Steel City FC (Pennsylvania)

Last updated
Steel City FC
Full nameSteel City Football Club
Founded2019 as Pittsburgh Hotspurs
Ground Founders Field,
Cheswick, Pennsylvania
Capacity1,500
Head coachDan Brower
League USL League Two
2024 1st, Great Lakes Conference
5th, East Conference
Website https://www.steelcityfc.com/

Steel City FC is an American pre-professional soccer club based out of Pittsburgh. The club has two senior teams, with the men's team playing in the USL League Two and the women's team playing in the USL W League, along with several youth teams.

Contents

Men's team history

Formed in the 1980's as a youth soccer team, the Pittsburgh Hotspurs launched its Men's First Team in 2019 to compete in the National Premier Soccer League. [1] According to the team's first coach Tom Campbell, NPSL officials contacted the Hotspurs about joining the league after the Fort Pitt Regiment folded after the 2018 season. [2] Ahead of the cancelled 2020 season, the Hotspurs partnered with the women's team Steel City FC. The team won their first trophy in 2020, winning the NPSL Members Cup over Cleveland SC, FC Buffalo, and Erie Commodores FC. [3]

In 2021, the Hotspurs merged with another youth soccer club, Arsenal FC of Pittsburgh. Prior to the start of the 2023 season, the entire Pittsburgh Hotspurs organization rebranded as Steel City FC, adopting the former name of the women's team. [4]

Steel City FC made their U.S. Open Cup debut in 2024, [5] losing to NISA club Michigan Stars FC in the first round by a score of 1-0. [6]

In December 2024, Steel City announced it would join USL League Two for the 2025 season, [7] being placed in the newly-formed Great Forest Division within the Central Conference. [8]

Seasons

As of July 23, 2024
SeasonLeaguePositionPlayoffs USOC
LeagueConfPldWLDGFGAGDPtsPPGConf.Overall
Pittsburgh Hotspurs
2019 NPSL East101721025-1550.506th84thDNQDNQ
2020 NPSL Rust BeltSeason canceleld due to COVID-19
2021 NPSL Rust Belt108201914+5242.402nd10th RQF DNQ
2022 NPSL Rust Belt128402415+9242.002nd26th RQF DNQ
Steel City FC
2023 NPSL Great Lakes1210023212+20322.671st5th RF DNQ
2024 NPSL Great Lakes10703368+28242.401st9th RF R1
Total543413712174+471092.02---

Women's team history

The club's women's team was founded as a separate organization, competing in the Women's Premier Soccer League through the 2019 season. [1] [9] Ahead of the 2020 season, Steel City FC merged with the Pittsburgh Hotspurs. [10] The team joined United Women's Soccer for the 2021 season. [11] Following the 2020 merger with the Pittsburgh Hotspurs, the team continued to use the moniker Steel City FC until 2022, when the team competed under the Hotspurs brand for a single season before the entire organization rebranded as Steel City FC.

In December 2024, the women's team joined the men's team in moving to the USL and joined the USL W League for 2025, [7] with the team placed in the newly-formed Great Forest Division within the Central Conference. [12]

Seasons

As of July 23, 2024
SeasonLeaguePositionPlayoffs
ConfLeaguePldWLDGFGAGDPtsPPGConf.Overall
Steel City FC
2015 WPSL Can Am7511254+21162.292nd12thDNQ
2016 WPSL Great Lakes101901525-1030.306th93rdDNQ
2017 WPSL Great Lakes84401626-10121.503rd49thDNQ
2018 WPSL Ohio Valley82511322-970.866th75thDNQ
2019 WPSL Keystone843113130130.863rd50thDNQ
2020 WPSL Ohio ValleySeason canceleld due to COVID-19
2021 UWS Midwest South103701527-1290.904th33rdDNQ
Pittsburgh Hotspurs
2022 UWS Penn-NY100821330-1720.205th44thDNQ
Steel City FC
2023 UWS East84312010+10131.637th17th R1
2024 UWS East95132410+14182.255th9thDNQ
Total7828419154167-13931.19---

Players

Men's first-team squad

As of 2022 [13]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.Pos.NationPlayer
1 GK Flag of the United States.svg  USA Garrett Watson
2 DF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Justin Kopay
3 DF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Giuseppe Croce
4 DF Flag of Ghana.svg  GHA William Dodzi
5 DF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Jack Emanuel
6 MF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Ethan Hackenberg
7 MF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Nicholas Graeca
8 MF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Michael Sullivan
9 MF Flag of England.svg  ENG Bryan Akongo
10 MF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Nick Kolarac (Captain)
11 MF Flag of England.svg  ENG Charlie Lawrence
12 GK Flag of the United States.svg  USA Keaton Jennings
13 MF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Rami Bensasi
14 MF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Gabe Norris
15 FW Flag of the United States.svg  USA Tate Mohney
16 MF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Anthony DiFalco
17 MF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Nolan Hutter
18 FW Flag of the United States.svg  USA Eben McIntyre
19 DF Flag of Spain.svg  ESP Mikel Ubeda
20 MF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Ryan Mertz
No.Pos.NationPlayer
21 FW Flag of the United States.svg  USA Nathan Prex
22 DF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Nathan Schlessinger
23 MF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Jonathan Swann
24 MF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Ryan Kopay
25 MF Flag of El Salvador.svg  SLV Rodrigo Albayeros
26 DF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Ryan Landry
27 FW Flag of the United States.svg  USA Evan Anderson
28 MF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Zander Plizga
29 FW Flag of the United States.svg  USA Tyler Caterino
30 FW Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  CAN Brice Gandhi
31 DF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Cole DeVaul
32 DF Flag of England.svg  ENG Owain Hawkins
33 DF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Connor Hudson
34 GK Flag of the United States.svg  USA Jacob Conti
35 DF Flag of Israel.svg  ISR Tom Tzabari
36 MF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Evan Thomas
38 FW Flag of the United States.svg  USA Amir Awais
39 MF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Luke Kost
40 FW Flag of the United States.svg  USA Josh DiMatteo
41 GK Flag of the United States.svg  USA Danny Rogers

Colors and Badge

During their time as Pittsburgh Hotspurs, the club predominantly wore blue and yellow. Following the rebrand, the club adopted a new color scheme of dark blue, light blue, black, and gold.

The club's crest is dark blue and gold with stylized trusses and arches evoking the look of the city's 446 bridges. Above the team name is a gold astroid similar to those found on the logo of the Pittsburgh Steelers, flanked by "EST. 2021", the first year the men's and women's first teams competed following the merger.

Stadium

Both the men's and women's first teams currently play their home games at Founders Field, a 1,500-seat venue built primarily for rugby in the Pittsburgh suburb of Cheswick. Previously, the men's team played home games at the Ellis School's athletic field in Pittsburgh's Shadyside neighborhood.

The men's team also hosted Michigan Stars FC at the University of Pittsburgh's Ambrose Urbanic Field during the 2024 U.S. Open Cup.

Honors

References

  1. 1 2 Krysinsky, John (2 February 2023). "NPSLA Unified Badge: Pittsburgh's NPSL and UWS teams to rebrand as Steel City FC". pittsburghsoccernow.com. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  2. https://pittsburghsoccernow.com/2019/04/17/gearing-up-for-first-season-in-npsl-hotspurs-sign-former-riverhounds-kolarac-and-broome/
  3. https://pittsburghsoccernow.com/2020/07/30/pittsburgh-hotspurs-capture-npsls-members-cup/
  4. "PITTSBURGH HOTSPURS REBRANDS TO STEEL CITY FC IN ADVANCE OF THE 2023 SEASON". npsl.com. 2 February 2023. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  5. https://pittsburghsoccernow.com/2023/12/15/its-official-steel-city-fc-enter-2024-u-s-open-cup-proper-tournament-for-first-time-in-club-history/
  6. https://www.npsl.com/22162/
  7. 1 2 Krysinsky, John (6 December 2024). "Steel City FC 'delighted' to join USL: Men's team to League Two, Women's team to W League". Pittsburgh Soccer Now. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
  8. https://www.uslleaguetwo.com/news_article/show/1331100
  9. "Steel City FC" (PDF). apps.pittsburghpa.gov. 28 April 2015. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  10. DeTemple, Marikaye (5 November 2019). "Pittsburgh Hotspurs SC Announce Women's First-Team". hotspurs-soccer.com. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  11. "Women's Soccer in the Steel City with Hotspurs First Team Coach Jordan Daloisio". openfieldintl.org. 25 March 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  12. https://www.uslwleague.com/news_article/show/1331094
  13. "2022 PITTSBURGH HOTSPURS MEN'S FIRST TEAM". steelcityfc.com. Retrieved 2 August 2023.