Hartford Athletic Add Two Players on Academy Contracts

Kauan Ribeiro and Justin DiCarlo return for the 2025 season

Hartford Athletic announced on Friday that they had signed two players to Academy Contracts for the 2025 season. Kauan Ribeiro and Justin DiCarlo — both of whom also spent 2024 with the club on similar contracts — will train with the first team and potentially see minutes in the USL Championship this season.

Bridgeport, Connecticut native Ribeiro — who has been playing at fullback during the preseason — is a holdover from the very first Hartford Athletic Academy season. In the 2024 season, he made the 18 on five occasions, but was never called on to take the field. Manager Brendan Burke has previously spoken of Ribeiro in positive terms, and in the offseason identified him as one of the Academy players he expected to be on the field in competitive minutes in 2025.

DiCarlo — a native of Canton, Connecticut — was also frequently on the Latics bench in 2024, making the gameday roster on 13 occasions, but, like Ribeiro, never being called on for competitive minutes in the USL Championship. His first stint with the club was in 2021, when he attended open tryouts as a 16-year-old, before attending the Hotchkiss School, where he earned All-State honors as a senior. With starter Antony Siaha the only other keeper on the roster, DiCarlo will enter the season as the primary backup, and barring another roster move, should be in line for minutes as the season progresses.

These signings complete Hartford’s initial roster for the 2025 season, with the team set to kick things off on Saturday against USL Championship newcomers Lexington SC.