Richland soccer has been ranked No. 2 in the nation for NJCAA Division III, marking the first time Richland has not been ranked No. 1 in seven years.
Following the new ranking, Thunderduck Men’s head soccer coach Raul Herrera said, “For me it feels terrible, because we’ve been ranked No. 1 for seven years. But at the end of the day we aren’t playing the championship game tomorrow.”
For the Thunderducks, this preseason has been one of their most challenging yet, having played a lot of four-year and Division II and Division I schools. The team played their last preseason game against Northeast Texas Community College on Aug. 22, which solidified their ranking going into the season.
Herrera has also mentioned a learning curve this preseason, with a lot of new elements added to the team. Herrera looks to his returning players to take up responsibility in adjusting to the changes and to serve as mentors for the new players.
“They need to lead. They have experience, they know what we’re talking about, they’ve been through the so-called trenches,” he said.
Beyond the players, however, Herrera attributes his team culture to having a good coaching staff. “When you get people who care and are devoted to come here, you know that helps.” His assistant coach, Alberto Rodriguez, referred to by Herrera as his “right hand man”, is his former teammate and has been working with him for 15 years. This year, despite the drop in rankings, Herrera is looking to further develop and maintain the team’s winning culture.
“We want to do things right on and off the field. We still have some adjusting to do, but we are in a much better place than we were when we started.”
For Herrera and the team, part of the learning curve comes from the built-in challenges of community college athletics. As a two-year program, the turnover for players on the team is rapid, which is where Herrera really turns to his returning players to help make adjustments seamless.
