After their first nine games this season the Pittsburgh Riverhounds have put themselves in a prime position to secure a trip to the playoffs.

Although they’ve had success, coach Bob Lilley still wants his team to improve their position. Friday’s contest with Hartford Athletic is the perfect opportunity.

As the Black and Gold head to Hartford, Conn. Friday, the two teams are tied for first place with 16 points. They have yet to play each other, and Lilley has emphasized the importance of their first meeting.

“It’s being stressed because if you win your division you play at home in the first round of the playoffs,” Lilley said. “If you don’t, you play on the road, so right there it’s significant, and obviously depending on your points it will affect other rounds whether you are home or away. The results matter and it’s a big moment for us.”

After Friday, the Riverhounds (5-3-1) will finish off their series against Hartford (5-1-1) with two matchups at Highmark Stadium on Sept. 12 and Sept. 26. Lilley is looking at their first matchup as the most important of the three.

Both teams are coming off a 2-2 draw. Hartford tied Loudoun United on Sunday and the Riverhounds tied with St. Louis on Saturday. Hartford has scored at least two goals in its last three games, and Lilley is hoping the Riverhounds can slow down their attack while also being able to push up the field.

“Hartford is having a good season; they’ve been scoring goals and they’ve been pretty stingy defensively, but I think we have the personnel to go there and get it done,” Lilley said. “We’ve got to take care of the ball, slow them down, just typical stuff. We want to be on the front foot.”

Like the Riverhounds, Hartford has had several goal scorers this season. Ever Guzman leads the team with four goals and Hugh Alexander Dixon has tallied three. Eight other players have scored a goal apiece, and the team has scored multiple goals in four of their seven games.

“These guys are talented players that will generate chances and can set up goals as well as score them,” Lilley said. “So, they have an identity of their attack and they are shaped better defensively compared to last year and they’ve gotten off to a good start.”

Hartford Athletic went 8-21-5 and conceded 80 goals last season while allowing an average of 2.4 per game. They’ve only conceded 11 goals this season and have recorded one clean sheet.

Hartford will have to find a way to silence one of the hottest offenses in the league as the Riverhounds have scored the second-most goals (22) in the USL Championship and have netted multiple goals in their past two games.

Lilley believes it will be important to utilize any extra energy they can to put extra pressure on Hartford’s defense and wants his back line to push up the field rather than sitting back.

“I think it’s important for the keepers to push their lines out at times to make sure we are stepping out and we are playing rather than just sitting deep,” Lilley said. “For me, we get ourselves in trouble sometimes when we take our foot off the pedal a little bit. Can we do it? Yeah. But are we at our best when we sit deep? I think you’re just asking for it at that point, and it catches up to you and you pay the price.”

With a win Friday, the Riverhounds would take sole possession of first place in Group F and could build their lead further with wins over Loudoun United and New York Red Bulls II on Tuesday and Saturday of next week. But, for now, the focus is on Hartford.

“This first game is going to be critical for us and even though it’s in Hartford we have to go in there and put some pressure on them by getting a win in Hartford,” Lilley said.

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