Richmond Kickers sign four players to USL Academy contracts for 2025 season

RICHMOND, Va. – The Richmond Kickers announced the signing of defenders Brendan Dobzyniak and Grafton Kahl, midfielder Andrew Richman, and forward Nick Sarantakos to USL Academy contracts for the 2025 season.

“After a successful 2022 season, we evaluated what the future of our club needed to be for sustainability,” Chief Sporting Officer and Head Coach Darren Sawatzky said. “We had won the Players’ Shield and many good players had moved onward and upward due to that success. We are a community team and we wanted our roster to reflect that while also bringing in quality veterans into this great city. With the combination of great professional players and this influx of young talent from our community, we are looking for that sweet spot in winning trophies while working to move these young players on and make our club thrive into the future.”

The foursome comes from Richmond United and the Kickers USL Academy U-20s as the next class in the evolving youth-to-pro player pathway in Richmond. While each of the four players have been developing in their age-group-specific teams at Richmond United over the years, they shone noticeably on the Kickers’ U-20 team, steered by first-team assistant and U-20s Head Coach Conner Cappelletti in 2024. In its inaugural year, the U-20 team made it to the finals of the USL Academy Cup in March and went on to win the South Atlantic Division in the USL Academy League, over arch-rivals NCFC.

In their first ever season, the ‘Joeys’ advanced to the national semifinals in the USL Academy Finals in December 2024. The four young men all performed consistently as part of the U-20 team and thus earned their opportunity to sign an academy contract with the first team.

“In February 2023, we made a statement to commit to player development and truly be about the community, to provide opportunities for the players in Richmond to pursue their dreams in Richmond,” Head Assistant Coach and Director of Methodology and Player Development Mika Elovaara said. “These four young men are the next group to take tangible steps towards fulfilling those dreams, and I am delighted to see their ascension. Conner Cappelletti has done an incredible job leading our U-20s and helping bridge the gap between youth and pro soccer. Grafton, Brendan, Andrew and Nick understand what it takes on and off the field to earn the opportunity; it now becomes part of the expectation for them to be role models and pave the way for more players to join them down the line, whether this year or next.”

The class follows the class of five academy players from last year, Griffin Garnett, James Sneddon, Nicholas Simmonds, Gabe Cox and Noah Hiort-Wright. Garnett and Sneddon have since signed professional contracts with the club while Simmonds, Hiort-Wright and Cox went on to play for UVA, William & Mary and Furman University respectively. While the 2025 foursome becomes the third class of Academy players, they bring their own ingenuity to the role on the roster.

“Kudos to Mika and to Conner for the work with these young players. Sarantakos is a clever poacher who scores great goals, Dobzyniak is a smart defender who rarely makes mistakes, Richman is an engine in the midfield with the ability to unlock teams, and Kahl is a tough defender with the ability to make his presence known while also contributing to the attack,” Sawatzky said. “All four of these young men have earned this opportunity and the real work starts now. We look forward to the River City excitement when these players get their first minutes at City Stadium.”

The youngest of the 2025 academy contract signees, Kahl, 16, is a versatile defender and served as a team captain for the Richmond United U-17 team. Known for his toughness and composure on the ball, he made his presence known on the U-20 team in 2024 and gradually increased his role within the team.

“Grafton is a perfect example for everyone about staying the course and focusing on the right things,” Elovaara said. “His path to where he is now has helped him develop an impressive level of composure, humility and maturity, all of which have helped him transition to the first team environment almost seamlessly. I have known him since he was six years old, and it brings me immense joy to see him take this step. I am looking forward to watching him continue to grow and develop as he pushes to challenge the senior players for minutes on game days.”

Holding the backline strong, he helped the side to allow only 11 goals in the U-20 season. In the USL Academy Finals, Kahl was named man of the match in the national quarterfinal victory against the Utah Red Wolves SC.

“When I was growing up, I would come to the Kickers games and get autographs from these guys,” Kahl said. “Now I am training alongside them. This experience is surreal. I am grateful and blessed for this opportunity that God has given me.”

A 2023 ECNL All-American and U-17 national champion, Brendan Dobzyniak also served to keep the Kickers U-20 opponents’ scoring to a minimum while playing on both flanks to help the team’s defense.

“Brendan is almost a textbook case of the unsung hero,” Elovaara said. “He’s got the engine to play 90 minutes at full intensity, shutting down opposing wingers and strikers. He is both quick and fast and he loves to get stuck into tackles. In possession, he can play like a modern, playmaking full back on either flank. I expect him to continue to work hard and develop, and most importantly, really challenge some of our more experienced players for time on the field.”

Throughout the USL Academy season, Dobzyniak not only forged one of the strongest backlines in the nation, but he also contributed to the offensive output, providing four assists and claiming a goal of his own. He also earned Player of the Match in the U-20 side’s postseason run and will look to make an impact with the pro team in 2025.

“My connection with the Richmond Kickers has been present ever since I started playing soccer,” Dobzyniak said. “After many practices as a kid, I remember driving over to City Stadium and getting to watch the pro team play. I never could’ve imagined being given the opportunity to play for the pro team. I can’t wait to represent the greatest fans in the league and one of the best clubs. Let’s go, Kickers!”

Andrew Richman, a left-footed, crafty playmaker, is part of the talented 2007 age group in Richmond. In 2023-24, Richman scored nine goals and provided 12 assists for Richmond United, which went on to win the ECNL Mid-Atlantic Conference title.

“I have been waiting and hoping for Andrew to take this next step for some time now, as I observed his potential relatively early on,” Elovaara said. “He has always been a fun player to watch, as he can create some special moments for his team on the ball. Not one to shy away from tackles, either, he works well on both sides of the ball and has the ability to go box to box for 90 minutes. In Andrew, our veteran midfielders have a young apprentice who could soon start to knock on the door for some meaningful minutes in front of the Kickers’ loyal fans.”

With the Kickers U-20s, the box-to-box midfielder was ever-present on the pitch, sending the ball into the back of the net twice and earning five assists in the USL Academy League. He also earned a Player of the Match award in the USL Academy Finals in December 2024.

“I remember coming to support the Kickers when I was a kid almost every weekend, and I always wanted to be on the field,” Richman said. “Now, I’m grateful for the opportunity to play for this club and the fans. I’m looking forward to accomplishing big things together with my teammates.”

Richman’s teammate for the ECNL Mid-Atlantic Conference title winners, Nick Sarantakos is an exciting young striker. Scoring 52 goals and providing 10 assists in all competitions in 2023-24, Sarantakos made his name known around the country, earning him selections for the ECNL National Selection game as well as the ECNL Conference Cup.

“While he has been a dangerous attacker for much of his youth career, what excites me the most about Nick is that I have seen him develop significantly in the past 18 months,” Elovaara said. “I can’t imagine a better situation for a young striker to learn than spend every day on the field with a back-to-back-to-back USL League One Golden Boot winner and League MVP Emiliano Terzaghi, watching Emi’s work ethic and learning from his play. As he continues to improve his overall game insight and learn the details that help consistency, Nick has the potential to develop into a prolific goal threat on the next level. He loves to press and is also good at finishing counterattacks. I look forward to seeing if he can take his efficiency to the next level and become the next in line in the Ukrop-Delicate-Bulow-Terzaghi lineage of our historic club, energizing our fans near and far.”

A lethal finisher who is also good in hold-up play, Sarantakos already stepped up for the U-20 squad in 2024, scoring 11 goals and providing one assist across the USL Academy League season.

“I grew up playing my youth years in Richmond, always hearing about how successful the Richmond Kickers were which always made me dream I could get to that point one day, playing in front of thousands of supporters at City Stadium,” Sarantakos said. “Now I get to experience the opportunity I dreamed of ever since I was a little kid.”