Riverhounds remain winless on the road

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Riverhounds remain winless on the road

Saturday, July 01, 2000

Special to the Post-Gazette

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- The Pittsburgh Riverhounds' road woes continued last night against Hampton Roads as the Mariners used a strong early offense to snap their four-game winless streak with a 2-1 victory.

RIVERHOUNDS AT A GLANCE
TODAY'S GAME
Matchup: Riverhounds (5-6-1) vs. Richmond Kickers (10-4) , 7:00 p.m., Richmond City Stadium.

RIVERHOUNDS
Players to watch: GK Doug Petras, D Nick Terlecky, D Tenywa "T-Bone" Bonseu and F Michael Apple.
Notes: GK Randy Dedini was called up to the Colorado Rapids of the MLS. Dedini played in goal for the Riverhounds last night and was scheduled to drive to Washington D.C. today to join the Rapids for their game against D.C. United tonight. It is not known when he will return to the Riverhounds. ... The Riverhounds were glad to get June off the books. Not including last night's game, they were winless in five league games on the road.

KICKERS
Players to watch: F Dwanye DeRosario, F Kwaku Adu-Gyamfi, D Peter Luzak, GK Michael McGinty.
Notes: Are in first place in the Atlantic Division. ... Are 8-0 at home, including a 2-1 decision over the Riverhounds earlier this month. McGinty has a 0.98 goals-against average and five shutouts. ... All four of Adu-Gyamfi's goals have been game-winners.

UP NEXT
The Riverhounds play host to the Hershey Wildcats at 7:35 p.m. Friday.

It was the Riverhounds' seventh consecutive road loss. They have not won a road game this season.

Playing in front of 2,357 fans at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex, Hampton Roads (8-5-2, 34 points) opened the scoring in the eighth minute, when defender Alan Branigan sent a long pass up the side of the field to forward Seamus Donnelly, the Mariners' leading scorer with eight goals and 16 points. Riverhounds goalkeeper Randy Dedini came out from the goal to block the shot, but Donnelly kicked the ball over him and across the goal line.

Just two minutes later, the Mariners scored again on a similar play. Forward Saul Martinez streaked up the right side and sent a crossing pass to midfielder Chris Scrofani, who headed the ball past Dedini to put the Riverhounds in a 2-0 hole.

"We made a couple of mistakes," Riverhounds Coach John Kowalski said. "There was a miscommunication between Randy and T-Bone [Tenywa Bonseu], which led to the goals."

Forward Joenal Castma put the Riverhounds (5-7-1, 22 points) on the board in the 83rd minute. Defender Ezzy Ihekornoye began the play with a pass from midfield to David Flavius on the right side. Flavius brought the ball upfield and sent it to Castma, who scored his first goal of the season.

The Mariners attacked throughout the first half, but the Riverhounds' offense took control in the second, outshooting Hampton Roads, 17-3. In the 58th minute, forward Allen Eller passed the ball to John Jones, whose header sailed just left of the goal. The Mariners regained control, but Eller stole the ball and passed it to forward Phil Karn, who dribbled to about 25 yards away from the goal.

Karn sent the ball across to forward Michael Apple, whose shot went wide left. But Apple was fouled on the play, which gave the Riverhounds a free kick. John Jones, Bonseu and Apple took shots on the ensuing play but couldn't beat Hampton Roads goalkeeper Emmet Idzahl.

Idzahl -- starting in place of Jon Busch, who is out for the season with a knee injury -- stopped another shot in the 61st minute. Flavius moved through two defenders and passed to Karn, who took a point-blank shot about 3 yards in front of the net, but Idzahl caught the ball.

Flavius and Karn again combined for a shot midway through the second half, but Karn's header flew over the crossbar.

"It took a while to get going, but we played well in the last 60 minutes, really turning it on in the last 45," Kowalski said. "The second half was basically all ours."

Dedini, who made two saves, has been called up by the Colorado Rapids of MLS for their game against D.C. United tomorrow afternoon. Dedini will drive to Richmond after the 3 p.m. MLS game in Washington to meet his Riverhounds teammates for their match against the Kickers, but Doug Petras is expected to start in goal.