LUMBERTON — A pair of goals in each half helped the Richmond Senior High School girls’ soccer team collect its second win of the season on Tuesday.
Playing their fourth-straight road game to start the season, the Lady Raiders defeated non-conference Lumberton High School 4-1.
Using a fast start, Richmond netted two goals in the opening five minutes. Senior Destiny Barrick and junior Cheyenne Jacobs accounted for the two early tallies.
Jacobs started a run down the right side before switching the field to the backside, where Barrick collected the ball and scored her first goal of the season. Getting credit on the assist was Jacobs.
Just a few minutes later, sophomore Allie Rodgers took a touch from 30 yards out and sent a diagonal pass to Jacobs. Making a move around a defender inside the 18-yard box, Jacobs scored her second goal of the spring to make it 2-0.
Richmond committed a foul in the box later in the first half, allowing Lumberton to attempt a penalty kick. But the shot by the Lady Pirates sailed high over the crossbar.
Adding to their 2-0 halftime lead, the Lady Raiders scored a goal in the opening minute of the second half.
Junior Karter Walker was credited with an assist on a ball she sent into the box after dribbling down the right side. There to try and score were sophomores Jenna Gardner and Kaleigh Cloninger.
Netting her first goal of the year, Cloninger was able to get the final touch to extend the lead to 3-0.
Lumberton (1-3) took advantage of a foul committed by Richmond in the 63rd minute to score its lone goal. On a free kick, a shot went to the upper right corner to get past junior goalkeeper Chloe Nunn.
Just under four minutes later, freshman Jamyia Lindsey added an insurance goal with her first career varsity goal in the 67th minute. Collecting the ball in the 18-yard box, Lindsey dribbled and sent a shot that beat the keeper to her right for the game’s final goal.
“I told the girls that the competition tonight would be different from what we’ve seen so far, but I praised them for doing what they needed to do to win,” head coach Chris Larsen said. “I couldn’t have asked for anything better on the first three goals.
“Those goals were scored by doing what we’ve been talking about and working on in practice,” he added. “Now they see that we can be successful when we do the things we teach, and as long as we get better and progress, I can’t complain.”
Larsen added that the Lady Raiders also played more aggressively on offense and defense, and that with a big lead, he was able to get everyone some playing time.
The Lady Raiders (2-2) will make their long-awaited home debut on Thursday against non-conference Terry Sanford High School (0-3), weather permitting. Varsity play will begin at 7 p.m.
JV Lady Raiders open season with big win
The Richmond junior varsity girls’ soccer team won in its season debut on Tuesday, defeating Lumberton 9-1.
The JV Lady Raiders scored five goals in the first half, before adding four goals in the final 35 minutes. Lumberton’s goal came on a penalty kick after Richmond had a handball in the box.
Ashly Gonzalez had a hat trick, Evie Howell and Melissa Morales both scored two goals, and Alexis Locklear and Hanna Smith each added a solo tally.
“With this being our first match, I saw a lot of improvement from the first half to the second half,” head coach Bennie Howard said. “The girls are coming around to my way of wanting to play soccer, and hopefully that will continue.
“This was a great way for our team to start the season,” he added.
The JV Lady Raiders (1-0) will also host Terry Sanford on Thursday, beginning at 5 p.m.
