Preview: Hounds at Hartford Athletic
USL Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC

Preview: Hounds at Hartford Athletic

Published on June 18, 2026 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC News Release


PITTSBURGH - The Hounds are settling into a defensive groove with clean sheets in their past three matches and four of the past five, and they will try to continue that momentum on the road Saturday against a team with a strong defensive record in its own right, Hartford Athletic.

It is a rematch of last year's Eastern Conference Quarterfinals when the teams played to a 0-0 draw before the Hounds advanced on penalties to the USL Championship title. A low-scoring affair this time would come as no surprise, as the Hounds are playing the best defensively they have all season, while Hartford has the second-best defensive record in the league with only 10 goals allowed in 11 league matches.

Lasse Kelp, who netted the stoppage-time winner last week against Indy for his first career goal, and Perrin Barnes both earned Team of the Week honors as the left and right backs in that latest shutout win. The back four, with Owen Mikoy and Victor Souza in the middle, limited Indy to just two shots on target, and the Hounds have allowed just nine shots on goal total over their past four matches in all competitions.

Hartford, meanwhile, is coming off one of the bigger wins in the year across the league after handing the Tampa Bay Rowdies their first loss of the season, 1-0 in St. Petersburg last Saturday. The Connecticut side has clean sheets in two of its past three matches, and goalkeeper Antony Siaha leads the Championship with six clean sheets this season.

The match will also be a reunion for many of the Hounds' players. It will be their first time facing former teammate Augi Williams, who led the Hounds' line last season in their championship run. Williams has three goals this season across all competitions to lead Hartford, which for its defensive prowess has also struggled to find the net at times with only 10 goals for in the league, though that total doesn't include six in their past two USL Cup matches.

Fans will be able to watch the match live on KDKA+, and the stream will be carried on ESPN+. The Hounds' partners at Radio Las Palmas, 92.9 FM HD2 also will have Spanish coverage of the match.

Match info

Riverhounds (6-4-1) vs. Hartford Athletic (4-2-5)

Date: Saturday, June 20

Time: 7 p.m.

Location: Trinity Health Stadium, Hartford, Conn.

Odds: Hounds +190 / Draw +225 / Hartford +120 (DraftKings)

TV: KDKA+

Streaming: ESPN+

Radio: Radio Las Palmas, 92.9 FM HD2

Live statistics: USL Championship Match Center

Live updates: @RiverhoundsSC on X/Twitter

Match hashtag: #HFDvPIT

Check out the Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC Statistics

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from June 18, 2026


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