can win the division with a victory in their regular-season finale Friday against Steel City FC, while FC Buffalo (4-2-2) and Steel City (3-1-4) would have to win both of their final two matches to catch the Riveters.