TAMPA, Fla. – USL League One announced on Monday its first official awards for 2021 with standout Richmond Kickers forward Emiliano Terzaghi claiming his second consecutive League One Golden Boot award in leading his side to the postseason. Also honored were Union Omaha goalkeeper Rashid Nuhu, who earned his first League One Golden Glove award, and Chattanooga Red Wolves SC defender Ricky Ruiz taking the Assists Champion award.
A native of Argentina, Terzaghi set a new single-season record with 18 goals in 27 appearances, surpassing the mark set by former North Texas SC forward Ronaldo Damus of 16 in League One’s inaugural season in 2019. The 28-year-old averaged a goal every 128.4 minutes while finishing four goals ahead of his closest competition as he led the Kickers’ drive to a first appearance in the League One Playoffs, and the club’s first postseason appearance overall since 2016 in the USL Championship.
Voted to the 2020 USL League One All-League Second Team a season ago, Nuhu raised his performance this campaign to claim the Golden Glove with a goals-against average of 0.75. A native of Ghana, the 25-year-old competed collegiately at Fordham University and in USL League Two before joining the professional ranks in the USL Championship with the New York Red Bulls II in 2019. Last year he joined Omaha for its inaugural season in League One and in this campaign played a key role in the club’s first-place finish in the regular season.
A California native, Ruiz equaled League One’s single-season record with 10 assists during the regular season this campaign, matching the total set by former North Texas SC midfielder Arturo Rodriguez in the 2019 regular season. The 24-year-old has spent the past two seasons with the Red Wolves after previously competing in USL League Two during and after his college career at the University of California – Riverside, and in addition to his first-place finish in assists ranked tied for first place in Chances Created with 58.
The 2021 USL League One Golden Boot, Golden Glove and Assists Champion are the opening three awards that will be presented by the league this year. League One’s Most Valuable Player, Young Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, Defender of the Year, Goalkeeper of the Year and the USL League One All-League Teams will be announced later this month.
