Ex-Pitt goalkeeper Dan Lynd signs with Pittsburgh Riverhounds of USL

Former Pitt goalkeeper Dan Lynd is headed back to the Steel City on a one-year contract with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds of the United Soccer League. According to an announcement from the team, the deal includes a club option for 2019.

Lynd played for the Panthers under former head coach Joe Luxbacher from 2012 to 2015, and he saw plenty of action from his sophomore season on. During that span, his goals-against average dropped annually and never exceeded 1.65. He also notably made 87 saves with a save percentage of .784 in 2013, the first season he saw significant playing time.

When Lynd joins the Hounds at Highmark Stadium, he’ll be reunited with former Pitt goalkeepers coach Hunter Gilstrap, who now holds the same position with the Riverhounds.

“It’s very exciting for us to have Dan coming back to Pittsburgh,” Gilstrap said, per the team’s announcement. “I’m looking forward to working with him this season to help him develop into the top-level pro keeper we think he is capable of becoming.”

Since leaving Pitt, Lynd has played professionally for the Rochester Rhinos of the USL, where he’s seen a fair amount of significant action. While he wasn’t utilized much in 2016, he saw an uptick in minutes in 2017, logging a .647 save percentage in 10 starts last season.

Lynd will be joining a Riverhounds team that struggled to a 13th-place finish in the 15-team Eastern Conference of the USL last season with an 8-16-8 record. The 2018 USL season is expected to get underway in March.