Russell Cicerone

Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC was founded on March 11, 1998, by Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania native Paul Heasley. The team’s emergence ended the sport’s 12-year hiatus in the city at the professional level after the Pittsburgh Spirit of the Major Indoor Soccer League folded in 1986. Heasley’s inspiration for the team formed when his son, Lucas, began seriously playing soccer in the late 1990s. As there were no local role models for Lucas to look up to, Heasley’s aim was to create a club embodying the character of Pittsburgh and western Pennsylvania that could fuel the ambitions of youngsters in the region and give them a pathway to become professional soccer players. This vision was realized during the 1999 USL draft when Peters Township native Justin Evans was selected as the Riverhounds’ first player. The team compiled a 16-12 record in its inaugural regular season, playing its home matches at Bethel Park High School. In 2004, Heasley sold the Riverhounds. The team subsequently underwent a number of venue and ownership changes before landing at Highmark Stadium for the 2013 season. Current owner Tuffy Shallenberger took control of the Riverhounds and Highmark Stadium in 2013. The Riverhounds also operate a thriving youth academy with locations in Pittsburgh and Connellsville.