Match info
Riveters (0-0-0) vs. Cleveland Force SC (0-0-0)
Date: Friday, May 16
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Highmark Stadium
Tickets: Ticketmaster
TV: SportsNet Pittsburgh+
Streaming: SportsEngine Play
Live updates: @RivetersSC on X/Twitter
Match hashtags: #PITvCLE and #RivetersRise
PITTSBURGH (May 15, 2025) — It began more than a year ago with a simple announcement.
Then, last September, the team got a name and an identity.
Now, after countless hours, weeks and months of preparation, the Pittsburgh Riveters arrive tomorrow.
The Riveters will host the Cleveland Force on Friday night at Highmark Stadium, and a sellout crowd is expected to help launch the team into its first season in the USL W League, opening up a new door for women’s soccer in the Pittsburgh region.
Head coach Scott Gibson and his players are set to embark on a 10-game slate in the league’s new Great Forest Division. Their first opponent is a somewhat familiar one, as the Force is a longtime opponent of teams from the Riverhounds Academy at the youth level. Now, each club has a proper women’s First Team, and it makes for a fitting start to begin their history with an installment of the classic Pittsburgh/Cleveland rivalry.
For Gibson, one of the toughest tasks will be squad selection. The Riveters have depth at every position, both homegrown and nationally recruited, which will be a benefit over the course of a condensed schedule. But for this one-off opening night, Gibson has only a handful of training sessions from which to glean his ideal starting 11.
Tessa Dellarose, the former U.S. U-20 international and 2024 NCAA champion with North Carolina, is one of the few locks for the 11 and will wear the captain’s armband for the team’s historic debut. As the first player announced for the team last fall, the midfielder will be crucial in a pivot role for the Riveters.
As opening night draws near, fans are ready for a celebration of women’s soccer at Highmark Stadium. During halftime, the Riveters will recognize members of their Advisory Committee who have helped the team take off, and there will also be a recognition of the first Riverhounds Academy girls team from 2013, looking back on the journey for the club that has led to this point.
By game time, it is expected that only standing room and resale tickets will be available through Ticketmaster and at the Highmark Stadium Box Office.
Fans who aren’t able to be at the stadium will be able to watch the match live on SportsNet Pittsburgh+, with a re-airing at 1 p.m. Saturday on the main SportsNet Pittsburgh channel. All USL W League matches are also available to stream on SportsEngine Play.
Downloadable Game Notes