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Vincent Notches First Pro Hat Trick To End Hounds' Slump

Recap provided by Pittsburgh Riverhounds

PITTSBURGH (Aug. 1, 2015) - Rob Vincent notched his first professional hat trick in a competitive game Saturday night to fire the Pittsburgh Riverhounds to a much needed 3-0 win over the Wilmington Hammerheads at Highmark Stadium.

The victory ended the Hounds' recent 3-game losing streak and lifted Mark Steffens' side to 8-8-4 (28 points) in the USL's Eastern Conference. Vincent pulled level with Oklahoma City Energy's Danni Konig at the top of the league's goal scoring chart by bringing his tally to 16 in 20 games.

Vincent drilled a low shot past Hammerheads goalkeeper Andre Rawls on 20 minutes to open the scoring. The Hounds struggled to secure the win against the league's bottom side until the English midfielder finished off two superb moves in the last five minutes.

"The main thing today was getting back on track," Vincent told reporters after an exhausting autograph session at fulltime.

Coach Steffens was more effusive in his praise of Vincent's performance.

"When he gets the ball, we're whispering 'Shoot, shoot' on the bench," Steffens said. "He's a special player.

"When you've got a guy that's hot, you just try to get him the ball in scoring positions."

Kevin Kerr's relentless work rate provided the spark for Vincent's opener after a quiet beginning to the game. The Scotsman flicked the ball away from Wilmington defender Andrae Campbell on the goal line and dribbled into the penalty area before finding Vincent with his cutback. Rawls had no chance with the finish.

A knee injury prevented Jamaican national team goalkeeper Ryan Thompson from returning to the Hounds line-up after scooping the silver medal at last month's Concacaf Gold Cup tournament. Calle Brown made his eighth straight league appearance instead.

Brown maintained the Hounds' 1-0 lead at the interval by leaping to save Mark Godelman's curling effort on 41 minutes.

Pittsburgh absorbed some second-half pressure as the Hammerheads (2-12-6, 12 points) looked to snap to 5-game winless run. Captain Corben Bone accelerated at the Hounds' back line on 72 minutes before slipping a pass through to center forward Qudus Lawal. Willie Hunt recovered to make an excellent tackle and prevent the scoring opportunity.

Vincent grabbed the insurance goal on 86 minutes after quick passing from Lebo Moloto and Kerr opened space for him to attack Wilmington right-back Troy Cole. Vincent beat his man on the outside before guiding his finish inside the far post from a tight angle.

The hat trick was completed in stoppage time after Matt Dallman led a swift counter attack. He unselfishly squared the ball to Vincent when in a great position to score to let the Englishman stroke home into an empty net.

Steffens and his side return to Canada next weekend for a second trip to Toronto F.C. II in less than four weeks. Goals from Kerr and Anthony Arena gave Pittsburgh a 2-0 win at the Ontario Soccer Centre on July 8. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. Fans can watch the game live at Riverhounds.com.

Players from the Riverhounds Development Academy girls' teams will be recognized during halftime when the Hounds return to Highmark Stadium to face the Charlotte Independence on Aug. 15.

A third consecutive U.S. Club Soccer national title was won at the Under-15 age level last month when the Lady Hounds defeated Pennsylvania rival YMS Yardley in Westfield, Indiana. The U-17 girls fell short in their national championship decider against California's West Coast Wild while the U-16s reached their semifinal.

Visit Riverhounds.com for ticket information or call the Highmark Stadium box office on (412)-325-7241 to speak to a representative.

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