The Pittsburgh Riverhounds will begin a season on the road for the first time ever. The start in Charlotte before traveling to Atlanta for back to back nights, instead of opening up at home vs. Toronto.
This will be their fourth season, in two of which they have gone winless on the road for most of their schedules.
Last year their first road win didn't come until they defeated Atlanta in overtime (3-2). So it would be nice to start the season with a couple wins, before they come home.
The Riverhounds will be welcoming the return of Thiago Martins, who continued his hot streak in the preseason, along with David Flavius.
Peter's Township's Justin Evans has returned and should bring some needed punch while goalkeepers Randy Dedini and back-up T.J. Hannig return as a solid team minding the net.
Nothing is really known about Charlotte, who have moved from TransAtlantic Field on the campus of UNC-Charlotte, to Pine High School, as one of the two locations they will be using this year.
Atlanta is a solid team who replaced their head coach Brett Mosen with Jacenir Silva during the off-season. Their most popular player, Iggy Moleka, retired but they still have other talented players like Velko Iotov and John Barry Nusum among others. Last year's College Draft pick from the University of Connecticut, goalkeeper Bryheem Hancock, will be returning to the net. While the Silverbacks have a very talented team their downfall is not getting enough exposure to the fans. If the 'hounds can begin the season with a win or two on this trip with their talent it could go a long way to a successful season both on and off the field. The alternative could mean another winless season on the road.
