PITTSBURGH, Pa. – On Thursday afternoon, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC announced the signing of former Messiah men's soccer standout defender
Jake Lent-Koop to a deal for the 2024 United Soccer League (USL) Championship season with a team option for the 2025 season.
Lent-Koop wrapped up his Messiah playing career this season with a First Team All-MAC Commonwealth honor after an injury delayed the start of his campaign. He previously earned a pair of First-Team All-American nods during the 2021 and 2022 seasons in addition as being selected as the MAC Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Year in 2022.
Across 78 career games, Lent-Koop made 60 starts scoring a dozen goals and assisting on three others. Her finished his time in Grantham with 27 career points, but his impact was mostly felt on the defensive end. He anchored a Messiah backline that allowed just 45 goals in the 78 games that games that Lent-Koop appeared in his career for a 0.58 goals per game average.
"Jake had a great career at Messiah and has all the tools to make the jump to the USL Championship," Riverhounds head coach Bob Lilley said. "He is a physical defender who runs well, and we believe he will grow quickly in our system."
A standout in the classroom as well, Lent-Koop earned numerous academic accolades throughout his career, being named the MAC Men's Soccer Senior Scholar Athlete and NCAA Division III National Scholar Player of the Year in 2022. He graduated this past December with a degree in Biology, carrying a 3.80 cumulative GPA.
Lent-Koop, a Rio Rancho, N.M. native, and the Riverhounds will begin the 2024 season with a match on March 9 at New Mexico United at 4:00 p.m. just miles down the street from his hometown.
