In early February, Robert Morris University Vice President and Director of Athletics Chris King announced that Michelle Rick will be the next head coach of the Colonials’ women’s soccer program, after Head Coach Chris Shaw left for a the Head Coaching position at Temple.In some respects, it might be considered a bold move in hiring such a young coach without Division I head coaching experience -- as Rick joins RMU after spending the previous two seasons at the University of Findlay, a Division II school in Findlay, Ohio, where she had a 22-11-7 overall record and back-to-back berths in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Tournament semifinals.PSN's John Krysinsky had a chance to catch up with Rick this week, to discuss her transition to her new role in Pittsburgh and much more.

John Krysinsky is back with the latest edition of the Sounding Off on Soccer podcast -- as he takes a look at the 0-3-0 (!!??) Pittsburgh Riverhounds'  -- and brings on second-year winger Langston Blackstock for an in-depth interview to discuss the Marietta, GA's native's experience thus far in the Steel City, his thoughts on the team's tough start, upcoming match-up vs the Tampa Bay Rowdies and more.

The Pittsburgh Riverhounds were punished for their failure to convert a host of chances as they fell 2-0 to Orange County SC in their home opener, on Saturday night at Highmark Stadium. It was a far from ideal start from the Riverhounds, who have been shut out in consecutive matches to begin the 2024 season.  It's the first time the Hounds have been shut out in back-to-back contests since mid-2022.  PSN's John's Krysinsky is joined by Matthew Baldwin,  who was at Highmark Stadium on Saturday, as they look back at the match, and take a closer look at why the Hounds have come up short against what appears to be two of the tougher Western Conference clubs to start the season.   Photo Credit: Ed Thompson

We made our best effort to get as many members of the band together as possible -- as we partake in the Annual Pittsburgh Soccer Now predictions for the new Riverhounds and USL Championship season on the Sounding Off on Soccer Podcast.  PSN's John Krysinsky was joined by Matt Popchock, Colton Coreschi and La Mega Media's Amadeo Eichberg, as they took turns making their predictions for the season ahead. These predictions included: Predict following Hounds' results this year:How Many Points in Regular Season?Where do they finish in Eastern Conference standings?Starting in Round of 32 -- how far can the Hounds advance in US Open Cup?Who will be the Riverhounds' leading scorer?What new player are you most interested in seeing this year?Which team comes out of the Eastern Conference this year to play in USL Cup Final?Each panalist shares a HOT TAKE (or two) for the upcoming season!

In the newest episode of Sounding Off on Soccer Podcast, club icon and new Riverhounds SC assistant coach Rob Vincent joins John Krysinsky.Rob and John discuss his adjustment from coaching with the Academy to now being back with the pro team, this time as Bob Lilley's assistant.Other topics tackled included:Importance of the process of open and invitational tryouts in building rosterOn playing against (nearly a decade ago) and now coaching Kenardo ForbesAssessing Hounds' midfield from veterans to the young playersthoughts on the current US Open Cup format/situation and importance of the tournament in growing excitement for the game at all levels in the U.S.looking ahead to schedule ahead early in the season -- and more on the week one match-up at New Mexicoand more!

Pittsburgh Soccer Now’s John Krysinsky is joined by Steel City FC’s Tom Ovenden, Ed Ellsworth and Nicky Kolarac to talk about the club’s preparations for its first-ever Lamar Hunt US Open Cup appearance despite the uncertainty of the tournament format and Major League Soccer’s efforts to hold the Open Cup hostage.

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Pittsburgh Soccer Now's John Krysinsky welcomes Colton Coreschi and Matthew Baldwin to the podcast and to the PSN team -- and the trio shares their thoughts on Pittsburgh Riverhounds as they near the halfway mark of the 2024 preseason.  John, Colton and Matthew address the Hounds' biggest question marks as the club looks to keep the momentum going from an ultra-successful 2023 campaign.

In the first edition of Sounding Off on Soccer for 2024, Pittsburgh Soccer Now's John Krysinsky takes a few minutes with his immediate takeaways on the Riverhounds SC, who will revolve and move forward with a new season, as they kick off preseason camp next week.  Additionally, John is joined by Pittsburgh businessmen Roger Loughney and David Grim, who are exploring an opportunity to invest in IK Start, a prominent soccer club in Kristiansand, southern Norway. Learn more about this group that they've headed up, is confident that their combined expertise and capital can usher in a new era of success for the 118-year-old club.

Pittsburgh Soccer Now's Rachael Kriger catches up with Pitt women's soccer Head Coach Randy Waldrum and midfielder Ellie Coffield, who scored the equalizing and game-winning goals in the Panthers' thrilling 4-3 NCAA Tournament win at Arkansas on Friday night.  The Panthers will have a short turnaround -- as they'll now face Memphis on Sunday in Fayetteville, AK.

Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC announced longtime assistant coach Dan Visser has been appointed as the club's Sporting Director, where he will oversee the soccer side of the club at the professional and academy levels.In his new role, Visser will work in tandem with head coach Bob Lilley, guiding the pro team’s scouting and player recruitment efforts to build a championship-caliber team next season and beyond. He also will work directly with the Riverhounds Academy as the club continues to build a direct pathway for its players to rise through the development program to the professional level, both with the Hounds’ First Team and to opportunities in the global soccer market.Visser took time out of his busy schedule in his first few days in this position to talk to PSN's John Krysinsky for the latest episode of Sounding Off on Soccer.

Pittsburgh Soccer Now's John Krysinsky is back with a new episode of the Sounding Off on Soccer Podcast, as he pays tribute to Albert Dikwa, for being the first Riverhounds SC player since Jose Angulo to win a league MVP. Plus, John catches up with PSN contributors, Dom Campbell and Rachael Kriger to talk about Pitt's Men and Women's soccer teams in the NCAA tournament -- and who has the better chance of getting through the coming weekend.

The Pittsburgh Riverhounds won the USL Championship's Players Shield by defeating the Tampa Bay Rowdies, 2-0, at Al Lang Stadium on Saturday.La Mega Media's Amadeo Eichberg there in St. Petersburg on Saturday -- and shares more on his experience covering the match, from taking the same flight with the team to the Hounds' ability to clamp down and defeat the Rowdies and what it was like to be in the joyous locker room.

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Ahead of Pitt men's soccer's season opener vs Penn State, senior midfielder Filip Mirkovic took some time out to connect with PSN's John Krysinsky on Sounding Off on Soccer Podcast. Mirkovic is one of the best midfielders in the country, especially with his ability to create scoring opportunities for his teammates. He posted 12 assists in 2022, a program record  in a single season, and his .60 assists per game finished as No. 7 in the nation.He placed on the First Team All-ACC and All-South Region Team thanks to his great play last season, and has been named to the United Soccer Coaches Midfielders to Watch List for 2023.Mirkovic played a large role in helping Pitt reach their third straight Elite Eight and their second ever College Cup appearance in 2022, and has been an instrumental figure for the program since his arrival in Oakland in 2020. In total, he has made 59 appearances and 55 starts in his Pitt career, producing 19 assists and scoring nine goals.Those 19 assists and his 0.32 assists per game are both fourth best in program history.In addition, Mirkovic, who grew up in New York City, played for NYCFC Academy and attended Lab High School for Collaborative Studies. This offseason Mirkovic trained and competed with the Long Island Rough Riders of USL League Two -- and had the opportunity to play with the famed Wrexham AFC Red Dragons squad in the 7v7 The Soccer Tournament played in Cary, NC, earlier this Summer.

The Women's World Cup is in full swing, so it's a great time to bring Pittsburgh native and The Sporting News columnist, Mike DeCourcy back on the Sounding Off on Soccer podcast.Mike and Pittsburgh Soccer Now's John Krysinsky talk about the U.S. Women's National Team's chances for a three-peat, what are the most intriguing storylines at the World Cup, a few of his feature stories on the most compelling USWNT players Julie Ertz, Megan Rapinoe and young forward Sophia Smith.Plus, John and Mike also take a few moments to discuss the veteran sports writer's recent column as part of The Sporting News' series on top athletes from each City, with his Pittsburgh sports Mt. Rushmore.

John and Rachael also discuss Pitt women's soccer coach Randy Waldrum's role in dealing with the ongoing challenges as Nigeria's head coach as he's been outspoken about the lack of support from the Nigerian National Football Federation and Rachael gives some of her insights on the USWNT and who some of the other teams who could snatch the Cup from the Americans.

In the latest edition of Sounding Off on Soccer with Pittsburgh Soccer Now's John Krysinsky, one of Pittsburgh soccer's best ambassadors, Nicky Kolarac joins John on the pod! Steel City FC men's soccer team have completed an unbeaten regular season (10-0-2), and will now await the winner of Cleveland SC-Michigan Rangers in the NPSL's Great Lakes Conference Final on Saturday at Founder's' Field. A veteran midfielder for the club, and one of the club's original players going back to Fort Pitt Regiment and Pittsburgh Hotspurs days, Nicky Kolarac joins the pod to share more about his team's success this season and the excitement leading up to Saturday's big match.

Pitt women's soccer head coach Randy Waldrum is gearing up for a trip down under, to Australia, as he will lead the Nigerian Women's National Team into the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.  In this interview with Pittsburgh Soccer Now's John Krysinsky, Waldrum uses this forum to sound off about his concerns and criticisms of the Nigerian Football Federation, which has limited opportunities for the veteran coach to offer training and preparation for the Nigerian players, while also fueling added controversy by interfering with his selection of the 23-player squad.