NJCAA Featured - Dallas-Richland Men's Soccer

The NJCAA is running a 2024-25 school year featured series on some of the organization's biggest sports storylines.

Dallas, TX: Winning a national championship in any sport at any level is one of the most significant achievements one can have in college athletics. Winning two in a row signifies something unique, on the verge of being a dynasty. Winning six consecutive national championships is a feat that rarely occurs in sports and solidifies any program as one of the most successful in the country.

Dallas College Richland (TX) has accomplished this feat over the last six seasons within NJCAA Division III Men's Soccer. Known for its unique mascot, the Thunderducks, Richland has been one of the most consistent and winningest men's soccer programs in recent memory. The Thunderducks have reached the championship game in the last eight seasons and have won seven titles in that span. The program has won a Division III-leading 12 men's soccer national titles.

Over the last six seasons, the Thunderducks have accumulated a 94-5-4 record (as of September 17, 2024), including four seasons without losing a single game. This run also includes a 75-game consecutive winning streak, achieved in the 2022 national championship game. Over the last six seasons, 27 student-athletes have been named NJCAA Division III Men's Soccer All-Americans, and six national tournament Most Valuable Player honors have been awarded.

"This program is like my baby. It means a lot to me. Every time we succeed on the field, it puts pressure on us, almost like a bullseye. I think that pressure is why our guys are very successful at the next level. They are battle-tested," Richland head men's soccer coach Raul Herrera said.

One of those student-athletes who moved to four-year schools includes Lorenzo Boselli. Boselli was the 2021 NJCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship Most Valuable Player and led Richland to a 17-0-1 record in said season. The Bregnano, Italy native ended the season with 21 goals. Boseli furthered his soccer career by attending Syracuse University of the Atlantic Coast Conference. He helped lead the Orange to an NCAA men's soccer national championship in 2022.

Felipe Escorcia was a member of the last two national championship teams and earned NJCAA All-America honors in 2023. He signed with Southern Methodist University (SMU) of the ACC conference and has started every game for the Mustangs to open this season.

"One of the most rewarding things as a coach is seeing guys playing at the next level. Guys are playing at Syracuse University, SMU and the University of Tulsa. We have guys playing at quality Division II programs, and playing in Final Fours there. We've had guys play for the No. 1-ranked team at the NAIA level," Herrera said.

Herrera is entering his sixth season, holding five national titles. Herrera is an alumnus of Dallas College Richland, where he led the Thunderducks to the 2006 NJCAA National Championship as the starting goalkeeper. He also earned National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-America honors, and was a 2006 NJCAA Division III Men's Soccer Second-Team All-America selection.

"Playing for Richland gave me the opportunity to be a winner. It gave me confidence on and off the field. The team we built the year I played, those are my some of my best friends. It gave me a lot of victories on and off the field," Herrera said.

Herrera played for NJCAA Men's Soccer Coaches Association Hall of Famer Sean Worley. Worley is among the most decorated NJCAA Men's Soccer coaches of all time, winning seven NJCAA DIII Men's Soccer National Championships at Richland, and racking up 330 victories. After playing at NCAA Division II Midwestern State University, Herrera returned to Richland as an assistant coach under Worley. Herrera earned All-America honors in 2009.

"Sean Worley, the previous head coach and my coach here, gave me this opportunity. My senior year at Western State, Richland and Western State scrimmage each other yearly. He approached me after the game and asked, what are you doing after you graduate? I told him I didn't know, and he said to come to work with me. Little by little, with much hard work, it worked out. This wasn't given to me. I had to put in a lot of hard work, I had to put in the work, and it has prepared me for anything in life," Herrera said.

This year's team opened the season ranked as the preseason No. 1 team, and has started the season 3-0. Joseph Min, 2023 NJCAA Division III Men's Soccer Second Team All-America selection, led the way with two goals for the Thunderducks in the season opener against Northeast Texas.

"Being the coach here has been one of my biggest accomplishments. I take great pride in what I do—having people trust me and taking over for a great coach in Sean Worthy. I teach my guys to be as competitive as possible, reach for their dreams, and strive for more each day. Believers don't stop living. Stop living when you don't have goals," Herrera said.

Follow the Thunderducks as they fight for a spot in Batavia, New York, for the 2024 NJCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship this November. All games from the championship will be shown live on the NJCAA Network.