Men’s First Team Secures a Gritty Win at Founders Field
By Zander Plizga
Cheswick, PA – Steel City FC move to 2-0-1 on the season after outlasting Akron City FC in a physical 1-0 battle at Founders on Saturday afternoon. SCFC’s defense delivered another stellar performance. Luke Fiscus (Duquesne ’28) anchored the backline with multiple blocked shots and countless duels won against the Akron frontline, while goalkeeper Josh Lane (RMU ’27) remained perfect on the season, earning his third clean sheet in as many games.
With a few late substitutions and a more open match, Steel City found a late winner from academy talent Nick Niebauer (Bellarmine ’30). It was Niebauer’s first goal for the First Team – and it happened when the group needed it most.
Photo Cred: Randy Warner
First Half Battle
Steel City FC and Akron City FC struggled to settle into the match, with both teams starting sloppily and having trouble gaining control of the game because of Founders’ surface. SCFC found early success drawing fouls but could not capitalize on their set-piece advantage.
Through a very back-and-forth first half, SCFC created the first major chance when Jake Lane (Old Dominion ’27) and Nathan Prex (Lebanon Valley ’26) linked up for a quick combination that left Prex inside the box with the keeper. The ball took an unfortunate bounce, and Prex’s shot sailed high, but it marked the first real breakthrough for either side’s attack.
Josh Lane faced a couple of half-chances throughout the half, but easily dealt with them by catching, parrying, or punching the ball out of harm’s way. Late in the half, he dealt with a sequence of Akron City corners, keeping the momentum on SCFC’s side as they went into the half.
Photo Cred: Randy Warner
Depth Makes the Difference
Steel City FC’s bench had a huge impact in this game. A couple of late substitutions helped shift the tide of the game in Steel City’s favor. Of the six substitutions that came in during the second half of action, three of them linked up for the game-winning goal that was punched home by Niebauer.
The break started when Johan Niseen-Lie (Bellarmine ’28) picked up the ball deep in Akron’s back third and drove, committing a defender before playing Mats Brämer (RMU ’27) on the underlap. Brämer then cut the ball back to Nissen-Lie, whose shot was blocked by the keeper. The rebound fell to Niebauer, who crashed the net and fired a shot into the back of the net, putting Steel City up 1-0 in the 81st minute of the match.
Up Next
Steel City FC, winners of three consecutive conference championships, return to action on Saturday, June 6, when they host FC Buffalo at Founders Field. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m., and tickets are available HERE.
Saturday’s game will also be broadcast on SportsEngine.