Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC has signed defender Duke Lacroix to a new contract ahead of the 2025 USL Championship season. | Photo courtesy Isaiah J. Downing / Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC announced on Friday it had signed defender Duke Lacroix to a new contract, and that goalkeeper Christian Herrera will be returning for the 2025 season under his previously existing contract for the 2025 USL Championship season. Lacroix’s new deal is pending league and federation approval.
Lacroix will return for his third season with the Switchbacks in the new year, having recorded 32 appearances and logged 2,692 minutes of action across the regular season and playoffs during the 2024 season. The 31-year-old recorded 22 interceptions and 69 clearances while winning 29 tackles at a 74.4 percent success rate.
A native of New Egypt, N.J., Lacroix has been a mainstay in the Championship, recording 203 appearances across the regular season and playoffs in his career in the league, recording 10 goals and 18 assists in 16,616 minutes of action. This year, he has also seen action for Haiti at the senior national team level, scoring twice in five appearances across FIFA World Cup Qualifying and Concacaf Nations League play.
“Colorado Springs has become a special place to me and I am excited to return for another season,” said Lacroix. “Rejoining Colorado is a great opportunity to further add to this club’s history and continue connecting with the incredible community here. I look forward to building on the success we have created on the field and give everything for my teammates, staff, and fans who believe in us. I am ready for next season’s challenges and getting back to business.”
Herrera is set for his fourth season in Colorado Springs after playing every minute of the club’s USL Championship-title winning campaign across the regular season and playoffs. The 27-year-old recorded a career-high 98 saves and 13 shutouts across the regular season and playoffs, allowing only one goal in the side’s final six games of the campaign as he recorded a Goals Prevented mark of -4.33.
“I’m really proud of what this group accomplished this year,” said Herrera. “I'm excited to get to work on doing it again next year.”
A native of Las Cruces, New Mexico, Herrera has made 100 appearances in the USL Championship across the regular season and playoffs in his career. After stints in MLS organizations including the Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders, he has established himself as the Switchbacks’ starter over the past two seasons, recording 23 shutouts in 65 appearances for the club.
“Chris has proven to be a top goalkeeper. I think the minutes and experiences he has experienced over the last two seasons have pushed him to another level,” said Switchbacks Sporting Director Stephen Hogan. “His desire and appetite to continue to learn are infectious, and he'll be fantastic in our locker room again next season.”