USL Hartford Athletic

Hartford Athletic Announces First Player Signings

Published on December 18, 2018 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Hartford Athletic News Release


Hartford, CT - Hartford Athletic announced the first signings in Club history on Tuesday as Wojciech Wójcik, Jose Angulo, and Alex Dixon prepare to join the Club in Hartford for its inaugural USL Championship season in 2019, pending league and Federation approval.

"We are a new team, but we won't play like one," Hartford Athletic Head Coach Jimmy Nielsen said. "These players have exciting talent, know my coaching style, and are ready to compete. That familiarity will give us an advantage that expansion teams don't often have."

There is a breadth of accomplishment and experience among this group of standout players. Jose Angulo was named USL Championship Most Valuable Player in 2013 while with Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, and Alex Dixon has significant experience in Major League Soccer.

"We're very excited to welcome Wojciech, Jose, and Alex to Hartford," said Hartford Athletic Chairman and CEO Bruce Mandell. "These players have proven that they can compete at the highest level and provide an exciting foundation for our Club. We look forward to the season kicking off March 9th in Atlanta and taking the field here in Hartford in front of a sold-out crowd for our first home match on May 4th."

The league announced last Friday that the first home game for Hartford Athletic will be on May 4th against the Charlotte Independence. Home games for all USL Championship teams were announced last Friday with the full schedule expected to be announced before the new year.

Hartford Athletic also announced that season ticket memberships are now on sale. Fans can become a Founding Member today by purchasing their package at HartfordAthletic.com/tickets. For official team merchandise, go to shop.hartfordathletic.com.

Player Profiles

Wojciech Wójcik is a 26-year-old, Polish-American Forward from Elmwood Park, Illinois. In 2016 and 2017, Wójcik played for OKC Energy FC in the USL Championship. He scored two critical goals during Energy FC's run to the Western Conference Final of the 2017 USL Cup Playoffs, including delivering the game-winner against Reno 1868 FC in the Conference Quarterfinals. Wójcik, who was born in Poland, played collegiately at Bradley University where he won Conference Player of the Year in 2013.

Jose Angulo's seven-year career has taken him throughout the North American soccer landscape, including a stint in Major League Soccer with the New York Red Bulls in 2012. The 30-year-old Colombian forward most recently played for OKC Energy FC in 2018. Acquired in the middle of the 2017 season by Coach Nielsen, Angulo poured in 11 goals and five assists for the Energy in 16 matches. Angulo had a career season in 2013 while playing for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds. He scored a USL-best 15 goals en route to winning both the MVP and Golden Boot awards and has scored 47 regular-season goals in his USL Championship career, tied for sixth-most in the league's history.

Alex Dixon, a Bay City, Texas native, grew up playing in the Houston Dynamo academy, and went on to sign as a Homegrown Player in Major League Soccer with the Dynamo in 2011. A 28-year-old winger, Dixon notched 10 goals during his time in MLS. Described by many as one of the fastest players in the league, Dixon's career has thrived since joining OKC Energy FC in 2017. He set career highs in 2018 playing in 34 matches, scoring 11 goals, and assisting five others.

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