Joe Rice Earns Back-to-Back USL Championship Save of the Week Honors
"[The starting spot] is his to keep or his to lose...Joe is sort of locked at the number one position." - Omid Namazi
It was announced on Friday morning by the USL Championship that for the second consecutive week Hartford Athletic goalkeeper Joe Rice has earned Save of the Week honors for Week 22.
The pair of saves were two of six that Rice made in his team’s 2-1 win over New Mexico United on Saturday, enough to earn him a spot in the Team of the Week for the second time in three weeks, in his third straight game making six or more saves.
The double-stop came just four minutes before the halftime whistle last weekend when Hartford was still down 1-0. Looking dangerous on the attack, New Mexico carved open Hartford’s defensive structure with quick buildup passing, allowing Amanda Moreno to glide across of the box before unleashing a shot from the edge of the 18 across the face of goal.
Fortunately for Hartford, Rice was equal to the effort, pushing it out into the danger zone before swiping away Santi Moar’s close-range rebound to keep the game at 1-0. This save would prove to be crucial for Hartford, who would go on to score a pair of goals late in the second half to take the 2-1 win.
The save just adds to a growing list of accolades the former USL League One keeper has picked up since taking over the starting spot from Richard Sánchez midseason. In his last four starts, Rice now boasts a pair of Team of the Week inclusions and two Save of the Week awards.
Whereas it seemed that the two keepers were locked in a rotational battle through the summer months for a consistent starting role, Hartford head coach Omid Namazi confirmed on Wednesday that — at least for now — Rice has solidified his role as the starting goalkeeper.
“For now, just like any other player, Joe’s got the spot,” Namazi said. “It’s his to keep or his to lose. As long as he’s playing well, he’s gonna keep playing. We’re gonna see where [there is] maybe a game where Richard [Sánchez] can come in and keep him sharp, because we always need two goalkeepers that are ready to play. But for now, Joe is sort of locked at the number one position.”