PITTSBURGH – Russell Cicerone recorded the first hat trick of his professional career as he led Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC to a 4-1 victory against Atlanta United 2 on Sunday night at Highmark Stadium that snapped a three-game winless streak for the hosts as they moved into first place in the Atlantic Division standings.

The Hounds had a chance to take the lead when they were awarded a penalty kick in just the second minute as Tommy Williamson was brought down in the box, but Cicerone’s shot to the left corner was turned wide of the net by Atlanta goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novos. Cicerone took only a minute to make amends, however, as he opened the scoring after Alex Dixon intercepted a pass in midfield and quickly threaded a pass forward centrally for the forward to run onto before controlling and firing low into the bottom-left corner of the net.

Atlanta went close to an immediate response in the sixth minute when Machop Chol’s header came back off the crossbar and was headed behind for a corner kick. Darwin Matheus was then kept out as he went for goal directly from the ensuing corner kick as Danny Vitiello had to scramble back to his line to parry the ball to safety, but in the 15th minute Matheus leveled the game as he controlled a cross from the right by Aiden McFadden and slotted home a finish to the right corner of the net from the left side of the penalty area.

Pittsburgh quickly got back on the front foot and a couple of minutes later saw Mekeil Williams hit the right post with a header off a corner kick by Kenardo Forbes from the right, but in the 26th minute the hosts regained the lead as Danny Griffin found Forbes in the right side of the penalty area before the Jamaican playmaker cut a low cross back for Williamson to fire home at the near post with a first-time finish.

Cicerone added a third for the Hounds in the 31st minute as Griffin threaded a pass into the left channel that the forward ran onto and then cut twice to create space for a left-footed shot to the right corner of the net for his second of the night. Todd Wharton then had a finish deflected just wide of the right post seven minutes before the halftime break before Dixon flashed a shot just wide of the right upright eight minutes into the second half as a crossfield ball by Louis Perez allowed the hosts to break forward as Atlanta pressed in the Pittsburgh half.

Dixon notched his second assist of the night and set up Cicerone’s hat trick as Pittsburgh intercepted an Atlanta free kick in the center circle before the winger cut past his defender and into the right channel before delivering a low cross for Cicerone as he arrived at the top of the six-yard area for a tap-in finish. From there, the Hounds saw out a comfortable victory as they limited Atlanta’s chances in the final 20 minutes to find a way back into the game.

USLChampionship.com Man of the Match

Russell Cicerone, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC – Cicerone moved into a tie for second place in the Championship on 11 goals with the first hat trick of his career as he finished the night with five shots and completing 15 of 20 passes

Scoring Summary
PIT – Russell Cicerone (Alex Dixon) 4’
ATL – Darwin Matheus (Aiden McFadden) 15’
PIT – Tommy Williamson (Kenardo Forbes) 26’
PIT – Russell Cicerone (Danny Griffin) 31’
PIT – Russell Cicerone (Alex Dixon) 66’

Full Box Score