FAYETTEVILLE – Just two days after scoring a season-high six goals against Sandhills Athletic Conference opponent Hoke County High School, the Lady Raiders’ soccer team had no luck finding the back of the net Friday on the road at Jack Britt High School.
The 1-0 loss to the Lady Buccaneers (4-2, 4-0 SAC) marked the second time Richmond (5-2, 2-2 SAC) had been blanked by an opponent this season. Entering Friday’s game, the Lady Raiders were riding a two-game hot streak, having outscored their opponents 7-1 in those contests, with four different players scoring at least one goal.
In what head coach Bennie Howard called a “learning experience,” the Lady Raiders had their fair share of opportunities to get on the scoreboard but couldn’t connect. Richmond recorded eight total shots, with five of them being on goal. Sophomore defender Avy Lucero, who had two goals against Hoke County, led the team with three shots on frame, and junior midfielders Jayana Nicholson and Chloe Wiggins each recorded one shot on net.
“We lost a tough one,” Howard said following the game via a phone call. “We had a couple of chances to score. It was a tale of two halves – I told the girls we’ve got to come prepared to play an 80-minute match, not a 40-minute match.”
Howard noted that his team “controlled the game a lot better” in second half, as neither team scored a goal in the opening 40 minutes of play. Jack Britt broke the scoreless tie in the 65th minute, as sophomore goalkeeper Allexis Swiney allowed her only goal of the night while making six other timely saves.
The Lady Raiders did send a ball into the net, but the officials negated the goal, citing that the indirect kick did not touch a player before entering the nylon. The ball appeared to have been touched by Jack Britt’s goalkeeper, but the call was still reversed.
With hopes of still chasing an SAC title this season, Richmond has a full lineup of home games next week. They’ll host SAC opponents Lumberton High School (3-3, 2-2 SAC) on Monday (7 p.m.) and Seventy-First High School (0-6, 0-4 SAC) on Wednesday (6 p.m.).
Howard and company will wrap up the week’s play with a non-conference matchup at home against Lee County High School on Thursday (6:30 p.m.).
