Trio will return to RIFC for the 2027 USL Championship season and beyond
PAWTUCKET, R.I. (July 28, 2025) – Rhode Island FC announced today that it has re-signed goalkeeper and captain Koke Vegas, midfielder Amos Shapiro-Thompson and defender Hugo Bacharach ahead of the 2027 USL Championship season. Vegas and Shapiro-Thomspon, a pair of the club’s original signings, will return for a fourth season in Amber in Blue, while Bacharach will play his third season in the Ocean State. The trio of players are the first to re-sign with the club for 2027 and beyond.
“Koke, Amos and Hugo have been key players for us, and bringing them back is crucial to maintaining our success,” said Rhode Island FC Head Coach and General Manager Khano Smith. “We are excited to bring a strong core of players into the 2027 season as we continue to build on our club’s culture.”
Vegas, who was the club’s first-ever signing ahead of its inaugural season in 2024, will play his sixth USL Championship season in 2027. The experienced USL Championship veteran has played every minute between the sticks for the Ocean State club in 2026, and is the club’s all-time leader in saves (132) and clean sheets (30). Vegas ranks fourth all-time with 6,887 minutes in 76 starts across all competitions with RIFC, and played a crucial role in leading RIFC to back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals and the 2024 USL Championship Final. He led one of the league’s best defensive units in 2025, keeping 15 clean sheets and finishing second in the 2025 USL Championship Golden Boot race with a 0.86 goals allowed average.
Shapiro-Thomspon, who was named Rhode Island FC’s Midfielder of the Year and was a finalist for the USL Championship Comeback Player of the Year in 2025, has made an impressive return to form after missing the majority of his first season in 2024 with an injury. Making 36 starts in 51 career appearances for RIFC, Shapiro-Thompson has tallied 2,947 minutes and is known for his speed and agility in the midfield. The Worthington, Massachusetts native ranks second on the team with four assists across all competitions in 2026. Earlier this season, he tallied his first two career assists for the club in back-to-back games, first assisting to RIFC’s lone goal at USL League One club Portland Hearts of Pine on May 16 before assisting the opening goal in RIFC’s 4-1 win over Brooklyn FC on May 23.
Bacharach, a former first-round MLS SuperDraft selection who signed for RIFC on Dec. 31, 2024, has quickly established himself as a starter, making 34 starts in 41 appearances for the club. The versatile defender brings a physical presence to the squad, leading the team with 123 duels won and ranking second with 62 aerial duels won. Bacharach also ranks third with 16 interceptions. In 3,060 career minutes across his 41 appearances, Bacharach has added three goals and two assists.
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