June 8, 2024 – United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC News Release
On the road against one of the Eastern Conference leaders, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds snapped their two-match losing streak with a 0-0 draw at the Charleston Battery tonight at Patriots Point Soccer Complex in Mount Pleasant, S.C.
Chances were scarce in the 42nd meeting between the two oldest teams in the USL Championship, but in the end, the Hounds (3-5-5) did enough to claim a point and prevent the Battery (8-1-5) from potentially retaking first place.
Eric Dick made three saves to record his fifth clean sheet of the season, and that was the same number of shots turned away by Battery goalkeeper Daniel Kuzemka.
First half
The Battery held 66 percent of possession in the match, but much of it was in the defending half and at midfield, as the two teams combined for just 29 touches inside the opponent’s box.
But it was from outside the box that the Hounds nearly scored early, after Junior Etou’s initial shot was blocked in the 11th minute. The ball caromed into the path of Danny Griffin, who struck a hard shot from 20 yards away and forces a diving save from Kuzemka to push the ball out for a corner.
Kazaiah Sterling hit another powerful shot on a half-volley near the half-hour mark, but the driven ball was straight at the goalkeeper.
Charleston didn’t record a shot until the 27th minute, but Juan Torres put a tricky, knuckling shot on goal minutes later that Dick had to parry into the ground for Pat Hogan to clear.
Second half
Defenses continued to rule the day, but the Battery nearly got a scrappy goal in the 74th minute when Graham Smith turned a ball toward goal as he bumped into Dick near the goal line, and the Hounds goalkeeper did just enough to push the ball away.
The Hounds nearly stole a 90th-minute winner through a pair of players who came off the bench. Pierre Cayet worked down the left side and placed a cross perfectly, and that allowed Kenardo Forbes to beat his defender to the ball and hit a firm header that missed just to the left of the goal.
The Battery had one free kick chance in stoppage time, but Torres opted to go for goal from just over 20 yards out, and the shot was caught easily by Dick.
Modelo Man of the Match
Pat Hogan anchored the back line as the Hounds put together their first shutout in six overall matches. The center back and former Battery player had a match-high 10 clearances, three interceptions, won both tackles he contested and…