PITTSBURGH – Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC announced on Monday the club had signed goalkeeper Kevin Silva for the upcoming 2022 USL Championship season. It is a one-year deal with a club option for 2023 that is pending league and federation approval.

Silva hails from Bethlehem, Pa. and played four matches last season in USL League One with Toronto FC II while on loan from Major League Soccer’s Toronto FC.

“Kevin is a young goalkeeper with good technique and understanding of the position,” said Hounds Head Coach Bob Lilley. “We feel he is ready to compete for valuable minutes this year in Pittsburgh and look forward to working with him during the 2022 USL Championship season.”

Silva has represented the United States at both the Under-17 and Under-19 levels, and was rated as a top-15 overall player and the best goalkeeping recruit in the country when he committed to UCLA. The 24-year-old played 30 games in two seasons for the Bruins in 2016-17 before opting to turn pro, signing with Heart of Midlothian in the Scottish Premiership.

After signing with Hearts in 2018, Silva spent time on loan with Raith Rovers in Scotland’s League One and later was loaned to Toronto FC II. After eight appearances in 2019 with TFCII, his move to Canada was made permanent in 2020.

Silva is the first goalkeeper signed this offseason by the Hounds, who now have 18 players under contract for the 2022 season.