(June 24, 2026) — Tanum Nelson, Makenna Dominguez and Lilly Bane scored to give the Pittsburgh Riveters a perfect record of five wins from five road matches in 2026 by defeating FC Buffalo, 3-1, at Coyer Field in Buffalo, N.Y.
The win ensures the Riveters (8-0-1) will enter the USL W League Playoffs with one of the two best records in the Central Conference and extends their run to 16 matches without defeat in the Great Forest Division.
Katie Sellers scored the lone goal for Buffalo (3-5-1) shortly after entering as a second-half substitute.
First half
With a handful of starting lineup changes from the team’s win Sunday over Cleveland, the Riveters withstood some early possession and pressure by Buffalo. But in the 10th minute, the Riveters capitalized on their first chance of the match.
Fiona Mahan received the ball wide on the right and popped a very high cross toward the front of goal, where Nelson was waiting to tap the ball in after it got over the heads of the defense. It was Nelson’s second goal of the season, and she now has eight in two seasons for the Riveters, the most all-time.
Nelson nearly doubled the lead in the 41st minute when she got on the end of a pass from Anna Korney on the left side. Nelson’s shot was on target, but Buffalo defender Erin Weir threw her right leg into the air to clear the ball off the line before catching herself in the net.
Second half
Riveters goalkeeper Caitlyn Thompson made her first start of the year, and in the 62nd minute, she came up with a leaping save to push a shot by Lindsay Lenhard over the bar, which kept the score 1-0, but only briefly.
Two minutes later, Shannon Studer sent Korney breaking in toward goal with a chipped pass. Buffalo goalie Lexie Thompson was first to the ball outside of her box, but her clearance only got as far as Dominguez, who was playing her first match as a Riveter after entering at halftime.
Dominguez fired the ball into the open net from more than 45 yards out, and the former NCAA champion at North Carolina and Salvadoran international had her first goal after only 19 minutes on the field.
Studer was involved in the third goal in the 79th minute, as well. She fired a shot from outside the box that Lexie Thompson dove to parry away in the Buffalo goal, but the rebound fell to the feet of Bane to finish for her first goal with the Riveters.
Buffalo got a goal back one minute later, when Kylie Miranto made a long run down the right before poking the ball toward the goal, where Sellers was waiting to redirect it into the net.
Hitachi Player of the Match
Anna Korney was kept off the scoresheet, but the 16-year-old’s impact was felt throughout the full 90 minutes as a playmaker. Her pressure on the goalkeeper led to the errant pass setting up Dominguez’s goal, and her running down the wing helped open up Studer’s shot and the ensuing rebound goal for Bane.
What’s next?
The Riveters will try to close out an undefeated regular season when they host Steel City FC at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 27 at F.N.B. Stadium. Steel City (5-4-0) picked up a 4-1 win at home tonight over Erie Sports Center to move into second place in the division.
Riveters SC lineup (4-2-2-2) — Caitlyn Thompson; Sydney Lindeman (Ella Bulava 46’), Gabby Lamparty, Piper Coffield (Lola Abraham 46’), Bella Vozar (Minah Syam 64’); Emme Butera, Kate Friday (Annamarie Williams 64’); Fiona Mahan (Shannon Studer 64’), Tanum Nelson (Makenna Dominguez 46’); Anna Korney, Emily Hanrahan (Lilly Bane 64’)
FC Buffalo lineup (4-3-3) — Lexie Thompson; Erin Weir (Natasha Fowler Varon 74’), Addison Davis (Rosie Bandura 84’), Anna Bean, Claire DeAngelis; Eileen Solomon, Lindsay Lenhard (Rory Kingsley 84’), Laiken Kiser (Baillie Colling 65’); Sarah Woods (Kylie Miranto 65’), Ekemini Udofa (Isabella Schmidt 46’), Ava Plezia (Katie Sellers 74’)
Scoring summary
PIT — Tanum Nelson 10’ (Fiona Mahan)
PIT — Makenna Dominguez 64’
PIT — Lilly Bane 79’
BUF — Katie Sellers 80’ (Kylie Miranto)
Discipline summary
BUF — Addison Davis 43’ (caution – reckless foul)
BUF — Claire DeAngelis 88’ (caution – tactical foul)
BUF — Katie Sellers 90’ (caution – reckless foul)
