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Augustine Williams’ signing is a landmark for Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC

By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 01/28/25, 9:00AM EST

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Two-time USL Championship All-League selection arrives with major resume, a contrast to forward predecessors who built their success in the Steel City


New Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC signing Augustine Williams ranks fifth in the USL Championship's regular season scoring list with 76 goals, including double-digit seasons each of the past three campaigns. | Photo courtesy Matt Schlotzhauer / Indy Eleven

Think, for a moment, about the great forwards Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC has had come through its doors in the past 10 years.

In 2016, there was Corey Hertzog, who reeled off 27 goals in 62 regular season appearances on his way to consecutive USL Championship All-League selections.

In 2018, as Hertzog departed, Neco Brett entered the scene and notched 28 goals and 12 assists across 64 regular season appearances while also bagging a four-goal playoff outing.

In 2021, it was the turn of new arrival Russell Cicerone to catch fire as he recorded 29 goals and 14 assists in 65 regular season appearances for the side.

Then, overlapping with Cicerone as he landed in 2022, Albert Dikwa bagged 31 goals in 61 appearances while earning the Player of the Year award and Golden Boot for the Hounds’ Players’ Shield-winning 2023 squad.

It’s a remarkable sequence, made even more remarkable by one fact that covers all four players.

Prior to their arrival in the Steel City, none of them had previously recorded a double-digit scoring campaign in the USL Championship’s regular season.

That’s what made Monday’s announcement that the Hounds had signed Augustine Williams different, and a landmark moment for the club.

  • BUILDING A REP: For their former players, the Hounds have become a destination to build your reputation. That’s been true at other positions as well – former goalkeeper Danny Vitiello (Sacramento Republic FC) and center back Arturo Ordóñez (Louisville City FC) are two prime recent examples – with the Hounds having at times been left hanging after contracts expired and players headed elsewhere in free agency.

  • LOCKING IN: The Hounds have worked to turn a corner when it comes to squad retention, and it has shown in the past two offseasons. The club has 12 players set to return in 2025, including new multi-year contracts for core players Junior Etou and Illal Osumanu. As we’ve seen elsewhere in the league, continuity with the right pieces provides a foundation for success.

  • MAKING A SPLASH: Signing Williams – who has previously recorded four double-digit goal seasons in his career, including each of the past three campaigns – as a free agent is a move that shows where the Hounds’ aspirations are on the field. It also reflects the burgeoning success the club has become overall.

For the past two seasons, the Hounds have regularly welcomed sellout crowds at 5,500-capacity Highmark Stadium. They’ve topped 6,000 fans on multiple occasions in the league and U.S. Open Cup with standing-room-only tickets filling the venue to the brim. The club has forged relationships with the Steelers, Penguins, Pirates and the other professional teams in the city, adding to the club’s visibility.

Because of this, owner Tuffy Shallenberger has been open about the idea of stadium expansion, with the aim of a capacity between 13,500 and 15,000 when the project is complete. That would put the Hounds’ venue among the largest currently in the Championship, adding to the footprint the club has built around the region after the completion of the AHN Montour Health + Sports Medicine Center.

With the addition of Williams – easily the highest-profile prime age free agent signing the club has made in its history – the investment is also showing up with the goal of winning more silverware.

“Bringing a player like Augi to Pittsburgh is a major signing for our organization,” said Hounds Head Coach Bob Lilley. “It highlights the growth, ambition and investment that [owner] Tuffy [Shallenberger] continues to infuse into our club, the community and Western Pa. soccer.”

For a club that’s been foundational to numerous notable USL Championship careers, this could be the start of a new direction, and something big on the banks of the Monongahela River.

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