Riverhounds FC coach Gene Klein is used to playoff soccer. He led Quaker Valley High to six state championships during his 25-year tenure at the school.

Klein will get his first taste of playoff soccer as a head coach at the professional level when the Riverhounds play host to Charlotte at 7:05 tonight at Falconi Field. Charlotte is the defending United Soccer Leagues Second Division champion.

The Riverhounds (8-6-6) qualified for the playoffs by finishing third. The Eagles (8-4-8) finished in second place.

To qualify for the four-team playoffs, the Riverhounds had to win their final two regular-season games. Both victories came on the road where they had not won this season until securing a 3-1 victory at Wilmington (N.C.) Aug. 5 and a 2-0 triumph at Cincinnati Aug. 12.

"This demonstrated our players' mental toughness and commitment," Klein said. "Every one had to step up. We played two of our best games of the season and we did it when we had to have it."

This semifinal round is a two-game playoff with the second leg of the series to be played tomorrow night in Charlotte. The team with the most aggregate goals earns a berth in the USL Second Division finals next week.

"It's been a lot of work for everyone to reach the playoffs, both the players and coaches," said Klein, who was an assistant Riverhounds coach for three years (1999-2001) while he remained at the helm of Quaker Valley.

Klein left high school coaching last fall after leading the Quakers to the PIAA finals for the ninth time (resulting in a 1-0 defeat to Christopher Dock).

The Riverhounds are in their second season in the USL Second Division after competing in the First Division (formerly the A-League) in their first five years.

The Eagles defeated the Riverhounds in their two regular-season meetings, 1-0 in Charlotte June 24 and 2-1 at Falconi Field on July 20.

Charlotte features first-team all-league midfielder Dustin Swinehart, who leads the Eagles with five goals and four assists. No Riverhounds player earned first-team all-league honors when the team was announced Wednesday. Pittsburgh has two second-team all-stars in striker David Flavius, the Riverhounds' career scoring leader with 52, and defender Cody Bragg.