Riveters drop first match of season in Cleveland
It was a tale of two halves Wednesday night at Krenzler Field on the campus of Cleveland State University.
Pittsburgh had control of the play in the first half, and was rewarded for its effort with two goals, but Cleveland took over in the second half to rally for a 3-2 victory in the pre-professional USL W League.
The Riveters fell to 1-1-1 after three matches, while the Force improved to 1-0-2. Cleveland sits ahead of Pittsburgh in the Great Forest Division with a 5-4 edge in points.
The Riveters carried the play in the first 10 minutes of the match, as a long ball over the top nearly dropped at the feet of Kennedy Neighbors before being secured by Force keeper Griselda Revolorio.
Alexis Tylenda earned the first of three corner kicks for Pittsburgh in the 11th minute before Olivia Damico’s chance in the box went just wide of the goal in the 22nd minute.
The Riveters’ persistence paid off in the 25th minute when Tylenda raced up the right wing and fired a cross to Neighbors, who buried the shot for a 1-0 lead.
Tylenda was rewarded with setting up a goal when she headed in a cross from Damico for a 2-0 advantage in the 31st minute.
Cleveland changed its formation in the second half, and it appeared to work, as the Force rallied in the final 45 minutes of play.
Cleveland got on the scoreboard in the 50th minute when Hannah Pachan beat Riveters keeper Pauline Nelles on a penalty kick after Pittsburgh was called for a tackle in the box on the home team’s Sophia Sindelar.
Riveters head coach Scott Gibson argued the call to no avail.
Nelles had got 135 minutes without conceding a goal after the two teams played to a scoreless draw in the season opener. Nelles didn’t play in the Riveters’ second game against Flower City 1872.
Reagan Pentz tied the match in the 57th minute with a blast to the bottom left of the goal.
Brynn Severance scored the game winner in the 72nd minute with a right-footed blast from outside the box that hit the post before settling in the back of the net.
Pittsburgh earned a corner kick in the 78th minute, and continued to press for the next 12 minutes plus, as referee Robert Johnson didn’t whistle the end of the match in stoppage time for roughly five minutes, which caused the Force players and coaches to question his decision before he blew the final whistle.
NOTES: Riveters captain and Brownsville Area High School graduate Tessa Dellarose suffered a bloody nose in the 29th minute after colliding with a Cleveland midfielder. The Grindstone native returned to the pitch two minutes after reaching treatment. … Dellarose was substituted out of the match in the 46th minute for Canonsburg native Lilly Bane, who was replaced by Kate Friday in the 75th minute … Waynesburg Central graduate Ashlyn Basinger made her debut for Pittsburgh in the 65th minute, as Nelles, Tylenda, Piper Coffield, Natalia DiSora and Abi Hugh were the only Riveters that played the full 90 minutes plus stoppage time.