Austin Ricci Explained

Austin Ricci
Birth Date:April 8, 1996
Birth Place:Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada
Height:1.78 m
Position:Forward
Currentclub:Vancouver FC
Clubnumber:21
Youthclubs1:Richmond Hill SC
Youthyears2:2010–2013
Youthclubs2:Ajax SC
Collegeyears1:2014–2017
College1:Oakland Golden Grizzlies
Collegecaps1:71
Collegegoals1:22
Years1:2014–2015
Clubs1:Vaughan Azzurri
Years2:2016
Clubs2:K-W United FC
Caps2:7
Goals2:3
Years3:2017–2018
Clubs3:Michigan Bucks
Caps3:28
Goals3:17
Years4:2018
Clubs4:Vaughan Azzurri
Caps4:8
Goals4:5
Years5:2019
Clubs5:York9 FC
Caps5:9
Goals5:0
Years6:2020–2021
Clubs6:Valour FC
Caps6:22
Goals6:5
Years7:2022–2024
Clubs7:York United FC
Caps7:45
Goals7:7
Years8:2024–
Clubs8:Vancouver FC
Caps8:3
Goals8:0
Club-Update:October 5, 2024

Austin Ricci (born April 8, 1996) is a Canadian professional soccer player who plays as a forward for Vancouver FC of the Canadian Premier League.

Early life

Ricci played youth soccer with Richmond Hill SC. In 2010, he joined Ajax SC.[1]

Ricci played high school soccer for the St. Theresa of Lisieux Catholic High School Lions, winning gold at OFSAA in 2014,[2] [3] and being named MVP of the team for three consecutive seasons.[4]

College career

In February 2014, he committed to Oakland University to play for the men's soccer team in the fall.[5] He scored his first goal on September 12, 2014 against the Denver Pioneers.[6] He won the Horizon League with the team in his freshman season in 2014.[7] In 2015, he was named Horizon League Co-Offensive Player of the Year and a Horizon League First-Team All Star,[8] and was named to the NSCAA All-Great Lakes Regional Second Team.[9] In his junior season in 2016, he was named to the NSCAA All-Great Lakes Regional Third Team.[10] In his senior season in 2017, he was named a Horizon League First-Team All-Star.[11]

Club career

In 2014 and 2015, he appeared for Vaughan Azzurri in League1 Ontario.[12]

In 2016, he played for K-W United FC in the Premier Development League.[13] He scored a hat trick in the season opener on May 17 against Toronto FC III.[14]

He played for the Michigan Bucks in the Premier Development League in 2017 and 2018.[15] [16] In 2017, he won the Great Lakes Division with the team.[17] On July 10, 2018, he scored four goals and added four assists in a 14-1 victory over the Derby City Rovers,[18] a performance which earned him PDL Player of the Week honours.[19]

He later returned to Vaughan Azzurri in 2018, scoring six goals in twelve appearances, across the regular season and playoffs, as Vaughan won the league title.[20]

In December 2018, Ricci signed his first professional contract with Canadian Premier League side York 9 FC for the 2019 season.[21] [22] He made 11 appearances for the club in 2019 across all competitions, tallying one assist.[23]

In February 2020, he went on trial with Valour FC, also in the Canadian Premier League, and had been set to sign a contract in March, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, delaying the signing.[24] [25] In July 2020, he officially signed with the club.[26] [27] In his first season with the club, he made six appearances during the shortened season, drawing two earning two penalty kicks for the team.[28] [29] In November 2020, he re-signed with the club.[30] [31] On June 27, 2021, he scored his first professional goal in a match against Forge FC.[32] His second goal gave his team a 1-0 victory over Forge FC on July 11.[33] On July 19, he scored a brace to help Valour to a 3-0 victory over York United FC.[34] He was named to the CPL Team of the Week three times in 2021.[35] On August 22, 2021, he scored a brace against Atlético Ottawa in a Canadian Championship match, to help lead Valour to their first ever victory in the competition.[36] He finished as the top goalscorer in the 2021 Canadian Championship domestic cup competition, winning the Golden Boot, with three goals.[37] His season was cut short after he was injured in a collision with Forge goalkeeper Triston Henry during a match in September.[38] [39]

In March 2022, he went on trial with his former club York United FC (who had previously been York9 during his last stint).[40] [41] In April 2022, he officially signed with the club for the 2022 season.[42] [43] He joined on a one-year contract with club options through 2024.[44] On May 11, he re-aggravated his knee injury against Atlético Ottawa in a Canadian Championship match,[45] [46] forcing him to undergo surgery, causing him to miss the remainder of the season.[47] [48] In October 2022, he re-signed with the club for the 2023 season.[49] Following a red card in a match in June 2024, his playing time began to dip, ultimately leading to the club pushing him to accept a transfer, a move Ricci characterized as "pretty disrespectful".[50]

In September 2024, Ricci was transferred to Vancouver FC, signing a contract through 2024, in a player swap deal with Kembo Kibato moving to York United.[51] [52]

Career statistics

ClubSeasonLeaguePlayoffsDomestic cupLeague cupTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
K-W United FC2016Premier Development League7300——73
Michigan Bucks2017Premier Development League1451010—165
201814120000—1412
Total28171010—30!17
Vaughan Azzurri2018[53] League1 Ontario8541—00126
York9 FC2019Canadian Premier League90—20—110
Valour FC2020Canadian Premier League60———60
2021165—23—188
Total225—2!3—24!8
York United FC2022Canadian Premier League30—10—40
20232630020—283
20241640010—174
Total457004!0—49!7
Vancouver FC2024Canadian Premier League30—00—30
Career total1203751930013441

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ajax FC program sending four players to NCAA programs. March 24, 2014. Ajax News Advertiser.
  2. Web site: Lions roar into OFSAA soccer final in Windsor. Michael. Hayakawa. Richmond Hill Liberal. June 7, 2014.
  3. Web site: St. Theresa Lions roar to OFSAA soccer gold. Michael. Hayakawa. Richmond Hill Liberal. June 9, 2014.
  4. Web site: Beyond the Pitch - Austin Ricci. April 24, 2021. Ed. Tait. Valour FC.
  5. Web site: Oakland Soccer signs seven in early signing period. February 6, 2014. Oakland Golden Grizzlies.
  6. Web site: Austin Ricci Oakland profile. Oakland Golden Grizzlies.
  7. Web site: Austin Ricci, men’s soccer team prepared for Horizon League spotlight. The Oakland Post. September 13, 2015. Katlynn. Emaus.
  8. Web site: Oakland places six on All-League Teams, Ricci named Offensive Player of the Year. November 9, 2015. Oakland Golden Grizzlies.
  9. Web site: Ricci and Dudley named to NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region. December 10, 2015. Oakland Golden Grizzlies.
  10. Web site: Ricci and Higgins named to NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region Team. December 10, 2016. Oakland Golden Grizzlies.
  11. Web site: Ricci, Higgins and Jensen garner men's soccer Horizon League Honors. . November 6, 2017.
  12. Web site: State of the Game: League One Ontario kicks off for 2016. Aaron. Nielsen. May 2, 2016. Red Nation Online.
  13. Web site: Austin Ricci 2016 PDL Stats. USL League Two.
  14. Web site: K-W United FC dominates season opener. Josh. Brown. May 18, 2016. Waterloo Region Record.
  15. Web site: Austin Ricci 2017 PDL Stats. USL League Two.
  16. Web site: Austin Ricci 2018 PDL Stats. USL League Two.
  17. Web site: Michigan Bucks win record 14th PDL division title. July 14, 2017. The Oakland Press.
  18. Web site: Bucks keep PDL playoff hopes afloat with resounding win in Louisville. Brad. Emons. July 11, 2018. Hometown Life.
  19. Web site: July 19, 2018. Bucks' Ricci Named PDL Player of the Week. Colton. Coreschi. USL League Two.
  20. Web site: Austin Ricci, former Vaughan Azzurri attacker, signs with Valour. July 10, 2020. League1 Ontario. Marty. Thompson.
  21. Web site: Nate. Hershenfeld . York9 FC brings on Richmond Hill-based forward Austin Ricci . York9 FC. 14 December 2018. December 15, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181215022307/https://york9fc.canpl.ca/article/york9-fc-signs-richmond-hill-forward-austin-ricci. dead.
  22. Web site: Austin Ricci signs with Canadian Premier League. January 2, 2019. Oakland Golden Grizzlies.
  23. Web site: Valour FC To Announce Austin Ricci. July 9, 2020. Northern Tribune. John. Jacques.
  24. Web site: Austin Ricci on joining Valour FC: "I want to remind everyone who I am as a player and show this league and this country what my qualities are and what I’m capable of.". July 10, 2020. Valour FC. Ed. Tait.
  25. Web site: Valour FC adds ex-York9 forward Austin Ricci; Ohin and Peña to return. July 10, 2020. Canadian Premier League.
  26. Web site: Valour FC sign Canadian forward Austin Ricci. July 10, 2020. Valour FC.
  27. Web site: Valour FC Signs Forward Austin Ricci. July 10, 2020. Northern Tribune. John. Jacques.
  28. Web site: “I think I showed what I’m capable of, that I’m able to play at a high level” - Ricci with lots to prove in 2021. November 13, 2020. Ed. Tait. Valour FC.
  29. Web site: Austin Ricci didn’t score for Valour this season, but he certainly shone in a unique way nonetheless. September 16, 2020. Eikon Sports.
  30. Web site: Austin Ricci Re-Signs With Valour FC. November 14, 2020. Northern Tribune. John. Jacques.
  31. Web site: Valour re-signs Austin Ricci for 2021 CPL season. November 13, 2020. Canadian Premier League.
  32. Web site: Ricci Happy To Silence ‘Outside Noise’ With First Pro Goal. June 27, 2021. Northern Tribune. John. Jacques.
  33. Web site: Ricci goal, Sirois clean sheet give Valour FC 1-0 win over Forge FC for CPL lead. July 11, 2021. Toronto Star.
  34. Web site: Ricci brace, Sirois five-save clean sheet give Valour FC 3-0 victory over York United. July 19, 2021. Toronto Star.
  35. Web site: CPL50 – 48. Austin Ricci (Valour FC). December 8, 2021. Canadian Premier League. Charlie. O'Connor-Clarke.
  36. Web site: Austin Ricci’s brace gives Valour FC first ever Canadian Championship win. Justin. Laniuk. August 22, 2021. Last Word on Sports.
  37. Web site: Valour’s Austin Ricci Is The 2021 CanChamp Top Goalscorer. November 22, 2021. Northern Tribune. John. Jacques.
  38. Web site: BREAKING: Ricci Returning To Nine Stripes. April 21, 2022. Northern Tribune. John. Jacques.
  39. Web site: York United FC announces signing of Austin Ricci. April 21, 2022. York United FC.
  40. Web site: Austin Ricci Is Training With York United. March 2, 2022. Northern Tribune. John. Jacques.
  41. Web site: Report: Ricci Poised For CPL Return. April 20, 2022. Northern Tribune. John. Jacques.
  42. Web site: Official: York United Adds Austin Ricci. April 21, 2022. Northern Tribune. John. Jacques.
  43. Web site: York United signs Canadian striker Austin Ricci. April 21, 2022. Canadian Premier League. Charlie. O'Connor-Clarke.
  44. Web site: York United signs Canadian forward Austin Ricci. April 21, 2022. OneSoccer. Charlie. O'Connor-Clarke.
  45. Web site: York United striker Austin Ricci undergoes ACL surgery. June 7, 2022. OneSoccer.
  46. Web site: 'We're all gutted for him': Austin Ricci ruled out for the season after injury. June 8, 2022. York United FC.
  47. Web site: York United striker Austin Ricci undergoes ACL surgery. June 7, 2022. Canadian Premier League.
  48. Web site: Ricci Out For Season Following Second ACL Surgery. June 7, 2022. Northern Tribune. John. Jacques.
  49. Web site: York United Re-Signs Hometown Striker Austin Ricci. October 14, 2022. Northern Tribune. John. Jacques.
  50. Web site: ‘Pretty Disrespectful’: Ricci Reflects On York United Exit Amid Fresh Start Out West. September 28, 2024. Northern Tribune. John. Jacques.
  51. Web site: Vancouver FC announced it has acquired Canadian forward Austin Ricci on a permanent transfer from York United FC. September 13, 2024. Vancouver FC.
  52. Web site: Vancouver FC acquires Ricci, York United FC acquires Kibato in roster freeze deadline swap. September 13, 2024. Canadian Premier League.
  53. Web site: Austin Ricci 2018 L1O Stats. League1 Ontario.

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