ROCKINGHAM — Snapping a three-game skid, the Lady Raider soccer team took care of business against Scotland High School on Tuesday.
Using a trio of two-goal scorers, and five total players to find the back of the net, Richmond rolled past the Lady Scots 8-0.
Scoring six goals in the first half, the Lady Raiders tacked on two more in the final 40 minutes of the Sandhills Athletic Conference match.
With the big lead, head coach Chris Larsen used the opportunity to move players around to different positions and get everyone ample playing time.
Juniors Shiana Chaparro and Allie Rodgers, along with sophomore Ashly Gonzalez, each scored two goals. Chipping in with a goal apiece were junior Jenna Gardner and freshman Yulissa Avalos.
It was Gardner who scored the eventual game-winning goal, her first of the season, in the 13th minute off a set piece.
Senior Cheyenne Jacobs sent a corner kick from the right side to the front post, where Gardner headed the ball into the net to make it 1-0.
Richmond scored five more goals in the final 14 minutes of the first half. Avalos scored her third goal of the spring from inside the box in the 26th minute.
Gonzalez followed with the first of her two goals in the 28th minute, sending a shot low and inside the left post on a 1v1 to extend the lead to three goals.
Rodgers’ first goal came minutes later when she sent a volley into the box that deflected off the keeper’s hands and rolled into the net. Chaparro added to the lead with her first goal, assisted by junior Evie Howell.
In the closing minute, Rodgers struck again, this time redirecting a ball in the six-yard box to give the Lady Raiders a 6-0 lead.
Jacobs was credited with another assist, giving her two in the game. Rodgers’ second tally was her team-leading ninth goal this season.
The Lady Raiders’ two second-half goals came courtesy of Gonzalez and Chaparro. Again on a breakaway 1v1 situation, Gonzalez made easy work to find the net in the 48th minute, her fifth goal this year.
Chaparro tacked on a goal in the 64th minute, scoring from inside the six-yard box. Her two goals against Scotland (3-5-1, 2-4 SAC) were her first two.
Sophomore Quanna Bostic and senior Tatum Rhyne combined for the shutout in goal. Bostic played the majority of the game, with Rhyne closing out the final 20 minutes.
Richmond (9-4-1, 3-3 SAC) will return to action after spring break and play at Pinecrest High School (8-4, 5-0 SAC) on Tuesday, April 18, at 7 p.m.
JV Lady Raiders win third straight game
The Richmond junior varsity soccer team also defeated Scotland on Tuesday, earning a 6-0 victory.
Playing for the first time since March 24, the JV Lady Raiders won their third straight game.
Netting a hat trick was freshman Ella Gibson, while sophomore Karlie Simmons added a pair of goals. Rounding out the scoring was Genesis Alicea with one goal.
“It was good to go into spring break with a win,” head coach Bennie Howard said. “We had a lot of chances to score tonight. Hopefully how we played today will help us when we return against Pinecrest.”
The JV Lady Raiders (4-2, 3-1 SAC) will play at Pinecrest on April 18, starting at 5 p.m.
