Dirigo Deep Diver #6: The Riker Family

This month’s Deep Dives ramps it up many notches with the introduction of an entire and multi-generational family whose love for the Hearts and investment in their swag make them prime candidates for a feature in the club’s next merch launch. Indeed, they are such a photogenic crewthat Deep Diver suspects they moonlight as catalog models for the L.L. Bean.

Richard and Alison Riker raised five soccer players in Cape Elizabeth: Dana, Carly, Meredith,

David, and Maddy. Four daughters and one son (and sons-in-law Colman, Alex, and Warren) all played some combination of high school, youth travel, college, and even Maine Premier and US Olympic development soccer teams. They talk soccer the way Deep Diver talks doughnuts. Richard played on Lewiston High School’s first soccer team in the mid 1970s, under assistant coach and Maine soccer legend Mike McGraw. Richard explained that attending home games at Fitzy is an ongoing meet-up with many old friends who created Maine soccer’s history and culture. Having the Hearts of Pine in Portland is in many ways the culmination of their hard work over recent decades.

In what is becoming a theme of Deep Dive profiles, the Rikers are especially taken with the

community orientation that the Hearts and the Dirigo Union demonstrated from day one. Alison captures a special benefit of the Club’s generous ethic: “I didn’t know what we were getting into. We love sports, we love watching our kids play sports. I knew we were going to enjoy going to games. But I didn’t realize what a community feeling of goodwill would come out of it. These can be challenging times. Scary things are happening in our world. To sit among the DU and encourage the team that was giving their all. It was magical.” Deep Diver couldn’t say it better.

True to that give-back spirit, many of the Rikers are health-care professionals, most practicing right here in Maine. Alison, Carly, Meredith, and Maddy are nurses. Dana is a Physician’s Assistant. Richard is a pulmonary and critical care physician. This also suggests lots of brains in the family. Carly’s crafty intelligence led her to join the DU to meet new people when returning to Maine after 17 years abroad (Massachusetts). She attended a DU chant practice with Rich and Alison before those early games in Lewiston last year and was immediately welcomed by new friends. Although she didn’t have season tickets, she managed to attend all but one home game last season and is now the very rare owner of a new 2026 season ticket. Hold on to it, Carly, it’s worth its weight in gold!

The Riker children are similar in age to Hearts founder Gabe Hoffman-Johnson. As Cape

Elizabeth high school soccer players, they were often challenged by those teams just north of Portland where Gabe played. Despite this rivalry, they always liked Gabe (who could not?) and especially value how he’s built the team. The newest generation of Rikers include grandchildren Theo (9), Olin (6), Raina (4), and Vail (3) who love community soccer and the Kids’ Zone at Fitzy. The Lego figures of Hearts players in both original and bandit kits adorned the table from which they spoke to me.

Deep Diver doesn’t have a lot of soccer expertise, so she took full advantage of the Rikers’ Fort Knox of wisdom to get their take on the Maine Boys’ performance on the pitch. The Riker consensus? The Hearts of Pine overperformed and grew into a true team throughout the first season. Their success was fueled not only by gritty and talented players, but by their

commitment to each other and to the spirit of community that infuses the team’s culture. Some observations. Maddy explained that they “lead with their hearts” on the field and show a mix of fun, hard press, and grit that the team slogan embodies. Richard added, “We overplayed compared with what was expected as a first-year team.” Under Bobby’s leadership, the Hearts became more than the sum of their parts, resulting in great comebacks and an unforgettable first season.

Deep Diver cannot wait to get to know the Rikers better and will be friendly-stalking them at

Fitzy in the coming months. The family’s favorite pre-game ritual is to compete on guessing

who’s in the starting line-up. Bobby always keeps them guessing but rarely disappoints. With

fans like the Rikers behind them, the Hearts have a very promising future, in soccer, in Maine, and in the human community to which they are dedicated.