The Swope Park Rangers announced Wednesday that the club has signed 21-year-old defender Matt Lewis.
Lewis has started two of four USL appearances for the Rangers this season while on loan from Sporting Kansas City. The rookie center back was waived by the MLS club this week prior to joining SPR on a USL contract.
A native of Kansas City, Missouri, Lewis became Sporting KC’s eighth Homegrown Player in January after completing a standout four-year career at Fordham University. He started all 84 college appearances from 2014-2017 — becoming Fordham’s all-time leader in both categories — and helped lead the Rams to a pair of Atlantic 10 Championship titles and three NCAA tournament appearances.
Lewis attended Rockhurst High School in Kansas City, Missouri, and was a team captain for the Sporting KC Academy U-18s during the 2013-14 U.S. Soccer Development Academy season. The center back was named a finalist for Sporting KC Male Youth Player of the Year at the 2014 Kevin Gray Awards.
Lewis has helped the Rangers to an 8-4-4 record through the first three months of the 2018 USL campaign. Guided by first-year head coach Paulo Nagamura, SPR currently occupies fourth place in the Western Conference.
Transaction: Sporting Kansas City (MLS) waives defender Matt Lewis, who signs with Swope Park Rangers (USL) on a USL contract.
VITALS
Matt Lewis
Position: Defender
Number: 88
Born: 8/1/1996 (21 years old)
Height: 6-2
Weight: 165 lbs.
College: Fordham University
Hometown: Kansas City, Missouri
Birthplace: Kansas City, Missouri
Citizenship: USA
Twitter: @mattylew03
Instagram: @mattylew03
