ROCKINGHAM — A pair of goals in each half of Monday’s Sandhills Athletic Conference soccer match for the Richmond Senior High School girls’ soccer team was more than enough to put away Hoke County High School.
Behind a two-goal night from senior forward Jessi Graham, the Lady Raiders blanked the Lady Bucks 4-0. In what was a makeup game from Friday due to weather, it was Richmond’s (4-2, 3-1 SAC) first shutout victory of the spring.
It also marked the Lady Raiders’ seventh-straight win over Hoke County, dating back to April 13, 2016.
The Lady Raiders have been plagued with the injury bug within the last week, losing three of its starters: senior Tatum Hubbard (defender, knee), junior Emily Buie (midfielder, hip) and sophomore Caroline Whitley (midfielder, knee).
That gave head coach Chris Larsen the opportunity to call up four junior varsity players in freshman Ellie Buck, and sophomores Abigail Hudson, Allyson Leggett and Jayla McDougald. He used Monday’s game to introduce them to the varsity level, while also seeing the team execute plays it had been working on in practice.
“We were able to possess the ball and do some things we’ve been working on in practice that other games hadn’t allowed us to do,” Larsen commented. “We’re starting to see the spaces we create by holding possession.
“Everybody got some playing time tonight, which is a big thing when we have three conference games this week,” he added. “With our injuries, I felt it was important for our new girls to get some playing time to adjust to the varsity level.”
McDougald nearly scored in her first varsity game, banging a shot off the right post in the 15th minute. Richmond kept the pressure on in its offensive zone for most of the night, as freshman Kaitlyn Huff and senior Julia Bornhorst traded shots off opposite posts just two minutes after McDougald’s.
Senior Morgan Hooks opened the game’s scoring with the eventual game-winning goal in the 26th minute, splitting a pair of Hoke County defenders inside the 18-yard box. Her shot was low and hit off of goalkeeper Melissa Torres’ hands and into the net for her first goal of the season.
Graham would extend Richmond’s lead to two goals just 2:40 later with the first of her game-high two goals. After a shot attempt deflected off Torres, Graham collected the rebound and flipped the ball into the upper right corner from 10 yards out.
Sophomore goalkeeper Kelly Hoffman had a quiet night in the net for Richmond, having to make only a handful of saves in the first half.
Out of halftime, it was senior Deanna Gomez who lit the lamp next for the Lady Raiders, finishing a run that was started by senior Chloe Wiggins. Driving down the right sideline, Wiggins sent a cross in front of the net that was nearly put in by Graham, and Gomez swept in to punch it into the net on the third try in the 49th minute.
Just over two minutes later, Wiggins connected with Graham on a corner kick from the right side, sending a cross that Graham knocked in with her head. The final tally for either team came in the 51st minute, and was Graham’s third goal of the season.
Up by four goals, Larsen cleared the bench and got everyone in on the action. He replaced Hoffman in net with senior backup Abbey Coward, who made a couple of saves in the box in the closing 20 minutes.
“Jessi has had some playing time here and there in the start of the season, and I told her she has to have confidence because she’s doing all the right things,” Larsen said. “It’s a matter of being in the right place at the right time, and tonight she was there twice to put the ball in the back of the net.”
The Lady Raiders will continue SAC play on Tuesday at Lumberton High School (3-3, 1-3 SAC). The match is set for 7 p.m.
Note: In the junior varsity game, the Lady Raiders also shutout Hoke County to remain a perfect 4-0. Richmond won by a final tally of 3-0, using two first-half goals by freshman Talayeh Covington and sophomore Shelly Hoffman. Freshman Paxlee Faircloth netted a goal in the second half.
