Krutzen Signs with Phoenix Rising FC

PHOENIX – Former University at Albany men’s soccer player Daniel Krutzen has signed with Phoenix Rising FC of the USL Championship, the second-tier league in the United States.
 
Krutzen played for UAlbany for three seasons from 2016-18, winning two America East titles with the Great Danes.  In 2017, Krutzen earned a host of accolades, including Scholar All-America First Team, All-America Third Team, Scholar-All East, All-East First Team, America East First Team, and America East All-Academic.  He also ended the season with seven assists, a mark he bettered the following year when he recorded nine assists.  Krutzen was also named to the Scholar All-America First Team, Senior CLASS Second Team, Scholar-All East First Team, All-Northeast Second Team in his final season, and was once again named to the America East All-Academic Team. 
 
Since his graduation, Krutzen still ranks second in program history with 19 career assists, holds two positions in the program’s top-10 rankings for single-season assists, and holds the program record for single-game assists with four.
 
Krutzen has played in the Canadian Premier League for the last four seasons with Forge FC, where he won three league titles and qualified for the CONCACAF Champions League.  In four years with Forge FC, Krutzen appeared in 80 matches, including 59 at center-back, scored nine goals, and recorded three assists.
 
Phoenix Rising FC missed the postseason for the first time in six years in 2022, but had made consecutive runs to the league semifinals, finals, and quarterfinals in each of the previous three seasons, respectively.
 
Krutzen joins former teammate Danny Vitiello in the western conference of the USL Championship.  Vitiello plays for Sacramento Republic FC, leading his club to the 2022 USL playoffs and to the final of the 2022 U.S. Open Cup. Vitiello helped Sacramento defeat three MLS Clubs, San Jose Earthquakes, L.A. Galaxy, and Sporting Kansas City, en route to the Open Cup title game.
 
All USL Championship matches are available to stream on ESPN+, with select games airing on ESPN and ESPN2.  Phoenix Rising begins the 2023 season on March 11.