Hartford Athletic are searing-hot entering Saturday night’s game against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, having lost just twice in their last 17 games.
For the second straight year, the team rebounded from a tough start, but while last season’s stretch tear ended just short of the playoffs, this year, Athletic are a sure bet to reach the postseason, sitting in fifth in the USL Eastern Conference Standings at 10-5-9 (W-D-L). They’re nine points clear of the final playoff spot with six regular season games to go.
Not only has Hartford put itself in a great position to make the playoffs, they’re also just one win away from some silverware, with a showdown in the Jaegermeister Cup Final against Sacramento Republic FC set for Oct. 4.
A win would mean the first trophy in club history. It would also likely end any argument that this isn’t the best season in club history. Athletic reached the playoffs in the COVID-shortened 2020 season with an 11-3-2 record, but fell in the first round to St. Louis FC. This year, the team has set a record for longest unbeaten run (nine games) and is on pace to eclipse its greatest ever points tally (last year’s 44), now with 35 points.
“We continue to do special things in this group,” midfielder Marlon Hairston told reporters after the team’s Jaegermeister Cup semifinal win over Greenville. “Each year, we kind of start a little slow but we kind of have the momentum that we had at the end of last season. We can feel it in the locker room, we hope the fans can feel it. It’s a pleasure to start getting respect across the league from other teams and journalists and everybody else who’s watching us.”
That respect has also come in the form of USL awards, as head coach Brendan Burke was named Coach of the Month for August. Kyle Edwards, who scored twice in the team’s 4-0 win over Monterey Bay FC last week, and Sebastian Anderson, who had a goal and an assist in that game, were also named to the league’s Team of the Week.
“When you have such an experienced group that you can depend on it helps you,” Hairston said. “We’ve come leaps and bounds from where we started this season, we continue to get better. … It starts with the belief throughout the team and it’s spreading fast.”
Hartford will kick off against Pittsburgh at 7 p.m. at Trinity Health Stadium.
