CRANBERRY TWP — Steven Munn didn’t expect to make history.

But there he sat, pen in hand, signing his name to a professional soccer contract, even though the Cranberry Township resident is just beginning his senior year at Sewickley Academy.

“It’s a great honor,” Munn said. “Not very many people get to be a professional soccer player.”

Munn’s deal with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds in the United Soccer Leagues is a training-only contract. It was approved by the PIAA and the WPIAL.

The Riverhounds also signed Pine-Richland graduate and Wexford native Tyler McCarthy to a standard USL player agreement.

This is the first time the Riverhounds have signed high-school-aged players.

“It’s rare, absolutely,” Munn said.

Munn has trained with The Riverhounds Academy since he was 13. This will give him an opportunity to face off against professional players in preparation for his senior season at Sewickley Academy.

The USL season ends later this month.

“The experience of competing within a professional environment on a daily basis is hard and demands the very best of each player in each session,” said Riverhounds Academy Director Scott Gibson. “This is something you cannot be prepared for at that age, no matter how many hours you put in on the youth training grounds.”

Munn scored nine goals and added 23 assists as a junior at Sewickley Academy, which went 21-2-1 and lost 1-0 to Mountain View in the PIAA Class A championship game.

He began kicking a soccer ball around when he was 3, but nearly saw his career end at age 8 before it started.

Munn hurt his left hip in a game. The injury cut off the blood supply to the top of his femur.

“The bone began dying,” Munn said.

Two surgeries corrected the problem.

“Luckily, they caught it in time,” Munn said. “I don’t think I realized how serious it was back then. I was still able to kick a ball around in my basement. I never really grasped that I could have never been able to play again.”

But he did play again, and well.

He was named to the all-state team and is fielding Division I offers from Georgetown, Bucknell, Penn and Cornell.

“Playing professional soccer is something I would love to do, but I’m looking forward to college,” Munn said. “Getting a good education is No. 1. Soccer definitely comes second.”

Munn has his sights set on his senior season with the Panthers, who return eight starters and are looking to avenge their state championship loss a season ago.

“I felt like, I wouldn’t say we dominated, but we had the game under control last year,” Munn said. “We just unfortunately lost. This year, we have our eyes on the prize.”