Hartford Athletic Loan Enoch Mushagalusa to Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, Sign Former Revolution II Defender Michael DeShields
Hartford Athletic Loan Enoch Mushagalusa to Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, Sign Former Revolution II Defender Michael DeShields
More transfer news comes out of Hartford ahead of their Eastern Conference clash with the Tampa Bay Rowdies.
Hartford Athletic were once again busy in the USL Championship transfer market this week, making a pair of transactions with Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC just days after delivering their Eastern Conference counterparts a 2-0 defeat at Trinity Health Stadium.
The Connecticut club announced Tuesday the season-long loan of forward Enoch Mushagalusa to Pittsburgh, before signing defender Michael DeShields in a corresponding transaction on Wednesday. DeShields’ move to Hartford will mark a return to New England for the 26-year-old defender, who previously made 17 appearances for New England Revolution II of MLS Next Pro in 2022.
Mushagalusa signed with Hartford ahead of the 2024 season as a promising developing talent, having made 58 appearances across all competitions for Louisville City FC in the previous two seasons. In that time, he tallied 12 goals and four assists, including a career-best 10-goal season in 2022.
In Hartford, the 24-year-old winger appeared six times off the bench and made one start through the first 15 matches in 2024, scoring a goal in the club’s 3-2 victory over Miami FC in April and logging 158 total minutes for the club. Although he showed promise in his limited minutes off the bench, a loaded attacking unit saw him sturggle for regular time, prompting a move to the Riverhounds for the remainder of the season on loan.
In the return transaction, DeShields brings three seasons of professional experience for Hartford, most recently featuring 16 times for Pittsburgh since his signing with the club ahead of the 2023 USL Championship season. Although the defender struggled to find his place with the Riverhounds, he featured in three of the club’s four games during their historic U.S. Open Cup run in 2023, including both of their wins against Major League Soccer competition.
DeShields’ professional career began in 2021, when he was drafted fifth overall in the MLS SuperDraft by D.C. United. He went on to make 14 appearances for D.C.’s then-USL Championship affiliate Loudoun United that year, before a season-long stint in MLS Next Pro saw him make 17 appearances for New England Revolution II in 2022.
DeShields will be available for selection when the Green and Blue host the Tampa Bay Rowdies on Friday. Kickoff from Trinity Health Stadium is set for 7:30 p.m. on MyTV9 and ESPN+.