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Woszczynski Returns to Rising FC

By USLChampionship.com Staff, 12/17/18, 5:26PM EST

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Roughnecks add defender Hedrick; STLFC signs Cicerone

PHOENIX – Phoenix Rising FC continued to add to its long list of returnees on Monday by announcing that goalkeeper Carl Woszczynski will remain with the club for the 2019 USL Championship season. Per club policy, the details of the contract will not be made public.

“Phoenix has become home to me, so I’m ecstatic to be back with Rising FC,” said Woszczynski. “We set a high standard for the club in 2018 and won’t be settling for anything less than that standard in 2019.”

Woszczynski returns for his fifth season with Rising FC after a historic 2018 campaign with the club. The 30-year-old set single-season club records for clean sheets (13) and goalkeeper minutes (2,633) and also became the club’s all-time career leader in minutes played (7,560). Woszczynski also set the club record for most consecutive clean sheets in a single season (5) and most consecutive minutes without allowing a goal (491).

The 2019 season will be Woszczynski’s eighth in the USL Championship, where he has amassed over 100 career appearances. He spent his first three seasons with Orange County SC and Orlando City SC prior to moving out to Arizona. In 2015, his first season with Rising FC, Woszczynski set the USL Championship record for saves in a single season with 130 stops, a record that still stands to this day.

With the addition of Woszczynski, Phoenix’s roster now stands at 15 players for the 2019 season.

ROUGHNECKS ADD HEDRICK TO DEFENSE: After adding AJ Ajeakwa to its attack last Friday, Tulsa Roughnecks FC made a move to shore up its defense on Monday as the club announced the signing of 29-year-old defender Cyprian Hedrick for the 2019 USL Championship Season. The deal is pending league and federation approval.

“It’s a blessing and I’m grateful for this opportunity to represent this club and city,” said Hedrick, “I look forward to being a part of the change Coach Nsein and the organization are looking to bring to Tulsa soccer. I’m very excited about playing at ONEOK field in front of the Roustabouts and the rest of the fans.” 

Hedrick, a native of Cameroon, was selected in the second round of the 2012 MLS SuperDraft by Sporting Kansas City. He has previously played for Phoenix FC, OKC Energy FC, and San Antonio FC, making 138 appearances and logging more than 11,000 minutes of action in the USL Championship over the course of his career. In 2018, Hedrick made 22 appearances for SAFC and recorded 125 clearances, 29 interceptions and boasted a duel success rate of 64.86 percent.

“We are excited to add a player with such great USL Championship experience to the team,” said Tulsa Roughnecks FC Head Coach Michael Nsien. “Cyprian will be a key player, a leader and someone we have high expectations for. He is a strong defender, who organizes well and is also very calm in and out of possession. He will bring a high level of professionalism to the club and his experience will be valuable for the team and the coaching staff.”

STLFC SIGNS CICERONE: Saint Louis FC continued to add to its 2019 roster on Sunday as the club announced the signing of forward Russell Cicerone, pending league and federation approval.

Cicerone spent the 2018 season with FC Cincinnati, where he made 10 appearances and scored one goal as the club won the USL Regular Season Championship before falling to New York Red Bulls II in the second round of the USL Cup Playoffs.

Cicerone played collegiately at the University of Buffalo, making 71 appearances and scoring 42 goals from 2013-2016. He also played for the Michigan Bucks in USL League Two during the 2015-2016 seasons, scoring 20 goals in 22 appearances for the club. Cicerone was selected by the Portland Timbers in the fourth round of the 2017 MLS SuperDraft and joined Portland Timbers 2 for the 2017 USL Championship season, where he made 29 appearances and scored one goal.

“Russell is a young guy with a very high ceiling,” said STLFC Head Coach Anthony Pulis. “He has a fantastic work rate and covers an enormous amount of ground during a match. What I really like about Russell is he’s always looking to get into positions where he can score and be productive.  He is equally comfortable on the right or left side and he will make our wide midfield positions extremely competitive which is what we want. Having players like Russell who are so driven to do well and improve is priceless for our culture.”

“I am excited to join a great organization like Saint Louis FC,” said Cicerone. “This club has great tradition, high expectations, and loyal supporters that make this a desirable place to play. I cannot wait to join my new teammates and start the next season!”

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