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Hugh becomes Riveters’ first All-W League selection

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PITTSBURGH (July 31, 2025) — Pittsburgh Riveters SC defender Abi Hugh earned a second major honor in as many days after being announced as part of the USL W League’s All-League Second Team this afternoon.

Hugh, who yesterday was named the Great Forest Division Player of the Year, becomes the first Riveters player to be honored as an all-league selection for her performance during the team’s first season of play. The All-League First and Second Teams recognize the 22 best players selected from across all 93 team in the USL W League, and Hugh was the only player selected out of the Great Forest Division.

The All-League honor completes a trio of awards received by the versatile Hugh, who played left back, center back and in the midfield during the 2025 season. The West Virginia native was also previously selected to the W League Team of the Month for June, recognizing her contributions as the Riveters finished the year 6-1-3, including a 4-0-2 record in June.

To see the complete USL W League All-League Teams, visit uslwleague.com.

Abi Hugh receives Division Player of the Year honor

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Pittsburgh Riveters defender Abi Hugh looks upfield in the team's 3-1 win over Steel City FC on June 11, 2025 at Founders Field in Indiana Township, Pa. (Photo: Chris Cowger/Riveters SC)
Riveters defender Abi Hugh, shown in the team’s 3-1 win at Steel City FC on June 11, was named the Great Forest Division Player of the Year for 2025. (Photo: Chris Cowger/Riveters SC)

PITTSBURGH (July 30, 2025) — Pittsburgh Riveters SC defender/midfielder Abi Hugh was selected as the Great Forest Division Player of the Year, the USL W League announced today with the release of all 15 divisions’ top players.

Hugh, 22, played a vital role in the Riveters’ inaugural season, in which the team won the Great Forest Division and was one of 16 teams to qualify for the USL W League Playoffs. The Huntington, W.Va. native started 10 of the Riveters’ 11 matches, missing only one match due to an off-field commitment, and she played the third-most minutes of any player on the team with 862.

Bringing a mix of speed and technical skill to the Riveters after her college career at Marshall and North Carolina State, Hugh’s biggest asset to the team was her versatility. Hugh was the opening night starter at left back for the Riveters to utilize her skills as a two-way player, but as injuries and absences shook up the lineup, she became a piece that moved many spots on the field, as needed. Of her 10 starts, four were at left back, three were at center back, two were as a defensive midfielder and one was as an attacking midfielder on the left side.

Hugh also proved to be a key contributor delivering balls for the Riveters on set pieces, and though she only recorded one official assist on the season, it was a crucial one — a pinpoint cross in the run of play setting up Olivia Damico‘s header for an important second goal in the 3-1 road win at Steel City FC.

The success Hugh experienced in Year 1 for the Riveters quickly led to her next opportunity, as earlier this month, she signed her first professional contract with Apollon Ladies FC. The Limassol, Cyprus-based club is the defending champion of the Cypriot First Division and begins its season next month in the second qualifying round for the UEFA Women’s Champions League.

To see the complete list of Divisional Players of the Year, visit uslwleague.com.

Hugh claims spot on W League Team of the Month

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Pittsburgh Riveters defender Abi Hugh strikes a shot through defenders in the team's 2-1 win over Steel City FC on June 27, 2025 at Highmark Stadium in Pittsburgh. (Photo: Chris Cowger/Riveters SC)
Riveters defender Abi Hugh strikes a shot through defenders in the team’s 2-1 win over Steel City FC on June 27 at Highmark Stadium. Hugh was named to the USL W League Team of the Month for June. (Photo: Chris Cowger/Riveters SC)

PITTSBURGH and TAMPA, Fla. (July 8, 2025) — Pittsburgh Riveters SC midfielder/defender Abi Hugh was selected to a bench spot on the USL W League Team of the Month for June, the league announced this afternoon.

Hugh was an integral part of the Riveters’ success in their first season, and she helped the team to a 4-0-2 record in the month of June on the way to clinching the Great Forest Division title and a USL W League Playoffs appearance. Her versatility was on display as she started all six matches during the month — two as a holding midfielder while captain Tessa Dellarose was away, three at center back to fill in for absences by Piper Coffield and Natalia DiSora, and one as a left wing back, the position where she started the season for the club.

A native of Huntington, W.Va. who played her college soccer at Marshall and N.C. State, Hugh’s contributions helped the Riveters allow just four goals in their six June matches. She also proved dangerous delivering set pieces for the Riveters, and offensively, she contributed a vital assist to set up a headed goal by Olivia Damico that was the eventual game-winner in the team’s 3-1 victory on the road at Steel City FC.

The W League Team of the Month is made up of the top 18 players — 11 starters and seven bench spots — from across the league’s 93 teams nationwide. Hugh is the second Riveters player to be recognized after Bella Vozar earned the honor in May.

To see the full Team of the Month, visit uslwleague.com.

Vozar named to W League Team of the Month

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Pittsburgh Riveters defender Bella Vozar turns upfield with the ball in the team's 3-1 win over Steel City FC on June 11, 2025 at Founders Field in Indiana Township, Pa. (Photo: Chris Cowger/Riveters SC)
Riveters defender Bella Vozar, shown during the team’s 3-1 win over Steel City FC on Wednesday, was named to one of the bench spots of the USL W League’s Team of the Month for May. (Photo: Chris Cowger/Riveters SC)

PITTSBURGH and TAMPA, Fla. (June 12, 2025) — Pittsburgh Riveters SC defender Bella Vozar was selected to one of the bench spots for the USL W League Team of the Month for May, the league announced this afternoon.

The first Riveters player ever to earn a league-wide honor, Vozar made the best 18 selected from 93 W League teams nationwide. She is also the only player from the Great Forest Division selected to May’s team.

Vozar has started every match this season for the Riveters at right back, playing 582 of a possible 630 minutes to this point, and her play has helped the Riveters to a 4-1-2 record that puts them atop the division. The Riveters have posted three shutouts this season and have allowed only seven goals, which is tied for the fewest in the division.

A Pittsburgh native and rising junior at American University, Vozar is also a product of the Riverhounds Development Academy and a graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School in Pittsburgh’s South Hills.

To see the complete USL W League Team of the Month for May, visit uslwleague.com.

Date, time changes for two matches

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PITTSBURGH (May 23, 2025) — Two upcoming Pittsburgh Riveters SC matches have been moved from their originally announced date and time.

The only home game affected is the Riveters’ match Sunday, June 15 against Erie Sports Center. That match at Highmark Stadium has been moved an hour later to a 6 p.m. start, and the local broadcast of the game with be on the main SportsNet Pittsburgh channel after the conclusion of their coverage of Pittsburgh Pirates baseball at the Chicago Cubs.

Also shifted from the original schedule is the Riveters’ road match at Cleveland Force SC. That match now will be played Wednesday, May 28, and it remains a 7 p.m. start at Krenzler Field in Cleveland. It will be the second meeting of the year between the Riveters and Force, who played to a 0-0 draw in the season opener last Friday.

To see the complete Riveters schedule, visit riveterssc.com/schedule.

Final additions complete Riveters roster for opener

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PITTSBURGH (May 15, 2025) — Pittsburgh Riveters SC will begin its first-ever season this week with three final players with local roots added to the active roster, Syracuse University midfielder Mackenzie Dupre, Syracuse University defender Aleena Ulke and Coastal Carolina University goalkeeper Aris Lamanna.

Dupre, 21, is a rising senior for the Orange and has appeared in 23 matches for Syracuse after transferring to the ACC school following her freshman season at Towson. Prior to college, the midfielder was a standout player for Upper St. Clair High School and played for Internationals SC in the Elite Clubs National League.

“We are pleased to welcome Mackenzie back to the organization. Mackenzie is a very hard-working player, very solid technically, and strikes a ball very well. She will provide even more depth to our midfield department throughout the course of a very busy season,” Riveters head coach Scott Gibson said.

Ulke, 20, saw limited action in her first season with the Orange, and an injury suffered before her sophomore season prevented her from building on that initial campaign. A star at perennially strong Moon Area High School, Ulke also played in the Riverhounds Development Academy and received multiple ECNL Ohio Valley Conference honors, including Defender of the Year in 2019. 

“Aleena has a positive energy and mindset that is contagious. After suffering some serious injury setbacks over the last few years, Aleena has continued to work as hard as she can to work herself back to full fitness. We are proud of her journey and she will bring more defensive quality and tenacity to our group,” Gibson said.

Lamanna, 19, appeared in 13 matches, starting eight, in her first year with Coastal Carolina in 2024. The goalkeeper also recorded a pair of shutouts for the Chanticleers. A product of Franklin Regional High School, where she was a 2023 all-state and three time all-WPIAL selection, Lamanna also played her youth soccer in the ECNL with the Riverhounds Development Academy.

“We are pleased to add Aris to our goalkeeper department. We are very familiar with Aris as a player in our Academy, and she has gone onto have a very good freshman year at Coastal Carolina,” Gibson said. “She is a commanding goalkeeper who is a very good shot stopper and works hard at her game each day. We are excited to see how she further develops this Summer.”

The Riveters take the field for the first time at 7 p.m. Friday when they host the Cleveland Force at Highmark Stadium in the USL W League opener for both teams. Limited tickets remain for the opener at Ticketmaster and through the Highmark Stadium Box Office.

Breeze Airways announced as Founding Partner, kit sponsor

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PITTSBURGH (May 14, 2025) — Pittsburgh Riveters SC is pleased to welcome Breeze Airways as one of the club’s Founding Partners and the team’s primary kit sponsor, connecting the rapidly growing new airline carrier with Pittsburgh’s new women’s soccer team in the USL W League.

Breeze Airways will appear on the front of the team’s home, away and alternate jerseys, which will be produced by CHARLY USA, the official kit manufacturer of both the Pittsburgh Riveters and Pittsburgh Riverhounds.

“We are proud to be a presenting partner for the Riveters inaugural season in the USL W,” said Gina Weikert, Breeze Airways’ Director of Brand and Media Strategy. “Breeze is an innovative airline, connecting underserved markets across the United States and making travel easier and more accessible. This partnership further solidifies our commitment to not only Pittsburgh, but women’s sports. We look forward to rooting on the Riveters this season!”

The 2025 CHARLY home kit features the familiar colors of Pittsburgh — black with yellow sleeves and trim — but a closer look at the body of the black kits reveals technical images of a World War II-era B-17 bomber, a throwback to the era where the visual of Rosie the Riveter first came to prominence. The 2025 CHARLY road kit, with its yellow and gray jersey, features multiple images of Rosie the Riveter embedded throughout a series of different sized and shaped panels. And the team’s two goalkeeper kits — a lavender and a light green set — give the appearance of riveted steel on the jerseys.

In addition to their placement on the front of the team’s jerseys, Breeze Airways will be involved with the club throughout the year with sponsored social media content, a “Final Boarding Call” halftime challenge at Riveters’ home matches, a Women in Leadership video series and visible advertising placements online and at Highmark Stadium. 

Breeze also will be the presenting partner of the Riverhounds and Riveters Hype Squad, which works to engage and entertain fans at the stadium and at community events around the region.

“We are thrilled to announce Breeze Airways as a Founding Partner entering our inaugural season. As we near the start of an exciting new chapter for women’s soccer in Pittsburgh, it’s fitting to align with an innovative and rapidly growing brand that recognizes the momentum and importance of women’s sports,” Riveters President Jeff Garner said. “This partnership is about more than a logo on a kit, it’s about shared values. Breeze is connecting cities across the country in bold new ways, and we’re proud they’re helping connect the Riveters to our city, our fans and the future of the game.”

The first chance to catch the Riveters and their Breeze Airways kits in action is the team’s season opener Friday, May 16, when they host the Cleveland Force at Highmark Stadium. Tickets for the game are on sale now through Ticketmaster and at the Highmark Stadium Box Office.

About Breeze Airways 

Breeze Airways operates more than 275 year-round and seasonal routes to 72 cities in 32 states. Founded by aviation entrepreneur David Neeleman, Breeze took flight in May 2021 bringing premium air service to secondary markets on its flagship fleet of Airbus A220-300 aircraft. Breeze has been named a top 5 “Best Domestic Airline” by Travel + Leisure for three consecutive years, was recognized for having the “Best Seat Comfort in North America” by Airline Passenger Experience (APEX) in 2024, and was named to Fast Company’s annual list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies of 2025. Breeze was the first U.S. domestic airline to be certified by Autism Double Checked and is the official airline of Make-a-Wish Utah. Breeze currently flies out of Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) to 13 destinations around the U.S. With seamless booking, friendly policies, and customized booking options, Breeze makes it easy to buy and Seriously Nice™ to fly.

About Pittsburgh Riveters SC

Beginning play in 2025, Pittsburgh Riveters SC was established as the City of Pittsburgh’s first team in the USL W League. By bringing a high level of women’s soccer to the city, the Riveters strive to provide a pathway for players as they make the leap to the professional game, while setting an example for the next generation of girls in sports. The team plays its home games at Highmark Stadium, which opened in 2013 on Pittsburgh’s South Shore as the team-owned, soccer-specific home of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC men’s professional team.

84 Lumber presenting Riveters matches on SportsNet Pittsburgh

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PITTSBURGH (May 12, 2025) — Pittsburgh Riveters SC, through the support of Founding Partner and Official Broadcast Presenting Partner 84 Lumber, will have all of its home matches televised during the club’s inaugural 2025 season on SportsNet Pittsburgh, making the Riveters one of the first USL W League teams with a broadcast deal of that type.

Included in the broadcast presentation will be the 84 Lumber halftime show and other in-game elements during both live broadcasts and replays on SportsNet Pittsburgh’s two channels — SportsNet Pittsburgh and SportsNet Pittsburgh+. The partnership highlights the connection between Pittsburgh’s newest women’s team and 84 Lumber, a nationally respected, locally headquartered and woman-led company.

“At 84 Lumber, supporting women is part of who we are,” said Amy Smiley, 84 Lumber Vice President of Marketing. “As a woman-owned company, we’re proud to partner with the Pittsburgh Riveters, a team that reflects our values and commitment to empowering women on and off the field. This partnership is a powerful way to promote opportunities for women, and we’re excited to see what we can accomplish together.”

As the local broadcast home of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Pittsburgh Pirates and a partner station of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, the addition of Pittsburgh Riveters coverage enhances SportsNet Pittsburgh as the place to watch hometown teams.

“We are honored to have 84 Lumber join us as a Founding Partner. Their support of Pittsburgh Riveters SC symbolizes a shared commitment to empowering women and elevating women’s sports within our community,” said Zack Kaminski, Riveters Director of Corporate Partnerships. “Having Riveters games airing on SportsNet Pittsburgh is a game changer, as it allows us to reach more fans, inspire young athletes, and showcase the talent and determination of women in sports. This partnership is a powerful step forward in raising the profile of women’s sports in Pittsburgh and fostering a culture of opportunity and inclusion.”

The Riveters take the field for the very first time Friday, May 16, when they host the Cleveland Force at 7 p.m. at Highmark Stadium. The match can be seen live on SNP+, and tickets are on sale now through Ticketmaster and the Highmark Stadium Box Office.

About 84 Lumber

Founded in 1956 and headquartered in Eighty Four, Pa., 84 Lumber Co. is the nation’s largest privately held supplier of building materials, manufactured components, and industry-leading services for single and multifamily residences and commercial buildings. The company operates 320 facilities which include stores, component manufacturing plants, custom door shops, and engineered wood product centers in 34 states. 84 Lumber also offers turnkey installation services for a variety of products, including framing, insulation, siding, windows, roofing, decking, and drywall. 84 Lumber, a certified women’s business enterprise owned by Maggie Hardy, has earned widespread recognition for its industry leadership and commitment to excellence. Named one of Newsweek’s Most Trustworthy Companies in America for both 2024 and 2025, 84 Lumber was also honored as one of USA Today’s Top Retailers in 2024. For three consecutive years, 84 Lumber has been honored as one of America’s Best Large and Mid-Size Employers by Forbes and has also earned a spot on the list of America’s Top Private Companies from 2019 to 2024. In 2023, the company was also honored with a spot on the Inc. 5000 list of America’s Fastest-Growing Companies. For more information, visit 84lumber.com or join us on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.

About Pittsburgh Riveters SC

Beginning play in 2025, Pittsburgh Riveters SC was established as the City of Pittsburgh’s first team in the USL W League. By bringing a high level of women’s soccer to the city, the Riveters strive to provide a pathway for players as they make the leap to the professional game, while setting an example for the next generation of girls in sports. The team plays its home games at Highmark Stadium, which opened in 2013 on Pittsburgh’s South Shore as the team-owned, soccer-specific home of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC men’s professional team.

Riveters kit reveal event coming May 14

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PITTSBURGH (May 6, 2025) — Pittsburgh Riveters SC will celebrate the launch of its debut USL W League season with a special night of entertainment for fans, as the team hosts its Kit Reveal and Fan Fest on Wednesday, May 14 at 6 p.m. at Highmark Stadium, the home of the Riveters.

This one-night-only event will offer fans their first chance to meet the Riveters players and coaching staff, experience the unveiling of the team’s official inaugural kits produced by CHARLY USA, and enjoy an evening filled with on-field games, giveaways, and family-friendly activities.

“This is more than a jersey reveal, it’s a rallying cry for women’s sports in Pittsburgh,” said Jeff Garner, President of Pittsburgh Riveters SC and Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC. “We’re proud to introduce this team to the community, not just as athletes, but as the next generation of Riveters who will carry forward the legacy of strength, resilience and pride in our city.”

The event will also include the announcement of the team’s official kit sponsor, marking one of the Riveters’ first Founding Partnerships and a major milestone as the club helps usher in a new era for women’s sports in Pittsburgh.

Admission is free, but pre-registration is encouraged at FEVO to secure giveaways and exclusive early access to merchandise.

Fans won’t have to wait long to see the kits on the field, as the team will be in action Friday, May 16, when they host the Cleveland Force at Highmark Stadium. Tickets for the season opener are on sale now through Ticketmaster and at the Highmark Stadium Box Office.

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