ROCKINGHAM — Putting an exclamation point on their current six-match winning streak heading into the NCHSAA 4A state playoffs, the Lady Raider soccer team closed the regular season with a shutout win over Purnell Swett High School on Thursday.
A night after also blanking Scotland High School, the Lady Raiders completed the season sweep of the Lady Rams in a 4-0 decision.
Similar to Wednesday’s win, Richmond scored two goals in the opening 10 minutes. Senior Jayla McDougald scored both tallies, while fellow senior Caroline Whitley and sophomore Karter Walker added goals in the win.
“Jayla’s two quick goals, a lot like last night, allowed us to settle in and play our game,” head coach Chris Larsen said. “It’s a lot easier to play with a lead and we can work the ball without feeling pressured.
“The girls didn’t have to play a full 80 minutes, which will help us in the playoffs,” he continued. “Everyone got to play, and we used it to work on things and move some girls around in preparation for next week.”
In the fifth minute, junior Kaitlyn Huff sent a shot on frame from the left wing that hit the far post. There to collect the loose ball was McDougald, whose initial shot also hit the post, but she collected her own rebound and sent it past the diving keeper.
Just four minutes later, McDougald used her speed and finesse to notch her team-leading 14th goal of the season. Coming down the opposite wing, she worked through a flurry of defenders before finding open space inside the 18-yard box.
McDougald chipped the ball into a high arch, that banged off the lower left post and into the net. Richmond held a 2-0 advantage in the ninth minute. In three games this week, McDougald scored four of Richmond’s 17 goals.
Senior Jayla McDougald (4) speeds past three defenders moments before her second goal. (Kyle Pillar)
The Lady Raiders continued to win the possession battle, and it paid off one more time before the intermission.
Sophomore Kalei Sriratanakoul lined up to take a corner kick from the left side under the scoreboard and sent the cross into the box. Whitley, a midfielder, connected with the ball for her first goal of the season, extending the Lady Raiders’ lead in the 19th minute.
“It was nice to get the goal because we don’t know if we’re home or away in the playoffs,” Whitley said. “Kalei made a nice cross and I was just there at the right time and the goal just happened.
“Our goal tonight was to play good and keep our heads up,” she added. “This created some good momentum and we hope we can carry that on to next week into the playoffs.”
Junior outside back Meghan McKenzie made a sweeping clear of a loose ball in the goalie box in the 22nd minute, helping keep the shutout intact. Fellow junior Ellie Buck nearly had a goal in the 37th minute, banging a shot of the post from the right side.
“It was an enjoyable possible last home game for everyone, and I’m glad Jayla and Caroline were able to score,” Larsen commented. “As seniors, they’ll remember this game as a win and that they scored.”
Junior Meghan McKenzie (10) brings the ball up the right wing during the first half of Monday’s win. (Kyle Pillar)
Much of the second half was controlled by the Lady Raiders, who added the final 10 of their 19 total shots on frame. Huff had seven shots on goal, while Whitley had three. Buck, McDougald, Cheyenne Jacobs and Jennifer Gomez all had two.
Another set piece created Walker’s scoring opportunity in the 72nd minute, this time with the help of a corner kick from Jacobs.
Booting the ball from the left corner, Jacobs’ ball bounced around the keeper’s box before Walker rushed in and headed it into the net. It was her second tally of the spring.
In the Lady Raiders’ net, senior goalkeeper Kelly Hoffman registered her fifth clean sheet of the campaign. She only faced two shots in the game, but made several clears out of the defensive end by running up to stop oncoming rushes.
“Our six-game winning streak gives us a lot of confidence, and so do the last two shutouts,” Hoffman said. “We know what we’re capable of doing and who works well together.
“A lot of that starts with the defense, which has been really good this year,” she added. “They’ve stopped a lot of shots in front of me and I haven’t touched the ball as much, which is a good thing.”
Richmond (12-2 SAC) finished second overall in conference standings, the third straight year (excluding the shortened 2020 season) they’ve done so. Richmond trailed conference leader Pinecrest High School by two games.
“It’s always great to finish second in the conference,” Larsen said. “We lost to a very good Pinecrest team twice, but we pulled some tight wins out. The girls have gotten better as the season has gone along, we put them in spots to display their strengths and that got us better as a whole.
“Going 12-2 is a great achievement,” he closed. “It’s been a while since we only lost to Pinecrest in the conference. We had some timely goals and came out on the right side of things.”
Sophomore Karter Walker scored her second goal of the season in Richmond’s win. (Kyle Pillar)
The Lady Raiders have made the NCHSAA state playoffs each of the last five seasons (not counting 2020) dating back to 2015. Their best appearance was making the second round in the 4A West in 2019 as a No. 8 seed before falling to East Forsyth High School.
The NCHSAA will release its 4A soccer playoff brackets on Saturday, which features 32 total teams (16 East and 16 West). As one of the two second-place automatic bids in the East, Richmond will be randomly selected as the No. 8 or No. 9 seed.
If the Lady Raiders get the No. 8 seed, they’ll have a home playoff game on Monday. If they’re the No. 9 seed, they’ll play on the road. They are projected to face Holly Springs High School (8-2-2).
“It doesn’t matter if we’re home or on the road,” Larsen said of the playoffs. “We use our bus trip to focus in, and if we’re home, we have our preferred end and we know this field the best.
“The biggest thing is the girls come in focused and ready to play,” he added. “I think they will because they know what lies ahead and they have to play mistake-free soccer to be in contention. I’m proud of the girls.”
The Richmond Observer will update this article when brackets are released on Saturday.
