The match’s first real threat came in the 17th minute when Junior Etou’s turnover in the defensive third let Tulsa combine through Webber and Dalou, whose shot sailed just over the bar. Pittsburgh answered five minutes later with one of its best chances of the night, as Augi Williams broke behind the back line on a pass from Charles Ahl, only for goalkeeper Tyler Deric to tip his low effort wide.
Eric Dick kept the Hounds level in the 39th minute with a superb reaction save on Kalil ElMedkhar’s close-range header, and Williams missed a golden chance before halftime when he sliced a looping second ball from Danny Griffin wide of the far post. The second half tilted heavily toward Tulsa, especially on set pieces. In the 76th minute, a chaotic corner nearly crossed the line before Dick reacted brilliantly to tip it onto the roof of the net. Beyond that, clear chances were scarce as both defenses held firm.
Extra time brought more Tulsa pressure, with Dick racing off his line in the 96th minute to smother a chipped ball before Lukic could reach it, then gathering the second phase through heavy contact. As fatigue set in, Pittsburgh sank deeper, weathering wave after wave from a Tulsa side riding a postseason shutout streak of more than 700 minutes, while the Hounds carried one of over 650.
Neither streak broke, and neither team produced a meaningful chance late in extra time, sending the final to penalties. In the shootout, Pittsburgh held their nerve, converting all five attempts while Tulsa faltered once, with Dick denying Lukic again to seal a 5-3 victory and deliver the Riverhounds their first USL Championship title.