PITTSBURGH (Nov. 12, 2025) — The Pittsburgh Riveters’ 2026 roster continues to take shape with the addition of three more returning players for the team’s second season: Annamarie Williams, Lilly Bane and Caitlyn Thompson.
That trio each played roles in the inaugural 2025 USL W League season and brings the total to 11 returning players announced from the reigning Great Forest Division champions.
“We are delighted to continue to strengthen our roster for the 2026 season,” Riveters head coach Scott Gibson said. “All three players are positioned to make a big impact next year.
“Annamarie was a mainstay in our midfield and really helped keep the overall balance on both sides of the ball to our play. Lilly will only continue to get better after her first season experience, and we have high hopes for her to contribute further next season. Caitlyn stepped up in the conference semifinal as a 17-year-old and showed experience beyond her years. We are extremely happy to have Caitlyn back, and we predict a much heavier role for her next season.”
Williams, 19, comes back after starting 9 of 11 matches and ranking as one of the team’s leaders in minutes for a midfield player at 592. The University of Virginia sophomore and Natrona Heights, Pa., native played a critical role as one of the team’s holding midfielders, linking a defense that allowed only nine regular-season goals to the division’s top attack.
Bane, 18, provided an attacking spark off the bench for the Riveters while appearing in six matches. The Purdue University freshman from Canonsburg, Pa., provided the assist on the Riveters’ most memorable goal of 2025, setting up Gina Proviano for the winning strike in stoppage time of the division-clinching, 2-1 win over Steel City FC.
Thompson, 17, served as a backup goalkeeper for much of the first season, but she took a starring role in the playoffs by making nine saves — the most by a Riveters goalkeeper in 2025 — in the team’s playoff loss to Minnesota Aurora FC. The South Fayette High School senior has also helped her team reach this weekend’s PIAA Championship Final in Class AAA.
The Riveters’ roster continues to take shape with more returning and new players set to be announced in the coming weeks. The team also will be filling spots through their tryout process, which begins Nov. 29 with the team’s Open Tryouts at AHN Montour in Coraopolis.
