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New England’s Joe Rice Claims USL League One Fans’ Choice Save of the Year

By USLLeagueOne.com Staff, 12/27/21, 3:00PM EST

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Revolution II standout’s full-stretch save in Greenville proved highlight of excellent all-around season

TAMPA, Fla. – If not for Joe Rice, the New England Revolution II’s bid for the USL League One Playoffs might have been buried before the final weekend of the season.

But while the Revolution II didn’t make it into the top six to end the campaign, their standout shot-stopper will end the year with some recognition for his performances across the year.

Rice on Monday was announced as the winner of the 2021 USL League One Fans’ Choice Save of the Year as his outstanding full-stretch save against Greenville Triumph SC this past October defeated North Carolina FC’s Jake McGuire 65-35 percent in the Final poll conducted online over the past week.

Rice ranked third in League One with eight shutouts in 20 appearances in the 2021 regular season and had a 76.2 save percentage, the highest of any goalkeeper to play at least 1,000 minutes in the campaign. Arguable his best came late in the season as New England visited Greenville for a key postseason race tussle as he sprang strongly to his right to make a one-handed save on a shot by Triumph SC’s Aaron Walker to keep it from the top-left corner of the net.

Having claimed four of the League One Fans’ Choice Save of the Month awards over the course of the campaign, Rice’s entries were whittled down in the Quarterfinal and Semifinal rounds before his support comfortably carried him past McGuire in the Final.


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