The New England Revolution Friday announced that goalkeeper Zack Simmons has signed a developmental contract with Major League Soccer to play for the Revs and that the club has elevated goalkeeper Brad Knighton and defender Chris Tierney from the developmental roster to the senior roster. Per team and league policies, terms of the deals were not released.
The Revolution also announced that the club's athletic training staff has been expanded entering the 2009 season.
Simmons, 23 and a native of Durham, N.H., recently completed a decorated four-year career at the University of Massachusetts, where he compiled a 0.97 goals against average in 84 starts. The 6-3, 200-pound goalkeeper left the UMass men's soccer program as the leader in almost every career goalkeeping category, including wins (42), shutouts (30) and saves (386). He also set single-season marks for wins (17), shutouts (10) and goals against average (0.79) in 2007 during his remarkable junior year, in which he led the Minutemen to the NCAA College Cup and became the program's first All-American since 2002.
"We're pleased to add Zack to our roster now that he's joined Major League Soccer," Revolution Vice President of Player Personnel Michael Burns said. "As a local player, we've had the opportunity to follow closely Zack's career at UMass and have seen his progress first-hand during training stints with our club the last two summers."
Simmons, who walked on to the UMass soccer team as a freshman, was the 2008 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America of the Year.
Knighton, 23, is entering his third year with the Revolution after signing with the team as an undrafted free agent in March 2007. Although he has not made a first-team appearance with the Revolution, he did see significant game action in 2008 while on loan with the Portland Timbers of the United Soccer Leagues First Division. The Richmond, Va., native appeared in eight games for the Timbers, maintaining a 1.25 goals against average and a record of 1-3-4 as the Timbers scored just five league goals in his tenure.
Tierney, 23, recorded one assist in six league appearances in 2008, his rookie season after being drafted in the first round (13th overall) of the 2008 MLS Supplemental Draft. A native of Wellesley, Mass., Tierney successfully made the transition from midfielder to outside defender last season, starting along the backline in the Revolution's SuperLiga 2008 championship triumph over the Houston Dynamo and the club's opening playoff game against the Chicago Fire.
"We're pleased to add both Brad and Chris to our senior roster and we believe that both have bright futures with the Revolution," Burns said.
In expanding the athletic training staff, the Revolution has hired Phil Madore, A.T.C., L.A.T.C., as the team's assistant athletic trainer and created a full-time position for Glenn O'Connor, who has been working with the team as its massage therapist on a part-time basis.
Madore, who spent the last three years as the assistant athletic trainer at St. Sebastian's School in Needham, Mass., will assist head athletic trainer Sean Kupiec, A.T.C., P.E.S., in all aspects of the team's medical care and sports performance, both in-season and during the offseason. He has also spent time working as a student intern with the Springfield Falcons (American Hockey League) and the Falmouth Commodores (Cape Cod Baseball League).
O'Connor, who has been with the Revolution in a part-time capacity since 2002, will now join the club on a full-time basis for the 2009 season.
The Revolution begins the 2009 season at 10:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 21, when the team travels to face the San Jose Earthquakes at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. The match will be televised locally by TV38 and will be available to radio listeners on the WEEI Radio Network. The Revs open their 2009 home slate on Saturday, April 4, when they host FC Dallas. Ticket information - for season tickets and special four-game packs - is available at revolutionsoccer.net or by calling 1-877-GET-REVS.
Zack Simmons
Jersey No.: 34
Position: Goalkeeper
D.O.B.: Oct. 12, 1985
Birthplace: Portsmouth, N.H.
Hometown: Durham, N.H.
Height: 6-3
Weight: 200 lbs.
College: Massachusetts
Status: Developmental
How Acquired: Signed by the Revolution as an undrafted free agent on January 30, 2009
TRANSACTIONS: The New England Revolution (MLS): Signed GK Zack Simmons; promoted GK Brad Knighton and D Chris Tierney to the senior roster; named Phil Madore assistant athletic trainer; named Glenn O'Connor full-time massage therapist.
