The Long Island Rough Riders men’s team, which is gearing up for the 2025 USL League Two season, has announced its first four signings for the 2025 season.
Goalkeeper Eryk Dymora, forward Jakob Friedman and defender Gabriel Pacheco are all returners from a Metropolitan champion side, who consistently ranked in the top 5 in the USL 2 power rankings last season. All three are once again expected to be difference makers as they look to go back-to-back and make a championship run.
Eryk Dymora
After a standout career at Monmouth University, Dymora has transferred to Duke University and will play as a graduate student this fall.
The 6-2 goalkeeper earned first team All-Coastal Athletic Association honors for the second consecutive season after he backstopped the Hawks to an 8-2-6 record in 16 matches.
The Clifton, N.J. native allowed only 12 goals in route to an impressive 0.74 goals-against average last season for the Rough Riders.
Jakob Friedman
A Nesconset, N.Y. native, Friedman is coming off a solid junior season at Monmouth University. The 5-8 forward recorded seven assists, the most by a Hawks since Dave Nigro accumulated eight during the 2016 campaign.
He was tied for third place in assists in the Coastal Athletic Association while earning College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors for the second year in a row.
Friedman, who attended St. Anthony’s High School in South Huntington on Long Island, was a three-year starter at the school. He played an important role in helping St. Anthony’s to its league and state championship (four goals, eight assists).
Gabriel Pacheco
Pacheco, a native of Curitiba, Brazil, has been a mainstay on the Hofstra University backline for the past two years. The 6-2, 195-lb. defender played in 42 matches with the Pride, since transferring from Bethel University. Pacheco started 20 out of 21 contests last fall.
At Bethel, Pacheco helped the team win the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics championship while garnering United Soccer Coaches All-American second team honors.
Season and single game tickets are now on sale and if you are looking to gain a closer relationship with any of these four players, you can join the ‘Sponsor a Player’ campaign which allows access to training from a player, a signed jersey and 10 tickets towards the upcoming season. These can be found HERE
Written by Michael Lewis