Revolution Transfers: Rochester Rhinos wanted Herivaux last year

Zachary Herivaux has been loaned to San Antonio FC but the New England Revolution midfielder would’ve been in the United Soccer League (USL) last season if Rochester Rhinos head coach Bob Lilley had his way.

Herivaux signed as a Revolution Homegrown in May 2015 but hasn’t been able to break through with the first team. The 21-year-old has only collected 38 regular season minutes with his most notable contributions coming during the U.S. Open Cup.

Despite the limited time, there are plenty of people that see potential in Herivaux. This is why Lilley wanted their MLS affiliate to send him to Rochester last year.

“If you're into development, you give me a guy to work with that has potential – and Herivaux is a very good example,” Lilley told The Bent Musket. “I love his athleticism and his range; he's not different than what I saw in Ryan James.”

James is a midfielder who was drafted by Sporting K.C. in 2016, but landed in Rochester after failing to secure an MLS contract. Under Lilley’s tutelage, James transitioned to the back line, contributing 2129 minutes in his first year as a professional. He won the team’s Rookie of the Year award and was re-signed for the 2017 season.

Lilley hoped to provide the same type of support to Herivaux, helping him adjust to life as a professional.

“I'll find a way to get good production and quality out of [Herivaux],” Lilley said. “He may not have been better than sitting down [Gershon] Koffe or [Scott] Caldwell or [Diego] Fagundez or any of those other guys. But here he'd get regular minutes and he would maybe be further along this year in preseason because he got a string of games.”

The Revs entered into a partnership with the Rhinos in 2013, looking to send players on long-term loans in order to get them minutes in the lower division. While a number of players have spent time in Rochester, including Bilal Duckett, Tyler Rudy, and Alec Sundly, Donnie Smith is the only loanee to spend multiple seasons with the Revolution after being sent to the Rhinos.

The Revs have taken a new approach in recent years, opting to have multiple USL affiliates instead of just the Rhinos. The team can now send players to multiple locations for whatever length of time they deem appropriate.

Forward Brian Wright recently spent one game with the Tulsa Roughnecks while goalkeeper Matt Turner has been a regular with the Richmond Kickers. The length of Herivaux’s loan to San Anontio is currently unknown.