Orono, Maine -- University of Maine head football coach Nick Charlton has announced the addition of graduate transfer kicker Vladimir Rivas. Rivas, who has two years of eligibility remaining, will be eligible to compete in the fall of 2021.

Prior to joining the Black Bears, Rivas spent four years at Florida Atlantic University. After redshirting for the 2017 season, Rivas appeared in 35 games at FAU where he registered 35 field goals and 114 PATs to go along with 40 kickoffs, averaging 56.3 yards per kickoff for his career.

In 2020, Rivas hit 8-of-10 field goal attempts while knocking through 20 of 21 extra point attempts while appearing in nine games for the Owls. Rivas' season-long field goal in 2020 came when he hit a 43 yard kick against no. 22/25 Marshall. Rivas matched his season-long with another 43 yard make in the Owls' victory over FIU. In 2019, Rivas finished with a season-high 17 field goals and his career-high of 55 PATs made. During the 2019 campaign, Rivas hit 17 of 25 field goal attempts with a pair of 40+ yard shots including his career-long, a 48 yard make against UCF. Rivas went a perfect 3-for-3 on field goal attempts against FIU and finished the season with back-to-back 7-for-7 PAT performances. As a redshirt freshman, Rivas tallied 10 field goals with a season-high 44 yard make against Middle Tennessee.

-UMaine-