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More than a year ago, three knee surgeries already undergone, Luke Spencer thought his soccer career may have been over.

Now, he’s Louisville City FC’s most efficient scorer. 

The hulking Cincinnati native scored his ninth goal of the season Saturday in a 3-0 away victory over Pittsburgh Riverhounds, a menace to the defense for all 90 minutes.

After sliding a shot just wide of the post in the 16th minute, the 26-year-old though took his chance in the 33rd minute, latching on to a beautiful pass into the box from teammate Mark-Anthony Kaye,. Spencer took one touch to control the ball, then fired the go-ahead shot.

The goal was the latest in a string of strong performances for Spencer. Whether starting or coming off the bench, in his last nine appearances, Spencer has scored five goals on nine shots on target, an impressive strike rate for anyone in the league.

Spencer’s run of good form comes in a stretch where the boys in purple have won seven of their last nine games. 

“I just try to embrace whatever situation that I’m in,” Spencer said. “Coming in off the bench, I’ve tried to embrace the positives of that. It means I have more energy to use in a certain amount of time. An opponent might be more tired. And if I’m starting, hopefully I have more time and chances to execute. I really focus on the pregame film we go over and the tactics that allow me to have the opportunities.”

Spencer has produced despite splitting time with forwards Cameron Lancaster and Ilija Ilic. A former first-round MLS SuperDraft pick, Spencer has totaled 1,004 minutes played of a possible 2,250 this season, just 14th-most on the team in time on the pitch. He’s hitting the back of the net once every 111 minutes,.

Making the most of his opportunities is something Spencer appreciates at this stage of his career. After missing three years of action due to complications with a torn ACL, Spencer wasn’t sure he’d ever return to the field again.

It’s why he doesn’t mind coming off the bench or being subbed off early. Every minute is one more as a professional, a privileged few in the world get to experience. 

“They changed my mentality,” Spencer said of the injuries. “It’s night and day. I had three knee surgeries in a year, year and a half. There were times I didn’t think I was ever going to play again. Then I got to a point where I was playing again but didn’t necessarily get playing time (last season at FC Cincinnati). Now, any minute I’m on the field I’m trying to take advantage and enjoy being able to play in games.”

In addition to shots taken Saturday, one he didn’t get to attempt in the 54th minute — a defender pushed him in the box — led to teammate Devon “Speedy” Williams’ first goal of the year on the ensuing penalty kick.

Louisville City could well be the first club in  USL history to have 16 players score in a season, but perhaps more important heading into the home stretch of the regular season, Spencer is emerging as a target his teammates can count on to score goals on a regular basis.

Opinions expressed in this piece were not subject to club approval. For more insights on LouCity, follow former Courier-Journal reporter Dan Karell on Twitter: @DanKarellPreps. 

One game at a time, James O’Connor always preaches, and the standings will take care of themselves.

The Louisville City FC coach’s words rang true Saturday night as his club avoided a dangerous underdog and moved into sole possession of first place with a 3-0 win over the Pittsburgh Riverhounds at Pennsylvania’s Highmark Stadium.

The Riverhounds entered with just one loss in their last 10 games amid a run that had the club within a win of playoff contention. Instead, LouCity used a victory to move three points clear of the USL Eastern Conference’s No. 2 side, the Charlotte Independence, who are off this week.

“Our focus was on Pittsburgh,” O’Connor said. “They’re in great form and playing very, very well. It’s important we focus on them in that particular game and stay in the present with what you control. I thought the guys did a great job of that.

“…All in all, the guys’ efforts, the way they handled themselves and the way they played — they played some excellent football tonight.”

In two previous meetings this season with the Riverhounds, LouCity opened scoring in the seventh and eighth minutes, respectively. This time, the boys in purple needed until the 33rd minute to hit the back of the net — but the result was the same.

On his return from international duty with the Canada National Team, Mark-Anthony Kaye fed a ball through multiple defenders and to forward Luke Spencer, who needed just two touches to finish off his team-leading ninth goal of the season.

From there, the floodgates opened. Defender Kyle Smith recovered a loose ball and finished with a rocket from the right side in the 43rd minute before Devon “Speedy” Williams converted a penalty in the 54th minute, one earned by Spencer.

Williams’ goal marked his first of the season as he became the USL-high 16th scorer on LouCity’s roster in 2017. The club has parlayed a diversified attack and stingy defense — Saturday marked goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh’s seventh clean sheet — to a run at a No. 1 USL Cup Playoffs seed.

“Yeah, I guess word on the street was that Speedy was one of the only ones on our team who hadn’t scored this season,” Smith said. “I was happy for him. He deserves it. He’s one of the hardest workers. He shows up every day, and I can tell in every practice and every game. He’s someone I look up to because of his work ethic. It’s great to see him get a goal.”

The club appeared worth of it in Pittsburgh, out-shooting the host side 15-6. Only two Riverhounds tries landed on target, with both in the opening 10 minutes. Offensively, Pittsburgh didn’t successfully create a cross in, either, as LouCity possessed for 55.6 percent of the game.

A victory marked LouCity’s seventh win in its last nine games.

Seven more fixtures remain in LouCity’s regular season, with the next up on Friday as Bethlehem Steel FC visits Slugger Field for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.

For the boys in purple, it’s one game at a time.

“Absolutely,” Spencer said. “It’s about knowing that if we take care of each game and give maximum effort individually, we’ll have the body of work at the end of the season.”

Game Summary

Match: Pittsburgh Riverhounds vs. Louisville City FC

Date: Sept. 9, 2017

Venue: Highmark Stadium

Kickoff: 7:05 p.m.

Weather: 66 degrees, clear

LouCity Man of the Match: Devon “Speedy” Williams

Scoring

Pittsburgh Riverhounds (0,0,0)

Louisville City FC (2,1,3)

Goals

Louisville City FC:

Luke Spencer, assist to Mark-Anthony Kaye (33’)

Kyle Smith (43’)

Devon “Speedy” Williams, penalty earned by Spencer (54’)

Lineups 

Pittsburgh Riverhounds: 40 Matthew Perrella (41 Alexander Kapp – 86’), 20 Jamal Jack, 22 Tobi Adewole, 4 Taylor Washington, 23 Ritchie Duffie, 5 Victor Souto (16 Danny Earls – 69’), 10 Kevin Kerr, 7 Stephen Okai, 36 Romeo Parkes, 11 Corey Hertzog, 9 Chevaughn Walsh (18 Kay Banjo – 45’)

Subs not used: 27 Gale Agbossoumonde, 3 Jack Thompson17 Kenroy Howell, 38 Shannon Gomez

Head Coach: Dave Brandt

Louisville City: 1 Greg Ranjitsingh, 18 Paco Craig, 15 Sean Reynolds, 4 Sean Totsch, 24 Kyle Smith, 19 Oscar Jimenez (6 Tarek Morad – 69’), 8 Guy Abend, 80 Devon “Speedy” Wlliams, 12 Luke Spencer (10 Brian Ownby – 79’), 7 Mark-Anthony Kaye, 22 George Davis IV (23 Richard Ballard – 76’)

Subs not used: 28 Tim Dobrowolski, 36 Paolo DelPiccolo,14 Ilija Ilic

Head Coach: James O’Connor 

Discipline

Pittsburgh Riverhounds:

Victor Souto, yellow (51’)

Stats

Pittsburgh/Louisville City

Shots: 6/15

Shots on target: 2/5

Possession: 44.2%/55.6%

Passes: 473/584

Corners: 1/6

Fouls: 11/6

Officials 

REF: Jorge Ramirez

AR1: Corey Yerace

AR2: Darth Newman

4TH: Alfonso Fajardo

After a recent home win, Louisville City FC’s Devon “Speedy” Williams wrote on the locker room whiteboard that he’d be taking the club’s next penalty kick — and that was before the midfielder gained the confidence of an international call up.

In his first game back from a friendly with the Jamaica National Team, Williams followed through, finishing a 55th-minute penalty Saturday to cap a solid all-around performance against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds.

“Speedy’s done so well,” forward Luke Spencer said after LouCity’s 3-0 away win. “He’s been another guy who’s been in and out of the team and had to sacrifice for the team. He earned the Jamaican call up for his hard work, and today he was brilliant.

“We wanted to reward our teammate for working hard on the pitch. We know he doesn’t always necessarily get the reward.”

Williams’ goal capped scoring in LouCity’s victory as he became the 16th of 17th field players on the roster with a goal this season. A graduate of Pittsburgh’s Robert Morris University, Williams also completed 85 percent of his 95 passes Saturday.

“He’s someone I look up to because of his work ethic,” said defender Kyle Smith. “It’s great to see him get a goal.”

Williams received the international call for a Sept. 2 friendly against a Canadian side that included LouCity teammate Mark-Anthony Kaye. Both subbed on in the second half, with Williams’ cap the second of his career — and first in seven years.

His comeback performance included four interceptions and a total of 18 gained possessions. Fans voted Williams their Man of the Match.

“He had a very strong performance,” said coach James O’Connor. “When you look at, even at the end, his energy with the way he’s closing people down and getting back to the midfield. He’s always looking to spin it forward. He’s got good quality and a solid future ahead of himself.”

Here’s more from Saturday’s win…

• Williams and Kaye weren’t the only LouCity players to show strength in their return. Out on a three-game red card suspension since Aug. 20, defender Kyle Smith scored LouCity’s second goal of the night in his return and nearly had another in the second half O’Connor said would have been a “goal of the season contender.

• LouCity completed a season sweep of its three-game series with the Riverhounds, topping them by an aggregate score of 7-0. Notably, the boys in purple are the first visiting club to win three games in a year at Pittsburgh’s Highmark Stadium, which was also the site of a 9-0 U.S. Open Cup win back in May over Tartan Devils Oak Avalon FC.

• Considering LouCity has rotated goalkeepers this season, the duo of Greg Ranjitsingh and Tim Dobrowolski have combined to create one of the top position groups in the USL. Ranjitsingh posted his seventh clean sheet of the year Saturday. Along with three more from Dobrowolski, they’ve matched league-leading Diego Restrepo from San Antonio FC, who has 10 clean sheets.

Seeking a season sweep of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, Louisville City FC’s back on the road this weekend for a 7 p.m. Saturday start at Highmark Stadium.

Here’s what to watch for…

Tune In

TV: WBNA TV-21 will air the game live and in high definition locally with Mike Watts, voice of the USL, on the call.

Radio: TJ Walker (play-by-play) and Jeff Milby (color commentary) will voice the action on NewsRadio 840 WHAS, with pregame coverage starting at 6:45 p.m.

Streaming: Watch at www.loucity.com.

Follow Along

For Starting XI information and in-game updates, check us out on social media. It’s @loucityfc on Twitter, Louisville City FC on Facebook and louisvillecityfc on Instagram. Live stats are available at the USL Match Center. Vote for the Modelo Man of the Match on Twitter starting in the 75th minute.

Links

• Abend renews attacking mentality late in season
• Videos: O’Connor, players preview Saturday’s game
• Squad management has LouCity peaking at right time

Notes

Eastern Conference race: LouCity heads into Saturday atop the USL table for the third week in a row. Even with the Charlotte Independence at 47 points, the boys in purple sport a better goal differential, the tiebreaker. The Riverhounds sit 10th but just one point from moving into the top eight, the playoff cut line.

Playoff Picture: With eight games left, LouCity is seven points from clinching a playoff spot, and that number could drop further with favorable results around the league. Additionally, the club will push for a top-four finish that guarantees LouCity would host its opening-round playoff game.

Scouting Pittsburgh: The Riverhounds enter Saturday on a five-game unbeaten streak that has them within reach of the playoffs despite a lowly first half of the season. Forward Corey Hertzog has four goals in the last three games, and he’ll look to break through against LouCity, which hasn’t conceded to Pittsburgh in two previous meetings.

The season series: On May 20, Luke Spencer’s seventh-minute tap-in goal made the difference in a 1-0 LouCity win at Highmark Stadium. Similarly, Cameron Lancaster opened scoring in the eighth minute in the June 17 return game at Slugger Field. Lancaster went on to record a brace in LouCity’s 3-0 win.

Abend honored: Midfielder Guy Abend, who scored the only goal in last Saturday’s win over the Charleston Battery, earned a USL Team of the Week spot for his effort. It was Abend’s first goal of the year and came on top of a performance in which he completed 67 of 77 passes and didn’t commit a foul in the victory.

Squad at full strength: Defender Kyle Smith, who for most of this season led the club in minutes played, is eligible again Saturday after finishing out a three-game suspension. Smith received the penalty following a red card Aug. 20. Additionally, midfielder Brian Ownby made his first start in a month last weekend, while internationals Mark-Anthony Kaye (Canada) and Devon “Speedy” Williams (Jamaica) will be available for selection in Pittsburgh.

Bounce-back trend: The boys in purple made it five straight wins immediately following a loss this season with their 1-0 victory over Charleston. It has been more than a year — since July 30, 2016 — that LouCity has dropped consecutive games. So far this season, the side has tallied a trio of three-game winning streaks.

Top-ranked form: Along with sitting at the top of the USL Eastern Conference standings, LouCity this week took over the No. 1 spot in the league’s Power Rankings. The boys in purple are tied for first with the Western Conference’s Reno 1868 FC. Overall, LouCity has won six of its last eight games to climb the rankings.

Ranjitsingh solidifies role: With five consecutive starts, goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh has staked his claim between the posts. Ranjitsingh made two notable saves against the Battery, which came in the 11th and 16th minutes, to hold the shutout. He has totaled six clean sheets this season to go with the three by Tim Dobrowolski.

Injury/discipline report: Coach James O’Connor said this week that forward Cameron Lancaster has played through a broken a toe, the only notable ailment on the roster. Midfielder George Davis IV and Defender Paco Craig both sit on four yellow cards, with the fifth resulting in a one-game suspension for accumulation.

Guy Abend’s ready for the locker room “trash talk” to end.

Previously one of just three Louisville City FC players without a goal this season, the midfielder changed that last weekend, scoring the game-winner in a 1-0 win over the Charleston Battery. Abend credited a renewed mentality for the breakthrough after he ranked second on the team in scoring last year.

“I actually talked about that with a really good friend — we talked about it last week before the Orlando game — and then the game came and I had two or three chances with the headers and he sort of helped me realize that I wasn’t attacking the balls like I used to last year,” Abend said.

“…The hit I took last year — I think it did something mentally.”

Abend lunged in for a strike on Aug. 27, 2016, and scored it to open another 1-0 victory. But in the process, he took a shot to the head that sidelined him with a concussion. Just more than a year passed before Abend hit the back of the net again in last Saturday’s Battery win.

He’ll be back on the hunt Saturday as LouCity travels to play the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, the last of three games this season between the clubs.

“That’s something that he has in his game — to be able to come in and score,” said coach James O’Connor. “To score there and shoot with the accuracy he did was really great.”

Finally, he did, becoming the 15th player on LouCity’s roster to register a goal this season. The two field players who haven’t — Tarek Morad and Devon “Speedy” Williams — will continue hearing about it from their teammates.

Fellow midfielder Niall McCabe said he’s not done ribbing Abend.

“No, I don’t think I’ll let him off the hook about that,” McCabe said. “It took him too long. Someone of his quality — he should be getting a bit more. But no, it’s great he got that monkey off his back, if you will, and he was really pleased — and it won us the game so really pleasant for him.”

Along with the goal against Charleston, Abend nearly scored as well two games back in LouCity’s loss to Orlando City B. He threatened with headers in both halves at Slugger Field, looking much like the player that tallied five goals during his 2016 campaign.

The native of Israel is in his third season with LouCity — but this marks the first in which he’s stayed healthy throughout. A knee injury suffered on a dirty tackle knocked him out for most of 2015, and Abend missed time in 2016 with his concussion.

Now, Abend’s 22 appearances are tied for the team lead. His total passes (1,046) and passing accuracy on the opponent’s half of the pitch (76.2 percent) are both near the top of the club as well.

When it comes to scoring, Abend has been “unlucky,” O’Connor said, though that appears to be changing with eight games left in the regular season.

In his third season as a head coach, Louisville City FC’s James O’Connor continues to learn from the club’s first two campaigns in managing a squad heading into the playoffs.

O’Connor said Tuesday at his weekly press conference he’s paying special attention to squad management in training, deciding how hard to work his players — and when it’s appropriate to dial back the intensity.

“Us as a coaching staff, what we always do — we reflect and look how we can improve,” O’Connor said. “We’re always striving for growth. So, there are aspects that play a big part in our culture.”

In 2015, LouCity ended the regular season with three straight losses. Last year, though, O’Connor spoke often of saving his team’s legs for game day. The boys in purple lost just once in their final nine games, that a 1-0 defeat to the eventual league champion New York Red Bulls II.

Now, O’Connor has his club in first place in September for the first time, with LouCity’s next test a 7 p.m. Saturday game away against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds.

Midfielders Mark-Anthony Kaye (Canada) and Devon “Speedy” Williams (Jamaica) are back from international duty, and Kyle Smith over the weekend finished his three game suspension, the result of a red card back in August.

Most players on the 20-man roster are healthy. Those with issues are playing through them.

“I have to give Cameron (Lancaster) great credit,” O’Connor said. “He’s got a fractured toe for the last few weeks and he’s still been able to roll himself out there. It gives you the indication as the type of character that we have in the changing room.

“So, these are all aspects that play a part in what we are trying to do.”

Here’s more from O’Connor’s press conference…

On patience paying off in Saturday’s win over Charleston:  “I think it was a lot of possession — a lot possession in areas we’re trying to get into goal-scoring positions. Sometimes you get there. Sometimes you don’t. The keeper makes a couple of good saves, so you need to make sure you stop the counter attack and keep it in their half, which we did. But equally, I think it was a great example of showing patience and, I would say, tolerance to keep going then obviously break the down and get the goal. It was an important goal for us and a big three points for us.”

On the trend of bouncing back after losses: “We’ve shown through the course of the year the guys have good mentality, good character. I think we’ve spoken a lot about trying to give good performances, strong performances and concentrate really on process — not necessarily getting caught up in things you can’t control. So I think that’s something they’ve really taken on board this year. We’re really pleased with our performance. The guys deserve enormous credit for how they performed throughout course of the season. We just need to keep it going, because Pittsburgh are a dangerous team.”

On the club’s 15th goal scorer and diversity from the offense: “It’s nice. It’s pleasing. For me, as long as we’re scoring goals, it doesn’t really matter to me who is scoring goals as long as someone is scoring. I think from the collective group it shows you the contribution everyone has made this year. I think that’s been the big thing in previous years. We’ve had probably one striker that scored a lot of goals, whereas this year we’ve had multiple players that have pitched in and scored, which is obviously testament to all the guys and how hard they’ve worked throughout the course of the year.”