Best of 2024 -#2: Revved up for the Riveters
December 29, 2024 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC News Release
Earlier entries in this year's "Best of" series have celebrated the men of the Riverhounds, but women are the stars of the year's No. 2 moment.
It all began on April 27, when team president Jeff Garner, flanked by girls from the Riverhounds Academy, announced to the crowd at the Hounds match against Detroit City FC that Pittsburgh would be getting a team in the USL W League for 2025.
Months of behind-the-scenes planning followed, and the result was a spectacular multimedia reveal on Sept. 18, introducing the city - and people across the country - to the Pittsburgh Riveters.
For the Hounds organization, the Riveters represent a necessary addition.
After years of a successful girls academy program sending players to the next level, the Riveters give the club its own senior-level women's team for the first time. And in the USL W League, it provides a place for young women, coming from both the academy and elsewhere, to compete against the highest level of competition nationally and prepare for the professional game.
The reveal itself coincided with an event at the Heinz History Center in the Strip District, where fans could pick up free Riveters bandanas and learn the story behind the team's name - a reference to the World War II-era, Pittsburgh-created image of Rosie the Riveter.
While the brand reveal itself is the moment, the Riveters have continued to grow and build excitement in the months since.
Head coach Scott Gibson and goalkeeper coach Reaghan Duval were named the first two members of the coaching staff. North Carolina junior Tessa Dellarose was the first player to join the team, indicating the level of play expected by adding a U.S. Youth National Team player and soon-to-be NCAA Champion. And the club indicated its commitment to growing the Riveters and women's sports in Pittsburgh with the formation of its Women's Sports Advisory Committee, a select panel of leaders in business, sports and other fields.
Now, with seven players on the team after holding their first tryouts in December, the Riveters are well on their way to making an even bigger splash in 2025. But it all began with one of this year's biggest moments, when the world met the Riveters on Sept. 18.
Players take off running at the first-ever Pittsburgh Riveters Open Tryout on Dec. 6 at AHN Montour. (Photo: Mallory Neil/Riverhounds SC)
Riverhounds' Best of 2024
#5: Down Goes Detroit
#4: Fantastic Hall of Fame Week
#3: Another Crown for the King
#2: Revved up for the Riveters
#1: Coming Dec. 30
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United Soccer League Championship Stories from December 29, 2024
- Best of 2024 -#2: Revved up for the Riveters - Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
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