Hounds Bolster Midfield with Two Signings
January 26, 2024 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC News Release
Midfielder Bradley Sample with Louisville
(Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC)
PITTSBURGH - Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC has signed a pair of new midfielders for the 2024 season with the additions of Jackson Walti and Bradley Sample on one-year deals with a club option for 2025. The deals are pending USL and U.S. Soccer approval.
The two players will be teaming up with the Hounds after having faced one another as college players in the Atlantic Coast Conference - Walti at the University of Pittsburgh and Sample at the University of Louisville.
Walti, 24, was a key part of Pitt's teams that reached the College Cup semifinals in 2020 and 2022 after the St. Petersburg, Fla., native first arrived at the school as a walk-on. He would go on to finish as the school's career leader in minutes played, netting six goals and five assists, before being a second-round pick of Austin FC in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft.
In his first pro season last year, Walti began the year with Austin's reserve side in MLS Next Pro before being loaned within the league to Colorado Rapids 2. He finished the year with 20 appearances (nine starts) and one assist between the two clubs.
"Jackson works, wins the ball and makes good decisions on the ball - all good attributes for a defensive midfielder that we pursued a year ago," Riverhounds head coach Bob Lilley said. "His consistency and leadership with Pitt is exactly what we want to bring in to our team."
Sample, 23, is first-year pro who was a workhorse in the midfield for Louisville, where he finished his career in 2023 second in matches played and third in minutes all-time. The Cardinals reached the NCAA Tournament four times in his career, advancing as far as the third round in 2019 with Sample as a freshman starter.
Originally from Channahon, Ill., Sample posted four goals and seven assists in his college career while operating primarily as a holding midfielder for the Cardinals
"Bradley was really solid at our combine in December and had a great career at Louisville," Lilley said. "He is a versatile midfielder with a good engine and technical qualities that fit well with our current group."
The two latest signings bring the Hounds' roster to 19 players under contract as the team begins its 2024 preseason training this Monday, Jan. 29, at 10 a.m. at the AHN Montour Sports Complex.
Images from this story
 Midfielder Jackson Walti with the University of Pittsburgh |
 Midfielder Bradley Sample with Louisville |
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