Kiski Area senior Anders Bordoy joins Pittsburgh Riverhounds for on-the-job training

By: Jerin Steele
Monday, March 27, 2023 | 7:33 PM

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In 2015, Anders Bordoy served as a ball boy on the sidelines of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds’ US Open Cup match with DC United.

Eight years later, he’s training with the Hounds’ senior team.

Bordoy, a senior at Kiski Area, signed a USL Academy contract with Pittsburgh for the 2023 season last Tuesday.

The contract allows him to train and play for the first team while maintaining his collegiate eligibility. Bordoy is a Memphis recruit. He’s been training at the Hounds Academy since he was 9 years old and officially became a member of the academy when he was 12.

“Just having the experience of training and potentially playing for a professional team before I go to college is massive,” Bordoy said. “It’ll help me mature as a player. I get to learn a lot more being in a professional environment.”

Bordoy, 18, is the second player to sign an academy contract, joining Wyatt Borso, who played for the Hounds in 2021 before moving on to Notre Dame.

Bordoy credited Hounds Academy coach Justin Evans with encouraging the senior coaching staff to give him a tryout.

Initially, Bordoy received a three-week trial period to earn a contract, but going into Week 2, he learned he would be joining the team.

“Coach Justin (Evans) pulled me aside in (academy) training and told me they wanted to bring me in on trial,” Bordoy said. “He just told me to be mentally ready because it could happen at any time. He was just waiting for the go-ahead from (Riverhounds) coach Bob Lilley. It happened relatively quickly.”

Once he knew he’d be joining the Hounds full time, Bordoy adjusted his schooling. He’s finishing the school year out with virtual classes.

“I come home, get on the computer and get my work done,” Bordoy said. “My teachers are still giving me assignments as if I were in the building. It hasn’t been that difficult to balance because I prioritize my academics.”

While he’s doing school work in the evenings, Bordoy is also learning on the pitch at training during the day. It’s been a challenging but rewarding experience.

“It’s extremely fast and you always have to know what you’re doing before you get the ball,” Bordoy said. “I’ve had to do that already, but at this stage, it’s important. You can’t get away with not knowing what you’re going to do because you’ll lose the ball if you don’t think fast enough. I feel like I’ve adjusted well, but I’m obviously still adjusting, because I’m only a month in.”

Bordoy will train with the Hounds until he leaves for Memphis the last week of July. He plans to make the most of the time he has.

“My biggest goal is to continue to develop and learn every single day when I’m training and add different aspects to my game,” Bordoy said. “With this opportunity, I can become way more mature as a player, especially for my age. I’ll have more experience than I’d say a lot of kids get.

“I want to master the things I feel I’m good at and work at the things I may be not as good at. I want to be the best player I can and hopefully I can make my debut before I go to college. That’s something I’d like to have under my belt.”

Jerin Steele is a freelance writer