Russell Cicerone followed up his first career hat trick with a dramatic game-winning goal in stoppage time, leading the Pittsburgh Riverhounds to a 3-2 victory at Hartford Athletic on Saturday night.
Cicerone’s winning goal came in the first minute of stoppage time. Hartford goalkeeper Jeff Caldwell punched a corner kick out to the top of the box, where Cicerone settled it out of the air, made a half-turn and scored inside the right post.
It was the second goal of the game for Cicerone, who scored three times against Atlanta United last Sunday. Cicerone leads the Riverhounds and is second in the USL Championship with 13 goals this season.
The Riverhounds (12-6-4) are tied with Tampa Bay atop the Atlantic Division table. Hartford (8-8-3) is in sixth place in the division.
The Riverhounds jumped ahead early when Alex Dixon was taken down by Caldwell in the first 20 seconds of the match and a penalty was awarded. Cicerone buried the shot to make it 1-0.
The early deficit did not discourage Hartford, which took a 2-1 by the 51st minute, despite playing down a man after defender Tulu received a red card in the 36th minute.
In the 18th minute, Preston Tabort Etaka headed a long cross toward the goal line, where Juan Carlos Obregón Jr. finished the job to make it 1-1. Danny Barrera converted a penalty in the 51st minute to give Hartford a 2-1 edge.
The Riverhounds rallied to tie the score about six minutes later. A long cross from the left wing deflected to Dixon at the top of the box, where he connected on a left-footed shot for his seventh goal of the season, setting up Cicerone’s late-game heroics.
Dixon was stopped from the penalty spot earlier in the game.
The Riverhounds return home to host New York Red Bulls II at 6 p.m. Wednesday.
