COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC announced on Tuesday the club had signed goalkeeper Joe Rice for the 2024 USL Championship season. The transaction is pending league and federation approval.

“I am excited to join a team like Colorado Springs, which has established themselves in the USL the last couple of years and has proven themselves as competitors with aspirations that go even higher,” said Rice. “I know the staff and current roster want the same things and have the same goals for the organization that I do. So, it was a perfect choice.”

Rice recently spent the 2023 season playing for Hartford Athletic. During his last season, he earned two clean sheets and had 53 saves in 18 appearances. He had previously competed in the Championship on loan with Detroit City FC and with Loudoun United FC, while having spent time in USL League One with the Richmond Kickers and New England Revolution II.

“Joe was a player we have had our eyes on for a while now and we are happy to finally have him in the building,” said Switchbacks Technical Director & Assistant Coach James Chambers. “We value his character and mentality and we are excited to work with him this season. We know that his career experiences will serve as a strong foundation for Joe to continue to develop and strengthen the goalkeeper department.”

Analysis

There is no question that Joe Rice can produce spectacular saves – see his run of Save of the Week victories for Hartford Athletic this past season – but the Switchbacks are banking on providing the 27-year-old a platform that can allow him to achieve the levels he reached in USL League One previously, which so far hasn’t materialized at the USL Championship level.

In League One, the 27-year-old boasted a cumulative save percentage of 76.7 percent, a 1.14 goals-against average and a Goals Prevented mark of -3.95 across 32 appearances, predominantly for the New England Revolution II.

By contrast in the Championship at Hartford Athletic and Loudoun United FC – admittedly, two subpar defensive teams in the past two years – those numbers have plummeted to a save percentage of 54.9 percent, a 2.61 goals-against average, and a Goals Prevented mark of +15.48 in 23 appearances. There’s potential here as Christian Herrera’s likely backup but work to be done.