RAEFORD — Eight days between matches due to rain caused the Lady Raider soccer team to “come out of the gates slow,” but its three goals were enough to return to the win column.
After suffering just their second Sandhills Athletic Conference loss last Wednesday to leader Pinecrest High School, the Lady Raiders rebounded with a 3-1 win over Hoke County High School Thursday.
A pair of penalty kick goals, coupled with an early-game goal, helped complete the regular-season sweep of the Lady Bucks. It was also the eighth-straight win for Richmond against Hoke County (7-8, 5-6 SAC).
“Having a week off caused us to come out of the gates slow,” head coach Chris Larsen said. “It took us some time to get our feet under us because of not playing and having to practice in the gym because of the rain.
“We played much better after the first 20 minutes,” he added. “The girls got the ball moving and we finished the first half pretty strong.”
Despite the “overall slow start,” senior forward Jessi Graham netted the game’s first goal in the third minute. Junior midfielder Carley Lambeth flipped the ball over a defender to Graham, who cradled the ball and beat Hoke’s keeper Melissa Torres to her right from 10 yards out.
Hoke County’s Aaliyah McKeithan would knot the game at a goal apiece in the 12th minute, but that’s the only offense the Lady Bucks would muster.
In the 20th minute, Richmond’s Deanna Gomez received a pass inside the 18-yard box, but was knocked down by a Lady Buck defender, affording the Lady Raiders a penalty kick. Junior Avy Lucero got the nod from Larsen, and she beat Torres to make it 2-1.
Both teams would play scoreless soccer for the remainder of the half, and Larsen explained he told his team “some of the things we needed to work on” in the final 40 minutes. He noted they “did a better job, but just struggled to put the ball in the back of the net.”
Richmond’s third goal would come in the 79th minute with just 43 seconds left in regulation. Senior midfielder Chloe Wiggins made a run into the box and had her heels clipped, allowing for another PK opportunity.
She got the chance and finished what she started, putting enough juice on her shot to hit the twine after Torres got her hands on it.
Junior defender Emily Buie made her return to the lineup after missing a month due to a hip injury. She, along with regulars Lucero, Kaiyah Sriratanakoul, Valery Standridge and Wiggins, along with goalkeeper Kelly Hoffman, managed to shut the door on the Lady Bucks.
“It was nice to have Emily back in the lineup to help out our back line,” Larsen said. “Our defense has great chemistry and that’s what it’s all about. Now we can use Emily’s experience and ability to help us get stronger.
“There are a lot of girls who can step up and play quality minutes on defense,” he concluded. “Now we’re going to shift some bodies around to see what’s the best advantage we have in the lineup.”
Graham scored her sixth goal of the spring, while Lucero and Wiggins each netted her fifth respective score.
Richmond (10-3, 8-2 SAC) will return to action Friday at home against Lumberton High School (5-6, 3-6 SAC). Currently, the Lady Raiders are in second place, and the Lady Pirates are sixth. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.
