Thunderducks Blank Lions to Reach Mid-South District Championship Saturday
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Dallas College Mountain View () | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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Dallas College Richland () | 1 | 3 | 4 |
FARMERS BRANCH, Texas – Dallas College Richland women's soccer team punched its ticket into the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III Mid-South District championship, following a 4-0 win over Dallas College Mountain View in the semifinals Thursday.
The No. 4 nationally-ranked Thunderducks (9-5-1) will play at No. 1 Dallas College Brookhaven (12-0-1) with a berth in the national tournament on the line. This will be the fifth meeting in the district championship in the past seven seasons between the two schools.
Trinity Hernandez scored twice, and assisted on another goal as Richland beat Mountain View (6-7-1) for the third time this season – this time via the shutout. The Thunderducks had battled past the Lions, 3-2, in the previous two meetings.
"Bottom line is, once everybody settled down, started filling into their roles, the game started taking a sense of its own," Lions assistant coach Vinson Brown said. "The girls started gelling, the girls started moving the ball up, and then girls started finally putting the ball in the net. Once they're on, they're on."
⚽️ @richland_soccer coaching staff breaks down the @NJCAA_Soccer DIII Mid-South District semifinal win over Dallas College Mountain View.#NJCAA | #PostseasonSoccer | #DallasCollegeProud | #RichlandTDucks pic.twitter.com/iOgMXXBhmm
— Richland Thunderducks (@RichlandTducks) October 28, 2022
Richland, which led 1-0 at the half, following a Destiny Garcia goal in the 19th minute, scored three goals in an eight-minute span in the second half to put the game away. Emily Acosta gave the Thunderducks a 3-0 lead 20 minutes into the second half when she banged a shot off a diving Mountain View goalkeeper Lexis Mata into the corner of the net.
That's a 3️⃣-goal lead in ✌️nd half for the @NJCAA DIII No. 4 Thunderducks in @NJCAA_Soccer Mid-South District semifinals. Closing in on another date with No. 1 @DCBWomensSoccer for District championship. #NJCAA | #PostseasonSoccer | #DallasCollegeProud | #RichlandTDucks pic.twitter.com/awebKqbZwV
— Richland Thunderducks (@RichlandTducks) October 28, 2022
Hernandez put four shots on frame, cashing in on two of them. After coming back from an injury, she moved into second on the team with 14 points. Garcia leads the Thunderducks with 15 points after notching her sixth goal of the year.
"We haven't had a championship since 2018," Hernandez said. "It's a completely new set of girls. I think everybody, being able to get this opportunity is just, literally, once in a lifetime. Just being able to be over here on this pitch, I'm so grateful. We all are."
The Thunderducks put 12 shots on goal, forcing Mata to stop eight. Richland keeper Ilce Miranda notched her fifth shutout of the season.
Now the Thunderducks will test Brookhaven's goalkeeping tandem for the third time this year for all the marbles and Dallas Athletic Conference bragging rights.
"It's really personal for me because after this you're done, and this will be my last year in juco," said Emelia Nunez, who assisted on the gamewinning goal. "I just really want to take a crack at 'em and take advantage since we've been really close every single time."
Book it. A date with @DCBWomensSoccer in @NJCAA_Soccer Mid-South District Championship following @richland_soccer 4-0 win in semifinals. #NJCAA | #PostseasonSoccer | #DallasCollegeProud | #RichlandThunderducks pic.twitter.com/wtPFoUXvdF
— Richland Thunderducks (@RichlandTducks) October 28, 2022
Brookhaven beat Richland, 1-0, the last time these two teams met for the district title on Oct. 28, 2019.
"It will be a battle," Richland head coach Scott Toups said. "They do not have a weakness that we've been able to identify, so we think it's just going to be one of those grind-it-out games, but I think we're definitely capable of playing with the No. 1 team in the country."
