BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Bethlehem Steel FC announced on Friday the club had signed defender Matt Mahoney to his first professional contract. The deal is pending league and federation approval.

A former standout for Temple University and the Premier Development League’s Jersey Express, Mahoney initially joined Steel FC on a trial when preseason camp opened on Feb. 1 at YSC Sports. The 21-year-old right back impressed the team staff during over the opening month of training camp.

“Matt’s name came through another coach in our system but luckily we’ve been able to see him play and mature being down the road at Temple,” Steel FC Head Coach Brendan Burke said. “When he joined us at the start of training camp, he came in and made an impact showcasing his fitness and ability to understand our style of play. He has a great deal of talent and brings a great amount of effort to each practice and we need players on the club that do that.” 

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A four-year letterman and two-year captain at Temple University, Mahoney is also incredibly durable, having appeared in all 78 games during his Owl career. During the period, Mahoney earned 62 starts including a streak of 55 straight starts to cap off his Temple career. The Buffalo, N.Y. native contributed to 17 clean sheets throughout his career and added three goals and five assists.

Prior to his senior season, Mahoney played with the New Jersey Express in the Premier Development League. Mahoney started all 14 games for the club, going 90 minutes in all but one match while recording one assist.

“While going to college, I knew that I wanted to keep playing professionally and I’m lucky to have this opportunity with Bethlehem Steel FC,” Mahoney said. “It’s been an amazing experience ever since I joined on trial, the team has welcomed me into their family. The team is growing a really great program here and I’m looking forward to being a part of it.”