Highmark Stadium is a great experience, from the
product on the field to the atmosphere to the view. You really won’t regret
coming to any of the Riverhounds’ games this season. If you are trying to decide which one to make
the trip out for, though, consider one of my top five games of the season.
April 12 (Wilmington)
– The home opener on 4/12 (I see what you did there, Riverhounds). The Hounds open the summer schedule against
the Wilmington Hammerheads. Pittsburgh
split last year’s series with the Hammerheads, with the home team winning each
time. Wilmington missed out on the final
playoff spot by one point last season (only two behind Pittsburgh) after a late
season run that saw them win their last 5.
They’ll be looking for a better start this year, so this sets up to be a
feisty encounter.
May 9 (Orlando City) –
The reigning champions travel to Pittsburgh on May 9th for the only
time this season. Last year Orlando City
triumphed over Charlotte Eagles in the finals to take home the USL Pro championship. The team’s leading scorer, Dom Dwyer, was
recalled to Sporting KC, but they still boast a talented roster that will
challenge for the title again. Come out
and see the last game against Orlando before they make the jump to MLS in
2015.
June 11 (Harrisburg
City) – Like Pittsburgh, Harrisburg City was eliminated in the first round
of last year’s playoffs. The two teams
are intrastate rivals and play each other three times in June. Depending on how the first meeting plays out
on June 1st, this could be an interesting mid-week encounter. Hopefully, the Hounds have two wins in their
pocket when they travel to Harrisburg 3 days later.
July 4 (Rochester) - Everyone knows that Pittsburgh rocks out
when it comes to a fireworks show. What
better place to catch a famous Zambelli production than from the midfield of
the Highmark Stadium pitch? Spectators are invited to join the players on the
field for an autograph session following the match and stick around for the
fireworks. The game should be a good
one, too. Rochester is looking to bounce
back this season after missing out on the playoffs last season for the first
time in the team’s history.
August 2 (Los
Angeles) – LA Galaxy II represents the first time an MLS team has fielded a
full reserve squad in the league.
Coached by former Kansas City Wizards and DC United head coach, Curt
Onalfo, Galaxy II gives players a chance to continue to develop in the years
between leaving the academy and making a full first-team debut in MLS. This is a good chance to come out and see
some potential MLS future stars and cheer on the squad as they enter the home
stretch of the season and make the final push for the playoffs.
Bonus Games
I decided I couldn’t just leave my list to five, so I’ve
included two bonus games for your consideration as well.
TBD (Internationl Friendly) – Last summer the Riverhounds welcomed English FA Cup Champions,
Wigan Athletic, to town for an exhibition match. As an added bonus fans were able to take
their pictures with the FA Cup at the game as well. While an opponent and a date has not been
announced, yet, there will be another European opponent in town for a friendly
again this summer. Keep an eye on this
space for more information on this match as it becomes available.
September 6 (Phoenix)
– This is the squad’s last game of the regular season. Hopefully a playoff spot is already cemented,
and this game only serves to improve our seeding. Phoenix FC struggled throughout last season,
finishing second to last above Antigua Barracuda with 22 points. Even if the game means nothing when the time
comes, you can be sure that the team will appreciate the support as we send
them off on, ideally, another playoff run.