Pittsburgh's Pro Soccer Home Season Opener - Saturday Night
Hounds Welcome Real Maryland Monarchs To Chartiers Valley Stadium at 7:05Courtesy of Pittsburgh Riverhounds
2009/05/01
The Pittsburgh Riverhounds missed the playoffs by just one slim goal last year in their return to competitive professional soccer under new ownership. Saturday night, the Hounds open the 2009 home season, and second at Chartiers Valley Stadium, with several new looks on offense and a bolstered defense.
Gone is Thabiso "Boyzzz" Khumalo, who was snatched up by D.C. United of Major League Soccer for last year's stretch run. During the off-season, Head Coach Gene Klein signed midfielder Randolph Jerome to try to replace Khumalo's scoring punch. Forward Sean Bucknor is also new to the Hounds for 2009. He had previously been signed as a trialist by FC Dallas. Bucknor hails from Montego Bay and played with Jamaica's U-17 team, but has American citizenship having been born in Brooklyn. He is a tall, speedy, but raw scorer who tallied 28 goals in each his freshman and sophomore seasons at Owens Community College in Findlay, Ohio. He did not play after transferring to the University of Tampa. Striker Bill Brindley, who was with Real Maryland last season, comes to the Pittsburgh side, and midfielder Sean Cameron comes over from the Atlanta Silverbacks. The Riverhounds' returners up front and in the middle include Justin Evans, Joe Zewe, Matt Langton, Jeff Hughes, and Scott Gibson.
In the defensive third, Klein went after and brought Tenywa Bonseu, nicknamed "T-Bone", back to Pittsburgh. He was on the original Riverhounds roster when the franchise was founded in 1999. He joins Evans, a Peters Township native and midfielder, as the two Riverhounds with MLS experience, not to mention Pittsburgh pasts. Bonseu is expected to help the Riverhounds recover from a second loss to D.C. United. Greg Janicki, like Khumalo, stepped up in the nation's capital for the last few weeks leading up to the MLS playoffs. Jason Kutney, Nathan Salsi, Ed Hayden, Cody Bragg, Chris Riley, and Allan Brown return in the back.
In the nets, Zach Varga, who had several strong outings in 2008, will get most of the work in goal, however, Danny Waltman is an Major Indoor Soccer League All-Star with the Detroit Ignition. Pitt rookie keeper Eric Barnes is also new to the club in 2009.
Other newcomers include D Nikola Katic, M Tony Labudovski, F/M Tommy Gray, and M Sean Cameron.
Coach Klein will be assisted by Evans, who will serve as a player-coach, National Soccer Hall of Fame member Paul Child, and Jeroen Walstra.
For more information about Pittsburgh Riverhounds Pro Soccer, call 412 539-1191.
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Media wishing to cover Pittsburgh Riverhounds home games should contact Chris Shovlin - Director of Publicity - via e-mail at riverhounds@comcast.net or by phone: 412 952 1933.
