Ricky Lopez-Espin

Ricky Lopez-Espin
Personal information
Date of birth (1995-12-02) December 2, 1995 (age 30)
Place of birth Miami, Florida, United States
Height 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position Forward
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014–2017 Creighton Bluejays 74 (30)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016 Lane United 4 (0)
2017 Tampa Bay Rowdies U23 2 (1)
2018 Real Salt Lake 1 (0)
2018 → Real Monarchs (loan) 8 (0)
2019 Lansing Ignite 8 (3)
2020 Fort Lauderdale CF 16 (7)
Total 39 (11)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Ricky Lopez-Espin (born December 2, 1995) is an American former soccer player.

Career

College

Lopez-Espin spent his entire college career at Creighton University. He made a total of 74 appearances for the Bluejays and tallied 30 goals and 7 assists. During his senior year at Creighton, he was named USC First Team All-Great Lakes Region, Big East Conference Player of the Year, and First Team All-Big East Conference.

While at college, Lopez-Espin played for Premier Development League sides Lane United and Tampa Bay Rowdies U23.

Professional

On January 19, 2018, Lopez-Espin was selected 33rd overall in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft by the Real Salt Lake.

On March 24, he made his professional debut for Salt Lake's USL affiliate club Real Monarchs, appearing as an 85th-minute substitute in a 3–2 victory over Tulsa Roughnecks.

Lopez-Espin was released by Salt Lake at the end of their 2018 season. On December 12, 2018, Lopez-Espin was selected by Los Angeles FC in the MLS Waiver Draft.

On March 21, 2019, Lopez-Espin signed for Lansing Ignite. On April 8, Lopez-Espin was suspended for four matches after he made an anti-LGBT comment during a match against the Greenville Triumph. On June 26, 2019, Lopez and Lansing mutually terminated his contract.

Lopez-Espin spent a single season in USL League One with Fort Lauderdale CF during their 2020 season.

References

  1. ↑ "Ricky Lopez-Espin - 2017". gocreighton.com.
  2. ↑ "Ricky Lopez-Espin". USL PDL.
  3. ↑ "Real Salt Lake selects Creighton University forward Ricky Lopez-Espin | Real Salt Lake".
  4. ↑ "2018 - Tulsa Roughnecks FC vs Real Monarchs SLC - uslsoccer.com". www.uslsoccer.com.
  5. ↑ "Real Salt Lake declines option on longtime defender Tony Beltran | MLSsoccer.com".
  6. ↑ "Marco Ureña among four players selected in 2018 Waiver Draft | MLSsoccer.com".
  7. ↑ Friend, Phil (April 8, 2019). "Lansing Ignite's Ricky Lopez-Espin receives four-match ban for offensive comments". Lansing State Journal. Retrieved January 1, 2026.
  8. ↑ "LIFC, Lopez-Espin Mutually Agree to Part Ways". Lansing Ignite. June 27, 2019. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
  9. ↑ "2021 Season Preview: Fort Lauderdale CF". April 13, 2021.