Thunderducks Fall in Shootout, Finish as National Runner-Up

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

HERKIMER, N.Y. – Dallas College Richland men's soccer team fell to Mohawk Valley Community College in a shootout in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III Championship game Sunday night on a snowy Wehrum Stadium field.

Mohawk Valley won the shootout 3-2 after the two teams battled to a 1-1 draw through double overtime.

It marked the second straight year Richland (13-3-1) finished as the national runner-up. Mohawk Valley (16-3-1) repeated as champs in the third straight year the two teams decided the title. Richland won it in 2023.

Richland's Vicente Cabrera and Sebastian Gonzalez scored goals in the shootout. Francesco Tagliavini, Souayibou Diop and Anderson Costa Filho accounted for Mohawk Valley's goals in the shootout.

Richland outshot Mohawk Valley 17-8. Thunderducks goalkeeper Victor Gomez made four saves. Costa Filho stopped seven shots for the Hawks. Tijn Laanen, called on in the shootout between the posts, stopped two shots as Costa Filho turned to a penalty kick shooter.

Cabrera scored in the 38th minute on a penalty kick to put the Thunderducks on the board. It was his second goal of the season.

Mohawk Valley tied the game in the 63rd minute on a goal by Mario Camacho. Bakir Omercevic had the assist. It was the only shot the Hawks attempted in the second half.

Just under 13 minutes into the game, Richland's Mazin Saeed hit the crossbar. In the 19^th minute, Alexis Cruz cracked a shot, but Costa Filho stopped it. A minute-and-a-half after Cabrera scored, Daniel Espana put a shot on goal, but Costa Filho made the save.

Alex Valdez put Richland's first two shots on goal in the second half, but Costa Filho made the saves. Cabrera had a shot stopped by the Hawks keeper in the 62nd minute. Sebastian Gonzalez's shot in the 72nd minute was stopped by Costa Filho. He made another save on Luis Gallegos in the 80th minute as the Thunderducks continued to pepper the net with shots.

Richland outshot Mohawk Valley 7-1 in the second half.

Gomez made a save late in the first overtime to keep the game tied. He stopped another shot in the second overtime to send the championship to penalty kicks. They were the only two shots in overtime.

It was Richland's sixth national runner-up finish. Richland was making its 10^th straight national championship game appearance.