The setting felt familiar to Fox Chapel senior Sean Regan. But the scene was starkly different from what he was accustomed to when he took the field for Steel City FC during the first round of the U.S. Open Cup on March 25 at Highmark Stadium.

When the Foxes beat Seneca Valley to win the WPIAL Class 4A championship, they didn’t have to contend with billowing smoke put into the air by each team’s supporters sections. Nor were Regan and his teammates staring up at 4,287 people in attendance.

When Regan played for Steel City FC against the defending USL Championship winner Pittsburgh Riverhounds, he had to be ready for a different intensity.

“The atmosphere, with 1,000 people compared to how many people were here tonight, was a huge jump,” Regan said. “With the fog and the smoke, when the ball is in the air, it’s hard to see sometimes. It’s a huge jump. Especially with the physicality, the whole level, it’s a lot bigger.”

The Hounds beat Steel City, 2-1, in the first meeting between Pittsburgh-area teams in the U.S. Open Cup in 69 years. This was the first meeting since the Harmarville Hurricanes beat Morgan Strasser (Bridgeville) in the 1957 quarterfinals.

Steel City FC coach Dan Brower said he was pleased with how Regan played against the Hounds. He believes these types of opportunities are important for younger players. Brower said Hampton graduate Luke Fiscus put on a similar performance against the Michigan Stars and used it as a launching pad to go to Duquesne.

He hopes Regan, who hasn’t picked a college yet, can do the same.

“Sean didn’t miss a beat,” Brower said. “He put on the performance Luke did a couple of years ago. … He played with the ball. He can compete. He played a number of passes, whether they were short, medium or long. He defended well and was good in the aerial duel. He’s cool and calm.”

Regan has repeatedly demonstrated his ability to maintain his demeanor. His penalty kick clinched the Foxes’ 4-2 shootout win over Seneca Valley in the WPIAL final. Fox Chapel also won the WPIAL during his junior season as well.

Against the defending USL champion Hounds, Regan wanted to try to deliver a win. The Hounds scored in the sixth minute and Steel City FC never allowed the match to get away from them.

“I think I’d be lying if I said we weren’t looking to come out of here with a win,” Regan said. “Obviously, it’s March. You have college basketball going on right now, and we were hoping for March Madness because everyone loves a Cinderella team. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to do that. It was definitely a big stepping stone for our club to hang on against a professional side for 90 minutes.”

Brower agreed that Regan met the challenge. He didn’t appear to be out of place. He had to figure out how to adjust to the pace things were moving at.

“It’s the speed of play and the physicality,” Brower said. “He was certainly up for it. You have to adapt in the first five, 10, 15 minutes for sure.”

Regan said he leaned on his instincts to play against the Hounds. He knew that some of the players were bigger physically, but he wanted to take advantage of the gaps he saw.

“I had to be patient and pick the right times and trust what I’ve been taught throughout the years,” Regan said.