Mars grad, Indiana defender Piper Coffield didn’t hesitate to join Pittsburgh Riveters SC
It’s still months away, but Piper Coffield already has a pretty good idea what it will feel like walking onto the pitch for the first time as part of the inaugural Pittsburgh Riveters SC roster.
The Mars graduate knows the Highmark Stadium field, knows the coaches, knows some of her teammates and knows the city.
But it’ll still be unique and memorable.
“With having the Riverhounds pro team in the city, that’s been super cool,” Coffield said last week a few days after the team announced her as the second official member of the team. “We’ve always had strong girls soccer, but now taking that step to women’s soccer. … Being part of that first team is even more exciting.”
Coffield joins Tessa Dellarose, a North Carolina junior who was named Oct. 2 as the first player to join the expansion franchise of the United Soccer League W League next season. Coffield and Dellarose know each other from the Pittsburgh Riverhounds Development Academy and played for Racing Louisville FC’s USLW development team during the summer.
More players will be announced in the coming weeks, but Coffield is honored to be one of the first announced.
“I knew this was something I wanted to be a part of,” she said. “I kind of knew I wanted to stay home.”
Coffield played at Mars, helping win three PIAA championships while scoring 46 goals and contributing 38 assists. She trained at Pittsburgh Riverhounds Academy — the Riveters’ first coach, Scott Gibson, was one of her academy coaches she still trains with when she’s home and helped facilitate Coffield joining the Riveters.
She now plays collegiately for Indiana; the sophomore defender has five goals and two assists in 36 games (35 starts) through two years while the Hoosiers finished 6-9-2 this season.
Her sister, Ellie Coffield, is a senior midfield at Pitt. The two played together in Louisville in the summer, as well.
Coffield said she knew the Riveters were being formed for almost a year, and Gibson had some early discussions about her joining the team. But there was no official contact about joining the team until around 2-3 weeks ago.
There was “not much hesitation,” to join the team close to home and reunite with Gibson.
“That piece of being home and that extra bit of pride in playing for Pittsburgh,” Coffield said. “I get to re-experience the best times of my life.”
She said there will be a team combine in December, then she’ll return to training with Indiana.
The Riveters will compete in the USLW, a semiprofessional league for mostly college-age players. Some teams have affiliations with teams in the National Women’s Soccer League. The Riveters are one of six expansion teams joining the league next season.
The 2025 USLW schedule has not been announced. The Riveters will play home games at Highmark Stadium.
