Photography by: Gabriel Bayona Sapag

After 26 years of waiting, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC finally climbed the USL Championship summit—and did it in the most Pittsburgh way imaginable: through grit, defense, and the steady hands of a goalkeeper who refused to blink.

The Riverhounds defeated FC Tulsa 5–3 on penalties on Saturday afternoon at a packed ONEOK Field, lifting their first-ever league title after 120 tense, bruising, scoreless minutes. It was the third straight postseason match Pittsburgh won from the spot, and the latest chapter in a playoff run defined by defensive perfection. Across four postseason games, the Hounds did not concede a single goal in open play.

At the center of it all was Eric Dick, the veteran goalkeeper who has spent his entire season turning difficult nights into clean sheets. Saturday was his masterpiece. Dick made five saves during the match—including two outstanding point-blank denials—and added eight high claims to keep Tulsa’s relentless attack at bay. In the shootout, he delivered again, diving low to his left to stop Stefan Lukić’s second-round attempt. That lone save proved decisive. Moments later, Beto Ydrach hammered home the winning penalty, sparking celebrations from a team that had been inching toward this moment for years.

The match itself was a war of attrition. The first half offered glimpses of ambition on both ends: Pittsburgh’s Luke Biasi nearly scored with a looping ball that clipped the crossbar, while Dick was forced into a leaping save from Kalil ElMedkhar’s close-range header. Augi Williams twice came inches from finding an opener for Pittsburgh, only to be denied by Tulsa goalkeeper Tyler Deric, who was outstanding himself.

As the second half unfolded, Tulsa seized control. The hosts outshot Pittsburgh 17–6 and created the better chances, particularly in extra time. Lukić nearly became a hero again—just a week removed from his 122nd-minute winner in the conference final—when a deflected cross fell to him in the box. Dick, charging off his line, smothered the header to preserve the deadlock.

By the time the final whistle blew after 120 minutes, both teams had emptied the tank. The match featured 45 fouls, endless midfield collisions, and two defenses operating at full stretch. In front of a club-record crowd of 9,507, Tulsa pushed until the final kick, but it simply wasn’t enough.

In the shootout, Pittsburgh were flawless. Bertin Jacquesson, Robbie Mertz, Chase Boone, Sean Suber, and Ydrach all converted with conviction. With each strike, the Riverhounds moved one step closer to history, and with Ydrach’s finish, they finally seized it.

For a club that has long prided itself on resilience, Saturday was the ultimate reward. The Riverhounds bent but never broke, survived wave after wave of Tulsa pressure, and walked away as the first team in USL Championship history to win the title without conceding a goal in the playoffs.

On a dramatic afternoon in Tulsa, Pittsburgh didn’t just win a trophy—they authored the defining defensive run in league history.