April 6, 2018 USL Toronto FC II--Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC vs Toronto FC II preview (from riverhounds.com)

  
Hounds search to continue shutout streak 
By Anthony Picardi, 04/06/18, 12:15PM EDT 

The feat had been elusive in Riverhounds SC history, but goalkeeper Dan Lynd was already familiar with the achievement 
in the backdrop of the Steel City.

With a shutout of Penn FC last time out, it marked the first time in the current USL era (since 2011) Pittsburgh 
has recorded two straight clean sheets to open the season. Lynd previously notched three straight shutouts to open 
his senior campaign at the University of Pittsburgh in 2015.

Lynd now looks to match this streak heading into the third game of the 2018 season, as he and Riverhounds SC (0-0-2) 
will battle Toronto FC II (0-2-0) at 3 p.m. on Saturday at Highmark Stadium.

“It gets better every week,” Lynd said about the team’s defensive chemistry. “We’ve had a couple different systems 
and we’ve looked very organized both times we’ve been out there. Hopefully that continues to grow throughout 
the season.”

Only two games into the year, the Hounds have shown great versatility on the defensive side of the ball. In its 
season opener, Pittsburgh rolled out three defenders before switching to a four-man backline last time out.

Helping the team keep this flexibility are athletic outside defenders Jordan Dover and Ray Lee. In the season opener, 
both even bumped up into the midfield before returning to their accustomed backline spots against Penn FC 
in the second match this year.

“What we do is stay connected and communicate well,” Lee said. “Another thing is that it’s not only us, but it’s 
our midfielders. We back-press and stay connected. Bob [Lilley] makes sure everyone’s in the right spots.”

In addition to the flexibility that Lee and Dover provide the team, Riverhounds SC also has other players who 
excel in different defensive roles.

Thomas Vancaeyezeele, who won the NCAA Division II Player of the Year award as a defender at the University 
of Charleston in 2017, has performed well for the Hounds in a holding midfield spot and leads the team with 
seven interceptions on the season. Defender Todd Pratzner also can hold down multiple positions as a center back 
or flanking the backline out wide. As players expound their knowledge of multiple positions, it can further 
solidify a dominant defensive presence.

“Staying disciplined,” Lee said in regard to what makes a defense great. “Being organized and covering each other. 
Winning your tackles and no goals, of course.”

In two meetings last year, the Hounds posted a shutout and allowed only one total goal against Toronto. As the 
squad readies for its first match against the Eastern Conference foe in 2018, it continues to perfect 
its defensive technique.

“A lot of little things,” Lynd said about what the team looks to build on defensively. “Make sure we’re covering 
one another. Making sure the defending isn’t just the back four or five or three – it’s the whole team. Making sure 
everyone is in good spots, and that comes with time. So if we keep making improvements each week, we’ll 
be really good defensively.”

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