ROCKINGHAM — Picking up its second win in as many tries this week on its home pitch, the Lady Raider soccer team handed Hoke County High School its first loss of the season.
Behind a two-goal effort from junior midfielder Kaitlyn Huff, and a late insurance goal from senior forward Jayla McDougald, Richmond earned a 3-1 victory over the Lady Bucks.
Head coach Chris Larsen said the two-game homestand this week allowed the Lady Raiders to find their footing, and noted the potential for the team to continue to grow is looking bright.
“The girls are starting to figure out what I want them to do and the longer we play, the more they adapt to the learning curve,” Larsen said. “We’ve been able to get on a little bit of a run and the girls are playing well.
“We knew Hoke would be a challenge and they were, and we didn’t pull away until the last little bit,” he added. “But luckily we were able to answer pretty quickly to give us a two-goal cushion the last three minutes. As long as we’re taking steps in the right direction, that’s the biggest thing.”
Huff, who increased her team lead in goals to five following Wednesday’s win, gave the Lady Raiders a first-half lead in the 31st minute off a set piece. Sophomore outside back Kalei Sriratanakoul took a corner kick from the left side and arched a ball toward the near post.
There to head it in was Huff, who flicked the ball through a couple of defenders and past the hands of goalkeeper Kimberly Sanchez-Lopez. The 1-0 lead would hold until intermission.
Larsen explained that while Huff’s ability to find the back of the net has been impressive through four matches, it’s her work in the middle of the field that helps Richmond remain competitive in games.
“Kaitlyn has been able to be the spark the team needs in certain situations,” Larsen said. “It’s not so much her scoring, it’s what she does off the ball, playing the ball ahead and helping coach the other girls on the field.
“She does a great job setting up her teammates to be successful and she’s rewarded with good knowledge of the game,” he added. “Tonight she made a good play on the ball on both of her goals and had great awareness on the field.”
Sophomore outside back Kalei Sriratanakoul (12), who earned her first assist, clears the ball away from Sachi Matthews (9) in the first half.
Out of the break, it took Huff just 12 minutes to boot in her second goal of the game. She found a loose ball in the 18-yard box and blasted it on frame, seeing it deflect off a Hoke County defender and into the net. That gave the Lady Raiders a 2-0 lead in the 52nd minute.
“I try to balance scoring and playing the midfield by becoming an option for other girls and creating space to switch the field or even taking the ball myself into space and distributing it to the outside,” Huff said of her roles.
Hoke County (3-1) would cut its deficit to one goal in the 72nd minute on a tally from Meia Banks. But McDougald was quick to answer in the 77th minute with a shot from the left side of the box that went in to provide a cushion for the remaining 3:15.
Another part of the Lady Raiders’ team that is falling into place is the defense, as Larsen said a revolving door of players is providing a solid line of defense in front of senior goalkeeper Kelly Hoffman.
“The defense is starting to play a lot better as a unit and is figuring out each other,” Larsen said. “I’ve got five girls I’ve been rotating in and out with Paxlee (Faircloth) and Destiny (Barrick) serving as the middle two. And Meghan (McKenzie), Kalei and Bobbie (Faircloth) have all done a great job and shown confidence.”
Sriratanakoul, who was a starter as a freshman, said the defense is doing a better job talking and making smarter plays out of the back.
“The defense is getting better and it starts with our communication,” Sriratanakoul explained. “We’ve started making better passes and opening the field up more, and that was beneficial tonight.
“We worked on corners in practice yesterday, and I was looking for the open person tonight, which happened to be Kaitlyn,” she added of her first assist of the season. “That was a big moment for us because we didn’t play with a lot of energy in the first half and that helped us get the ball rolling.”
Richmond (3-1) will continue Sandhills Athletic Conference play on Monday at Lumberton High School (1-3), with action set for a 7 p.m. start.
Lutz’s two goals lead JV Lady Raiders to another win
Ahead of the varsity team’s win, the Richmond junior varsity team collected its second straight shutout, defeating Hoke County 5-0.
Netting four goals in the first half, freshman Gabby Lutz recorded her second two-goal performance in as many games, bringing her season total to four goals.
Fellow freshman Allie Rodgers also found the back of the net in the win, extending her team lead in goals to five in three games. Closing out the first-half scoring was a tally from Shiana Chapparo, who scored on an assist from Melissa Hernandez on a corner kick.
Hernandez was rewarded with a goal in the second half to seal the deal, getting a lead pass from sophomore C’Nedra Hinson, who was credited with the assist.
“It was a good game for us,” coach Tad Hamilton said. “I was able to move some girls around and try some new things. It was nice to have the flexibility and depth to move girls around in terms of positions and try new tactics.”
The JV Lady Raiders improved to 2-1 on the season and will also travel to Lumberton on Monday, beginning at 5 p.m.
