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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