Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC closed the regular season with a hard-fought 0-0 draw against Phoenix Rising FC at Highmark Stadium, a result that secured a fourth-place finish in the Eastern Conference and a home match to open the USL Championship Playoffs next Saturday. The point preserved the Hounds’ position and ensured they will host Hartford Athletic in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, a matchup they swept during the regular season with wins on March 22 and September 20. Home-field advantage gives Pittsburgh a familiar environment for what should be a high-stakes playoff opener.
The Hounds dominated territory and chances for much of the night, finishing with 63.1 percent possession, 17 shots to Phoenix’s 8, and an emphatic 10-0 advantage in corner kicks. Pittsburgh’s pattern was clear: build wide, overload the right side, and probe for openings in the box. Phoenix largely relied on distance strikes and counter opportunities, leaving the Hounds to press and probe without finding the decisive finish.
Goalkeeper Eric Dick made only one save, but that solitary stop was enough to preserve the clean sheet and his 12th shutout of the season and 26th in Riverhounds history, tying him with Hunter Gilstrap for second on the club’s all-time list. Patrick Rakovsky matched Dick with four saves to earn his own clean sheet for Phoenix. The match hung on marginal moments and fine margins, including a 4th-minute penalty appeal for handling that went unawarded and several near misses that rattled the woodwork.
Luke Biasi came closest before halftime when a near-post effort struck the right post after he cut inside from the right flank, and Augi Williams forced several scrambling defensive moments for Phoenix with his movement and presence in the box. In the second half, Bradley Sample’s rising volley and a dangerous Williams flick inside tested Rakovsky and the Phoenix defense. The visitor’s best look came late when Ihsan Sacko broke in behind the back line, only to have Guillaume Vacter’s recovery block deny what looked like a match-defining chance.
Guillaume Vacter was named Modelo Man of the Match after a dominant defensive performance, winning 16 of 19 duels, recording four clearances, contributing 15 final-third entries, and producing the critical blocked shot on Sacko in the 79th minute. Center back Sean Suber reached a rare ironman milestone by playing every minute of the regular season, logging all 2,700 minutes, becoming only the fourth player in club history to do so. Those defensive efforts underpinned the Hounds’ ability to control large stretches of the game and close out the campaign on a clean sheet.
Next up is the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal at Highmark Stadium against Hartford Athletic, with kickoff time and television details to be announced. Pittsburgh has confidence from sweeping both regular-season meetings, and the Hounds will seek to leverage their home crowd and defensive form as they transition into knockout soccer. The draw with Phoenix delivered exactly what the team needed: momentum, a secure playoff seed, and the advantage of hosting the first playoff match.