Hartford Athletic starts their journey on the road to the Championship with a trip to Pennsylvania to face off against fourth place Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC. With the possibility of picking up two trophies in the same season on the table, the Green & Blue will be fighting with everything they have to secure a win and advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinal.
HARTFORD ATHLETIC vs. PITTSBURGH RIVERHOUNDS SC
WHEN: Saturday, November 1st, 6:30 PM
WHERE: Highmark Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA
HOW TO WATCH: WTNH.com, ESPN+
WATCH PARTY: J Under the Dome in Hartford, RSVP here
Sixteen Teams, One Title
The regular season has ended and the postseason has begun. With that comes higher stakes and more pressure, but also a slightly different organization from normal league play. Eight teams from each conference qualified to fight for the USL Championship title. With four initial in-conference first-round matchups, the teams will first battle to be crowned conference champions, needing to win three games to earn the glory. Then, the Eastern and Western Conference Champions will face off to challenge for the overall USL Championship title. The playoffs are single elimination, meaning any loss marks the end of a team’s postseason run. Additionally, throughout the tournament, the higher seeded team – based on regular season performance – earns the right to host. Hartford Athletic currently sits in fifth overall so there is a possibility that they could win the home field advantage later in the competition, depending on how other teams do. But first, the Boys in Green must find a result at Pittsburgh this weekend.
Burke’s Banner Year
Despite last weekend’s loss, Hartford Athletic Head Coach Brendan Burke tied a club record for most points in a single season, equaling his own record of 44 points from the 2024 season. Under Burke’s leadership, the Boys in Green have gone 13-12-5 this year, securing a post season appearance for just the second time ever. The Hopedale, Massachusetts native also eclipsed the club record for most wins in a single season, beating the previous record of 12 by one win. Additionally, he helped Athletic find their groove on the road this year, winning seven games away from home, also an all-time best for the club. During this historic 2025 season, the Green & Blue went on a nine-game undefeated streak, beating regional rival Rhode Island FC 3-0 and prevailing against San Antonio FC to secure a spot in the USL Jägermeister Semifinal match during that period. Later on in the year, Hartford won six road games in a row, enough to tie for the third longest road win streak in USL Championship history. In the Jägermeister Cup, Burke led the Boys in Green to their first major tournament win and secured a franchise-first piece of hardware for the trophy case. Adding to his achievements this year, Burke was the first Athletic coach to be named USL Championship Coach of the Month, earning this distinction during the month of August when the Boys in Green posted a dominant record of 5 wins and 2 draws. He also earned a spot on the Team of the Week three times throughout the season.
Edwards’ Explosive Season
Kyle Edwards ends the season as Hartford’s leading goalscorer, netting 12 times over the course of league play. With this, the St. Vincent and the Grenadines native set a single-season scoring record for the Green & Blue, besting Mamadou Dieng’s 11-goal record set during the 2024 season. Edwards is also one goal away from tying Dieng’s all-time scoring record (23), which he established earlier this year before moving to the MLS. Additionally, the 28-year-old cemented himself as the league’s best Super Sub after scoring eight goals off the bench this year and setting a single season record for goals as a substitute. Despite registering only nine starts, Edwards made 25 appearances and logged 1,073 minutes throughout the USL 30-game season. The creative and playmaking forward also added two assists, showing he can set his teammates up for success as well. Having a reliable player that can come off the bench and make a difference will be huge in allowing Hartford to find success in the postseason.
About the Opponent
The Riverhounds ended the season in 4th place, just one above Hartford, after earning 44 points on a 13-12-5 record. The Boys in Green also finished the season with 44 points, but Pittsburgh held the head-to-head tiebreaker between two teams, giving Acting Head Coach Rob Vincent’s side the higher seed and the right to host this first round matchup. The Green & Blue have faced off against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC 17 times over the course of the two clubs’ history, going 2-13-2 over that period. Hartford’s home and away record against the Pennsylvania side are nearly the same, going 1-6-1 at Trinity Health Stadium and 1-7-1 at High Mark Stadium. Last season’s home match saw Michee Ngalina net a brace to power Athletic’s 2-0 win.
Players to Watch
Hartford – TJ Presthus, DF, 22
TJ Presthus put in an outstanding performance against Louisville City FC, the perfect way to cap off a spectacular rookie season. As the team heads into the playoffs, the technical staff will likely be looking to Presthus for his reliable solid defending and crucial blocks. Last Saturday, the New Albany, Ohio native combined with his brother to make a pivotal late-game save off the line. In the 87th minute, Louisville City got through on a break away and Niall McCabe was in on goal. He fired off a shot that beat goalkeeper John Berner, but TJ had hustled back and got a foot in front of the ball just before it crossed over the goal line. The former Yale captain has logged 2,076 minutes (the fourth most on the team), 25 games played and 23 starts in USL Championship regular season play. Presthus sits in the top five on the team for clearances (133), blocks (10), interceptions (21), aerial duels (104) and aerial duels won (56). He has also added 24 tackles (winning 17 of them) and 181 duels (winning 100).
Pittsburgh – Sean Suber, DF, 5
Starting every game and playing every minute of the regular season, Sean Suber has cemented himself as a mainstay in Pittsburgh’s backline, anchoring the defense at centerback. Suber’s defensive resolve has played a big part in Pittsburgh’s 12 clean sheets (enough for a three-way tie for third in the league). He leads his team in clearances, with 203, while also adding five blocks and 19 interceptions, and winning 15 out of 24 tackles, 114 of 183 duels and 75 of 115 aerial duels. In two of the last games of the season, the Charlotte, NC native found the back of the net to power his team to a 2-1 victory over Indy Eleven and a 3-0 trouncing of Monterey Bay. These performances earned Suber back-to-back USL Championship Team of the Week nominations (for Weeks 32 and 33). He also added one assist during the regular season. As the Boys in Green travel to Pittsburgh this weekend, Suber will definitely be a player worth mentioning in the scouting report.
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