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Wrap up preseason with 1-0 loss to Hershey; opener is Saturday Sunday, April 23, 2000 By Ray Fittipaldo, Post-Gazette Sports Writer
Goals were about as common as glimpses of the sun yesterday afternoon as the Riverhounds and Hershey Wildcats played an A-League exhibition game at Shaler High School.
Professional soccer's return to Pittsburgh after a successful first season last year was hampered a bit by cold temperatures and a small crowd of only 70 fans.
The Riverhounds will be hoping for better weather, better fan turnout and maybe a goal or two Saturday night at Bethel Park High School when they play host to Toronto in the season opener.
Hershey's Cesisido Colasante scored the only goal in the 88th minute in a game that featured some sloppy play to go along with the foul weather.
"It was obvious that both teams still have a lot of work to do," Riverhounds Coach John Kowalski said. "We didn't look like we were clicking on all eight cylinders."
Both teams had players missing because of other contractual obligations with indoor and professional teams, which might explain the level of play yesterday.
The goal came in the final two minutes after a poorly executed throw-in by the Riverhounds. Hershey intercepted the ball, and Colasante had an empty net to shoot at after Riverhounds goalkeeper Doug Petras came out of the net to try to make a play.
"It wasn't the goalkeeper's fault," Kowalski said.
Despite the late lapse, the Riverhounds carried play against the defending Eastern Conference champions for much of the game. The Riverhounds held a slight territorial edge and had more scoring opportunities.
Those opportunities, however, did not translate into goals as Hershey goalkeepers Mike LaBerge and Anthony Tokpah kept the Riverhounds off the scoreboard.
Riverhounds forward Mike Butler had three good opportunities in the first half, the best coming on a bicycle kick in the 43rd minute.
"Very unlucky," Butler said. "We had a few chances but nothing real solid."
"Both teams only had a few chances," Kowalski said. "We had a few more, but you have to finish them."
Riverhounds forward Leidy Klotz, who is battling to make the team, had two good scoring chances in the second half but was denied by Tokpah.
"I thought their goalkeeper made some good saves in the second half," Kowalski said. "Neither team played with terrific flow. There were a few good moments, but there also was some ragged play and quite a bit of loose marking and unnecessary fouls out there. We have some synchronizing and choreographing to do in the next week."
Upper St. Clair High School graduate Gary DePalma, a midfielder for the Riverhounds, was able to draw some positives from the game.
"They're one of the better teams in the division," DePalma said. "They're one of the teams we'll be fighting with for first or second place. Being able to play with them and outplay them definitely gives us confidence."
Kowalski said practice this week will concentrate on improved transition defense and tighter marking at the midfield area. With two solid goalkeepers in Petras and last season's team MVP Randy Dedini, and a solid core of defenders, DePalma said only one thing stands in the way of the team wining a lot of games this season.
"Finishing," DePalma said. "If we score two or three goals a game, we'll be fine. We're not going to let in more than one a game."
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