Welcome everyone to Under the Surface, my first blog that will become a new monthly installment in the Tide Talk mediascape which will highlight a statistic of interest for each member of the Rhode Island FC squad, with some special editions coming this offseason. I’ve been following the team since its inaugural match and haven’t looked back since. Numbers have always been an interest of mine and I’ve always found myself trying to use data to quantify my observations and I would love nothing more than to share that with the greater RIFC community. To start things off this month, I’ll start by looking at the team’s regular season performances from this season and each player’s contributions to our second playoff berth in as many seasons of existence.

Koke Vegas – 11

In 2025, Koke Vegas finished 2nd in the golden glove race behind Louisville City’s Damian Las. That is in large part due to the 11 clean sheets he kept in 22 regular season appearances. In 2024, he only managed 6 clean sheets in 24 league appearances. Koke’s remarkable shot stopping ability was a pivotal part of a Rhode Island FC defense that conceded the 4th fewest goals in the league to pave the way for a second consecutive playoff berth.

Dani Rovira – 96.5

Dani Rovira’s Rhode Island FC debut was delayed until June 14th due to injury, and only saw 83 minutes of action across 7 league matches. His impact was felt a lot less than initially expected following the departure of Stephen Turnbull, but that didn’t stop him from accumulating 96.5 touches per 90 minutes, impressively leading the way for the team as a player that mostly takes up wide positions. He wasn’t involved very much, but when he did see game action, the game action certainly found him.

Aldair Sanchez – 1.56

Contrary to redacted opinions in the RIFC Nation Facebook group, Aldair Sanchez’s debut season in the amber and blue has to be considered an overall success. The 23 year old left back was originally seen as a backup and international break fill-in for Jojea Kwizera, but immediately became a major piece in the Rhode Island FC chance creation department. His 1.56 chances created per 90 minutes led the team, finishing second to Noah Fuson in total chances created. It should be noted that there were 5 players that eclipsed that 1.56 mark during the 2024 regular season, a massive indicator of the regression we witnessed from this attack.

Hugo Bacharach – 1.53

Hugo Bacharach was another player who got off to a late start for the Tide, but immediately became a mainstay in the starting XI. Whether it was at center back or central midfield, Hugo found himself heavily involved in the action. He always knew exactly where to be, posting a team-leading 1.53 interceptions per 90 minutes. All we can wish for is a continued clean bill of health for a postseason run and (hopefully) heading into 2026.

Grant Stoneman – 12

Grant Stoneman led the team with 12 blocked shots in the 2025 regular season, fearlessly putting his body on the line more than any other player on the team. None of the 12 blocks were more important than the one he made on September 13th against Indy Eleven in the 2nd minute of second half stoppage time as 10 man Rhode Island desperately held onto a 1-0 lead, moving them above the playoff line and never falling back below it.

Aimé Mabika – 82%

Maybe the most unsurprising stat in this whole list, 6-foot-8 center back Aimé Mabika led the team in aerial duel win rate at 82% (>1 aerial duel engaged). Mabika continued the trend of incredibly tall dudes signed by Khano playing on the back line and was a walking mismatch for any opposing forward who wished to challenge his aerial abilities, which rarely required much additional effort than his standing reach. Vertical menace.

Dwayne Atkinson – 71.4%

Staying true to his nickname, Busy was consistently first to the ball when engaging in ground duels, winning them at a 71.4% clip, a mark that puts him 2nd on the team (>1 ground duel engaged). As the product of the longest transfer saga in Rhode Island FC history, Busy has been used mostly in a super-sub role, winning duels against tired legs and scoring the lone goal in the Jägermeister Cup quarterfinal against Birmingham Legion. I’m very much looking forward to what’s next for the Jamaican as his role continues to develop within this system.

Taimu Okiyoshi – 51.8

Opening day starter and Marshall University alumnus Taimu Okiyoshi struggled to find a home in the Rhode Island FC defensive midfield, eventually going out on loan to USL League One expansion side Westchester SC. However, he did manage to lead the team with 51.8 passes completed per 90 minutes, consistently being used as a pivot in possession late in games after seeing the starting minutes dry up. Taimu’s loan spell was unnoteworthy, and will be interesting to see what his future holds in the Ocean State, but the Mac Herman Trophy semifinalist and NCAA national runner up retains a bit of pedigree that should not be overlooked in the young pro.

JJ Williams – 64

F— it, JJ is up there somewhere. Despite missing 10 matches at the beginning of the summer, JJ Williams managed to still lead the team with 64 aerial duels won. The system revolves around him and his aerial presence to draw extra attention to himself and free up teammates. His 12 aerial duel wins on March 22nd at Phoenix Rising are a club record that will be tough for anyone to meet. JJ is now hitting his peak form at the right time heading into the playoffs, just as he did in 2024 and is undoubtedly the most important player in Rhode Island FC’s attempt at making another deep run in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Albert Dikwa – 4

After Noah Fuson’s league leading 11 assists in 2024 that earned him the Golden Playmaker award, the assists dried up across the entire Rhode Island FC team. With only 4 regular season assists, Albert Dikwa was able to take the crown in 2025 for the boys in amber and blue. Frequently criticized for his lack of scoring output, especially during May and June as the only striker option in the squad, Chico managed to find other ways to contribute to the Rhode Island FC attack.

Noah Fuson – 30

Noah Fuson was unable to replicate his all-league second team form from 2024, but was still able to lead the team with 30 chances created. For reference, Noah created 50 chances in the team’s inaugural season, albeit with 4 more regular season games to work with. As is the case with JJ, Noah is also in the midst of his best run of form heading into the playoffs with 14 of his 30 chances created coming in his last 6 matches played. Look for those 2 to link up in Charleston this weekend.

Clay Holstad – 36

Rhode Island FC’s minutes leader and versatility wizard Clay Holstad saw most of his minutes at right wing back in the absence of a natural replacement for the departing Stephen Turnbull. It’s hard to say we were able to see the best of Clay in 2025 while he was forced out wide instead of anchored in centrally, but still led the team with 36 tackles, a mark that is 50% higher than the next best player. No matter where he’s lined up, the 2024 Defiance 1636 Player of the Season always gets himself involved in the game and helped contribute to one of the best defenses in the whole league.

Will Meyer – 11

The role of 3rd string goalkeeper lies somewhere between being one of the worst jobs in the world and best jobs in the world, depending on who you ask. Although he was never called upon to make an onfield appearance, he did manage to get named to 11 matchday rosters, which is more than the 5 that Nate Silveira was in 2024.

Rio Hope-Gund – 99

Initially signed to a 25 day contract as an emergency option in the wake of a Zachary Herivaux red card, Rio earned the hell out of the full season extension, starting the vast majority of matches as one of the first names on the team sheet in the summer during our injury crisis before seeing his role unfortunately diminish as reinforcements arrived and eventually suffered an injury of his own. In the infamous defender-laden match against Sacramento Republic on June 21st, Rio managed 99 touches of the ball, which was a club season high for 2025.

Frank Nodarse – 4

Frank Nodarse’s role in 2025 was much different from that in 2024, with a lot of minutes played at right wing back, a position he was thrust into at the end of last season. As it turns out, Frank is more than qualified for the position as Khano Smith noted in the post match press conference following RIFC’s first win at Centreville Bank Stadium on June 14th after Frank won a penalty  that Maxi Rodriguez converted to win 2-1 after weaving through the North Carolina FC defense in stoppage time as a halftime sub at left wing back. Khano Smith informed the media that Frank was a street baller that learned his trade growing up in Cuba, and his 4 dribbles completed in that match were a club season high. Do not underestimate his on ball abilities despite his towering stature.

Cole Dewhurst – N/A

Unfortunately, Cole Dewhurst did not see the pitch during regular season play and I could not find a way to spin his inclusion in the matchday squad, so you’ll just have to wait until next month where I’ll break down the season as a whole, including all competitions.

Jojea Kwizera – 31

Jojea Kwizera once again led RIFC with 31 dribbles completed, unfortunately a regression from his 2024 total of 48. The Rwandan had a lesser defined role in 2025 after being a mainstay at left wing back in 2024, playing left back, left wing back, left wing, right wing, attacking midfielder and second striker at different times this season, and even in the same game. The emergence of Aldair Sanchez led to some confusion with Jojea’s position within the system, and may have affected his effectiveness in beating defenders 1-on-1.

Joe Brito – 62.6%

Aside from some spot starts here and there, Joe Brito remained RIFC’s prime bench weapon to be deployed by Khano late in games to kill them off or help rally the team. At a time where the offense was mightily struggling in the absence of JJ Williams, Joe was once the team leader in shots on target per 90 minutes for the team, but faltered a bit as the season wrapped up. He did however, improve on his 2024 shots on target per 90 rate of 0.44 by returning a 0.71 in 2025, a 62.6% increase.

Kevin Vang – 100%

The native Rhode Islander only managed 1 substitute appearance of 6 minutes in 2025, completing 3 of 3 passes for a season pass accuracy of 100%, leading the team in that category. 

Zachary Herivaux – 300%

Another player that was used in multiple roles in 2025, Zachary Herivaux saw time in both the midfield and along the back line during injury crises. A midseason arrival in 2024, Zach played his first full season with RIFC and managed to stay relatively healthy and played more games this season than any other since 2022. The fan favorite and native New Englander saw a stunning 300% increase in his headed clearances in 2025 from his 2024 form for RIFC, only managing 3 in 2024 and 12 in 2025.

Maxi Rodriguez – 19

The 2024 all-league first team addition had an unexpected and inconsistent role in his first season with the club, but was still able to lead the team with 19 shots on target, an impressive feat for a player that has played minutes at all levels of the midfield and not always typically in positions where shots are flying from. Hopefully Khano can find a way to utilize Maxi in a more consistent role in 2026, there is far too much talent in the player to be coming off the bench.

Jackson Lee – 25.6%

Rhode Island FC is incredibly lucky to have a reserve keeper as talented as Jackson Lee to deputize for Koke Vegas when needed. During Koke’s time injured, Jackson stepped up big time for RIFC, conceding only 1.25 goals per match which was a 25.6% improvement from the 1.68 goals per 90 conceded in 2024. I would not be surprised if another Championship club comes calling to enquire about his services as he is more than talented enough to be starting every week, but unfortunately is sitting behind the club captain and golden glove runner-up in Koke Vegas.

Marc Ybarra – 123.4%

Marc Ybarra is not known to be the flashiest of players, with most of his the credit given to him is for doing the dirty work as a defensive midfielder that does not always fill up a stat sheet or get put into the match highlights, but he did manage to complete the same number of dribbles (2) in less than half as many minutes in 2025 as 2024, which resulted in a 123.4% increase in dribbles completed per 90.

Karifa Yao – 30.6%

Nothing brings me greater joy than seeing two-time (and only) RIFC Defender of the Year Karifa Yao go in for a bone-crunching tackle. I personally thought he went to ground to win the ball a lot in 2024, but I was shocked to find that he managed to increase his tackles per 90 mark by 30.6% in 2025. Karifa is the true anchor of this defense, organizing it from the central center back position, I just hope that he’s able to contribute against Charleston this weekend after being an unused sub this past weekend in New Mexico, reportedly resting an alleged hamstring injury.

Mathieu Ndongo – 18.63

Rhode Island FC finally got the 3rd striker it had needed all season when they signed Cameroonian youngster Mathieu Ndongo. On September 6th against Louisville City, Mathieu became the youngest player to debut for RIFC in club history at 18 years, 7 months, and 18 days.

Hamady Diop – 7/7

Rhode Island FC finally got what they didn’t even know they necessarily needed in a Morris Duggan replacement in Hamady Diop as a left-footed center back. The former NCAA national champion and #1 overall pick in the MLS Superdraft found his way to the Ocean State in September and is now a locked-on starter going into the playoffs. His talent speaks for itself as both a defender and distributor of the ball, but in only his 5th match for RIFC, he set the single game club record for ground duels won without losing any with a perfect 7/7 against New Mexico last weekend.

Matthew Corcoran – 100%

The Matthew Corcoran experience was an experience for sure. The U-20 United States international and Nashville SC loanee’s career with RIFC only lasted 4 matches. While he may be remembered most for being a member of an ultra-conservative double pivot with Marc Ybarra, I would be remiss if I did not mention that he leaves Rhode Island FC as its all time leader in regular season shot accuracy at 100%. It’s only 2/2, but you can’t take that perfect percentage away from him.

Amos Shapiro-Thompson – 71.4%

Rhode Island FC has the chance to be the home of back to back USL Championship Comeback Player of the Year awards after Zachary Herivaux took home the 2024 award. Absolutely no-one could have foreseen the season that AST would have in 2025 which saw him with the RIFC Midfielder of the Season and Defiance 1636’s Player of the Season awards. Don’t be fooled by his small frame, he’s an absolute bully and dawg no matter where he’s positioned. He posted a 71.4% long ball accuracy in 2025, which led the team. Hopefully we can see him again in the playoffs after exiting early against North Carolina with a concussion, it would be quite the disappointing end to a fully healthy season from Amos who was only able to make 1 appearance a year ago in the regular season.

Isaac Angking – 114.7%

Rhode Island FC’s all time leader in goals + assists per 90 minutes was unable to find a spot in the team after returning from the ACL injury he suffered in August of 2024. Isaac ended up on loan at USL League One side Forward Madison where he almost managed to help them to a playoff berth. Although he was only able to see 58 minutes this season with RIFC, he managed to increase his duels won per 90 by 114.7%.

Thank you for checking out my first blog! Come on back next month for some more RIFC stats content! Feel free to connect with me in the Defiance 1636 Discord, Twitter (@TylerJHatch), or Instagram (@tjhatch2001) if there’s anything you would like to see come of this blog! I’ll be at the playoff match in Charleston this weekend as well. Don’t hesitate to come over and say hi! Until next month, Up The Tide!