RICHMOND, Va. – (Wednesday, January 6, 2021) – The Richmond Kickers are pleased to announce the re-signing of midfielder Matt Bolduc on a multi-year deal starting with the 2021 USL League One season, pending league and federation approval.
“Matt has been a great ambassador and competitor for the Richmond Kickers and we wanted to make sure he was here with us as we build into the future,” said Darren Sawatzky, Chief Sporting Officer and Head Coach. “He is a very good attacking player and he creates goals when we need them most. Matt’s vigor and intensity will help the young players understand our culture and he will complement our team in what we are working to accomplish here.”
Bolduc made 14 appearances for the Kickers in his fourth season in Richmond in 2020. The veteran attacker was tied for first in the club for assists with four, making it the second year in a row when he led the team in assists. He also scored one goal — the first of the Sawatzky era — in the season opener at Greenville Triumph SC. A constant threat to the opposing defenders, Bolduc led the team in key passes (11) and chances created (15) while maintaining a passing accuracy of 78 percent, an impressive feat for a winger.
“First off, I’ve always said this, I don’t care how many people we get at City Stadium, these are the best fans in the country, especially in League One,” commented Bolduc. “It feels like yesterday that I signed mid-season while Leigh [Cowlishaw] was still in charge and from then I’ve learned a lot from the experience I had with both him and with David Bulow. Last year, I saw a lot of progression with the club and the team. Finding a more consistent winning mentality and fighting for each other on the pitch are two things Darren has instilled in our group and I can’t wait to start training.”
Starting his Kickers career in 2017, Bolduc signed with the club just after the start of the season, scoring two goals and adding an assist in 15 appearances. He would go on to make 24 appearances over the next two seasons. 2019 became a breakout year for Bolduc, boasting a career-high six assists to lead the club that season.
“Goals for 2021 are pretty simple,” continued Bolduc. “Go one step further than last year. We were a win away from going down to Greenville for the final and in those scenarios it comes down to who shows up on the day. So we go again and look to improve everyday through October.”
